Show I Motor Motor Car Car Owners Should N Not t Fail to R Read ad adIL IL This Article i on the Care of the Battery 1 The fact that the average ge motor car owner in America does not understand the construction of his bis stor storage e battery and the care it needs is responsible for lor millions of dollars dollars' Jo loss lass s every year ear through premature failure of this important im important im- im equipment equip equip- unit of the automobile ment The average life of a storage battery battery battery bat bat- tery In actual service is fifteen months of service service service ser ser- VI With th proper care this length vice twenty months or orm can be raised to m more different kinds of or There re are several storage batteries in use today says Jacic JacIe McCooey of the intermountain Electric well known company of the Willard Villard battery battery The familiar lead battery battery battery bat bat- tery with liquid solution the same type with dr dry electrolyte and the Edison nickel-iron nickel battery are those commonly encountered In motor car equipment the lead plate place battery with liquid solution solution ti tion Is S the prevailing type The 1 a battery is an electro electrochemical unit containing plates ora ofa of or a lead composition submerged in a solution solution solution so so- lution of sulphuric acid known as electrolyte electrolyte electrolyte elec elec- and having a a. specific gravity of or 1 30 at 70 degrees F. F The plates in the battery are u-e of two t distinct kinds known as positive and negative The curren current leaves the battery by way of the positive positive positive tive and returns through the negative The battery plates are made in the form of grids the spaces between filled with witha a special composition of lead The positive positive positive pos pos- plates have a filler consisting of peroxide of lead reddish brown broD in color The negative plates employ a spongy composition of ot lead These plates are u-e separated by s strips of specially treated wood wood or soe sometimes times of other materials The elements positive positive positive tive and negative plates are in jars of hard rubber which are filled or nearly so with a solution of sulphuric acid Each of these jars is known as asa asa asa a cell and a battery may consist of one two three four or more cells according according according accord accord- ing to the power needed FALSE IMPRESSION with The word storage in connection the electrochemical battery conveys a a. false impression The storage battery does not store anything The actual work of the battery consists In a chemical chemical chem chem- ical action between the acid solution and the active material contained In tho the plates Now ow this chemical action Is al always always always al- al ways going on within the battery even when it is not actually giving out current cur cur- rent But when the part is being called upon to deliver power the violence of the chemical action Is enormously increased Increased in increased In- In creased electrical current is en generated crated and dispatched on its way as directed by the lie driver of the car to start the motor light the lights or what not The chemical action within the bat- bat levy IY which produces the current also produces produces produces pro pro- duces a substance known as lead sulphate sulphate sul sul- sul- sul phate which is deposited on the plates This sulphate Is ib a white substance and its presence on the plates weakens the action of the ba battery tery because its formation formation formation forma forma- tion has actual withdrawn acid from the solution or electrolyte Thus Titus if the condition reaches its ultimate stage the plate would be thick with sulphate de deposits deposits deposits de- de posits and all the acid would be withdrawn withdrawn withdrawn with with- drawn from the electrolyte leaving plain water waler In this case the battery would be he able to produce no current whatever THE REACTION Now r when electrical current from an outside source is sent into the battery I it causes a reaction to take place which Is exactly the reverse of the former as asit asit asit it breaks up the sulphate deposit on the plates platE's and drives it back into the liquid in the form of acid When this operation operation operation opera opera- tion has been completed and all the de deposit deposit deposit de- de posit has been removed the battery Is ready to begin its chemical action again and electric current It is obvious that the the- liquid which the battery cells are filled in the course coure of time will suffer evaporation This is doubly so because the chemical action of the battery produces a II certain amount of heat beat which hastens losses due to inevitable inevitable in inevitable in- in evitable evaporation To make up for this and keep the liquid up to the proper level distilled water must be added at regular intervals once a week In warm weather and once in two weeks during the cold season Filtered water may be bought at any drug store storo o or ga garage rage o or r rain water or water ma made e by melting Ice may be used When the liquid has been reduced by evaporation obviously its acid con content lent is just the same and all that is necessary is to bring it up to the proper level b by adding the plain water On the other hand if any of the liquid has bas ben spilled or has leaked out of I the jars In any way acid has also been lost so 50 that in replenishing it will be necessary to lo add acid and water in proper amounts that amounts that is to sa say with a specific lo gravity of F. F TEST NECESSARY Whenever the owner opens his ba battery battery bat bat- t- t tery to refill the tile cells with water he lie should test the electrolyte with an Instrument in instrument instrument In- In strument called a hydrometer syringe This is a large glass cylinder with a rubber bulb at one end and a small graduated graduated graduated grad grad- cylinder Inside By means of the Ule rubber bulb a quantity of the liquid is drawn up into the cylinder the small graduated cylinder floats in this and by its depth indicates the specific gravity gravity gravity grav grav- ity of ot the fluid If this Is 1 28 to 1 30 or thereabouts the battery is fully charged If Ir it falls to the tho battery is discharged and should be recharged I a at once The modern car 31 strives to remove much m of the work worl o of caring for the battery I from the shoulders of the owner A generator gen j genjI is installed to recharge the battery battery bat bat- I tery as the car runs This is a great convenience convenience convenience con con- but it may also alto be adjusted and overcharge or undercharge The Tho driver will have to find out what 4 rate ate of recharging is demanded by his particular form of service and have the charging rate set to meet that condition condi condi- tion Also remember that even though the generator may be perfectly attuned to the needs of the operator keeping the battery perfectly charged all the time it will not put water in the cells The rhe car owner must do o that with l his lus s own hands If he wants to be sure the part is properly properly properly prop prop- erly maintained If the battery is kept properly charged there is no need to worry about the electrolyte electrolyte elec elec- freezing as the acid prevents that occurrence until 40 or so degrees degree below zero Is reached When a a. persistent persist persist- ent breakage of cells occurs It may be beset beset beset set down to an improper mounting mounting- of the battery The clamps holding the part in place should be tightened occasionally If It the battery discharges with wih undue rapidity rapidity rapid rapid- ity short circuits should be looked for and the wiring system should be In Inspected inspected inspected in- in at intervals for this trouble The terminals termInals' must be kept clean and bright and it is well to grease them occasionally occasion occasion- ally to prevent rust and and corrosion |