Midseason Battery Maintenance
As a rule, midseason maintenance is fairly painless. It can be conducted on hot afternoons after a day in the office. It can be done on a lazy Sunday while the spouse and kids are off to the grandparents for an obligatory Sunday visit. Unless you find some big problem, the summary checks and small repairs can actually prevent a larger investment of time a month or a day later.
Wet-Cell Batteries
Power to crank the engine and run the lights comes from the storage batteries. If they are constantly run down and recharged at high levels, some electrolyte is bound to gas off. Charging a wet-cell battery with the top of the plates exposed will greatly reduce its life.
Don’t just depend on the voltmeter on the engine panel or the electrical panel to judge the state of charge of your wet-cell batteries. Use a hydrometer, after running the engine to top up the batteries, to check for differences between individual battery cells.
Clean and grease battery cable connections, and wipe down the tops of the batteries with fresh water and paper towels after filling, charging, and cleaning. Make sure the cell caps are snugged all the way down.
For more tips on battery care and maintenance, purchase Charlie Wing’s Boatowner’s Illustrated Electrical Handbook today!
