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BATTERIES
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| Batteries Related Frequently Asked Questions |
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Q. What does deep cycle mean?
Deep cycle means using the battery in an application that will typically discharge 60% to 70% or more of the battery capacity. An automotive battery is an SLI (starting, lighting, and ignition) battery. It's plates are designed to deliver maximum power for a short duration. Starting a car typically discharges an SLI battery only 1% to 3%. When an SLI battery is used in a deep cycle application, or in a vehicle with heavy accessory loads, the battery life will be shortened proportionally to how deeply it is cycled on a regular basis.
Q. When should I consider a deep cycle?
Any time you need the battery to supply all the operating power for a vehicle or other device. Additionally, deep cycle batteries should be used in vehicles that have heavy accessory loads where the alternator cannot maintain the battery in a fully charged condition. This is typical of large bow thrusters.
Q. Do solar panels need maintenance?
The only maintenance a solar panel requires is cleaning with a damp cloth from time to time, no other maintenance is needed. However, if lead acid batteries are used the acid levels need to be checked every six months and topped up if necessary.
Q. How do small batteries, such as the Optima & SBS produce high power?
This new range of engine start batteries have been specifically designed to provide extreme high current very quickly whilst maintaining a high stable voltage. This is only possible if internal resistance is very low. This is achieved by using pure lead for plate construction. Ordinary batteries use lead-calcium alloy plates with a higher resistance that limits power output in high rate applications. Usually very large and heavy batteries - generally in excess of 100Ah are specified to compensate for this limitation.
Q. What are "dry" and what are "liquid" batteries?
The terms "dry battery" and "liquid battery" are restricted to primary systems and date from the early development of galvanic elements. At that time, a liquid cell consisted of an electrolyte-filled glass container into which electrochemically active electrodes were immersed. It was only later that unspillable cells which could be used in any position and had a completely different construction were introduced, these being similar to today's primary batteries. These earlier cells were based on paste electrolytes. At that time they were known as dry batteries. In this sense today's primary batteries are also dry batteries.
The term "liquid battery" is in principle still applicable to certain modern secondary batteries. For large stationary lead-acid or solar batteries, liquid sulfuric acid is preferred for the electrolyte. For mobile applications unspillable, maintenance-free lead-acid batteries are recommended and have been available for many years. Their sulfuric acid is immobilized by a gel (or a special microglass mat).
Q. Leak-proof semi-traction batteries, are they available?
Yes. Dry from Sonnenschein and Squadron batteries are leak-proof. They use a gelled electrolyte and are leak-proof even when stored upside down. The Drymobil battery from Sonnenschein and Squadron are used on boats, in house trailers or in small electric vehicles (golf buggies, wheelchairs etc.).
Q. Does my deep cycle battery develop a memory?
Lead acid batteries do not develop any type of memory
Q. What type of charger should I buy?
An automatic charger offers the greatest convenience. Just plug the battery into the charger and the charger does the rest. Manual chargers, although equally effective at charging batteries, require a greater level of attention. Generally speaking, automatic chargers are priced higher than manual chargers.
Q. Do you ever add acid to a battery?
Under normal operating conditions, you never need to add acid. Only distilled, deionized or approved water should be added to achieve the recommended levels mentioned above. When a battery is shipped in a dry state or accidental spillage occurs, electrolyte should be added to the battery. Once filled, a battery should only need periodic water addition .
Q. What are common mistakes made by lead acid battery owners?
Undercharging : Generally caused by not allowing the charger to restore the battery to full state of charge after use. Continually operating the battery in a partial state of charge, or storing the battery in a discharged state results in the formation of lead sulfate compounds on the plates. This condition is known as sulfation. Both of these conditions reduce the battery's performance and may cause premature battery failure. Undercharging will also cause stratification.
Overcharging : Continuous charging causes accelerated corrosion of the positive plates, excessive water consumption, and in some cases, damaging temperatures within a lead acid battery. Deep cycle batteries should be charged after each discharge of more than 50% of the batteries rated capacity, and/or after prolonged storage of 30 days or more.
Q. How are batteries rated and what do the ratings mean in battery selection?
The most common battery rating is the AMP-HOUR RATING. This is a unit of measurement for battery capacity, obtained by multiplying a current flow in amperes by the time in hours of discharge. (Example: A battery which delivers 5 amperes for 20 hours delivers 5 amperes times 20 hours, or 100 ampere-hours.)
Manufacturers use different discharge periods to yield an different Amp-Hr. Rating for the same capacity batteries, therefore, the Amp-Hr. Rating has little significance unless qualified by the number of hours the battery is discharged. For this reason Amp-Hour Ratings are only a general method of evaluating a battery's capacity for selection purposes. The quality of internal components and technical construction within the battery will generate different desired characteristics without effecting its Amp-Hour Rating. For instance, there are 150 Amp-Hour batteries that will not support an electrical load overnight and if called upon to do so repetitively, will fail early in their life. Conversely, there are 150 Amp-Hour batteries that will operate an electrical load for several days before needing recharging and will do so for years. The following ratings must be examined in order to evaluate and select the proper battery for a specific application: COLD CRANKING AMPERAGE and RESERVE CAPACITY are ratings used by the industry to simplify battery selection.
Q. How does the Cold Cranking Amperage rating help me select a battery?
(CCA) is the maximum amperes that can be continuously removed from a battery for 30 seconds at 0ºF before its voltage drops to unusable levels. A 550 CCA battery can supply 550 amperes for 30 seconds at 0ºF. This rating is only useful in the selection of engine starting batteries.
NOTE: Do not confuse Cold Cranking Amperage (CCA) with Marine Cranking Amperage (MCA) or Cranking Amperage (CA). MCA and CA is a higher battery rating measured at warmer temperatures.
Q. What does the Reserve Capacity rating mean and how does it apply to deep cycle batteries?
Reserve capacity is the number of minutes a battery can maintain a useful voltage under a 25 ampere discharge. The higher the minute rating, the greater the battery's ability to run lights, pumps, inverters, and electronics for a longer period before recharging is necessary. The 25 Amp. Reserve Capacity Rating is more realistic than Amp-Hour or CCA as a measurement of capacity for deep cycle service. Batteries promoted on their high Cold Cranking Ratings are easy and inexpensive to build. The market is flooded with them, however their Reserve Capacity, Cycle Life (the number of discharges and charges the battery can deliver) and Service life are poor. Reserve Capacity is difficult and costly to engineer into a battery and requires higher quality cell materials.
For instance, Rolls, Surrette and Lifeline use thicker lead grids (the plate's skeletal structure) to support additional positive plate oxides which are compressed into a denser form in order to add battery reactive material for greater Reserve Capacity and Cycling Performance. In addition, these plates are separated by indestructible separators. These mats hold the active oxides tightly in place during the cubical plate expansion which occurs during deep discharging, instead of allowing the oxides to shed off and precipitate to the bottom of the battery. Construction materials such as those raise the Reserve Capacity of a battery and increase the battery's Cycle Life.
Q. What is battery cycle life?
One cycle of a battery is a discharge from full charge to full discharge and a return to full charge again. The total number of cycles a battery can perform before failure is called its Cycle Life. Moat battery manufacturers will not discus the Cycle Life of their product. Many advertised Deep Cycle batteries have not been tested, or, which is the case with cranking batteries, were never designed for long Cycle Life.
Q. What is the difference between deep cycle batteries and starting batteries?
Unfortunately, the term Deep Cycle has been overused by the battery industry as a sales tool to imply a heavy duty product. This has led to confusion and difficulty in battery selection. One must understand that any battery may be termed deep cycle as all batteries may be fully discharged and charged. However, a true deep cycle battery, such as Rolls or Lifeline, is capable of thousands of these hard cycles during its life without losing its capacity. Comparatively, many advertised deep cycle batteries composed of thin plates, excessively porous separators, and low density plate oxides will suffer permanent capacity loss after a few dozen cycles and will shortly sulfate or shed plate material and fail. Batteries without substantial materials designed for true deep-cycling will lose more than half of their capacity after only a few cycles. A 200 Amp-hour battery will shortly become a 100 Amp-hour battery for the remainder of its shortened service life. What initially may seem to be an inexpensive battery to purchase, now costs twice as much per Amp-hour. True Deep cycle batteries will perform well as cranking batteries, however, cranking batteries will not survive deep cycle use.
Deep cycle batteries can be used in any application and exhibit a long service life, while cranking batteries are limited to starting applications only. Cranking batteries exhibit poor service life in cycling applications.
Q. What is the difference between series battery connections and parallel battery connections and how do they increase battery capacity and voltage?
In the SERIES CONNECTION, batteries of like voltage and Amp-Hour capacity are connected to increase the Voltage of the bank. The positive terminal of the first battery is connected to the negative terminal of the second battery and so on, until the desired voltage is reached. The final Voltage is the sum of all battery voltages added together while the final Amp-Hours remains unchanged. The bank's Voltage increases while its Amp-Hours, Cranking Performance and Reserve Capacity remain unchanged.
In the PARALLEL CONNECTION, batteries of like voltages and capacities are connected to increase the capacity of the bank. The positive terminals of all batteries are connected together, or to a common conductor, and all negative terminals are connected in the same manner. The final voltage remains unchanged while the capacity of the bank is the sum of the capacities of the individual batteries of this connection. Amp-Hours Cranking Performance and Reserve Capacity increases while Voltage does not.
Q. Does overcharging damage batteries?
OVERCHARGING is the most destructive element in battery service. Usually the boater is not aware that this is occurring as he believes his alternator or battery charger is "automatic." Unfortunately, these automatic circuits are sensitive to voltage surges, heat, direct lightening strikes and indirect lightening electromagnetic influences and could fail or shift their calibration. When they fail, overcharging begins to effect the batteries. During overcharging, excessive current causes the oxides on the plates of the battery to "shed" and precipitate to the bottom of the cell and also heat the battery, thus removing water from the electrolyte. Once removed, this material (which represents capacity) is no longer active in the battery. In addition, the loss of water from the electrolyte may expose portions of the plates and cause the exposed areas to oxidize and become inactive, thus reducing additional capacity. Sealed batteries are not immune from the same internal results when overcharged. In fact, sealed recombination absorption and gel batteries are particularly sensitive to overcharging. Once moisture is removed from the battery, it cannot be replaced. Portions of the battery damaged due to overcharging are irretrievable. However, if detected early, corrective adjustments to the charging device will save the undamaged portion of the battery. Initial signs of overcharging are excessive usage of water in the battery, continuously warm batteries, or higher than normal battery voltages while under the influence of the charger. If overcharging is suspected, correct immediately.
Q. Does overdischarging damage batteries?
OVERDISCHARGING is a problem which originates from insufficient battery capacity causing the batteries to be overworked. Discharges deeper than 50% (in reality well below 12.0 Volts or 1.200 Specific Gravity) significantly shorten the Cycle Life of a battery without increasing the usable depth of cycle. Infrequent or inadequate complete recharging can also cause overdischarging symptoms called SULFATION. Despite that charging equipment is regulating back properly, overdischarging symptoms are displayed as loss of battery capacity and lower than normal specific gravity. Sulfation occurs when sulfur from the electrolyte combines with the lead on the plates and forms lead-sulfate. Once this condition becomes chronic, marine battery chargers will not remove the hardened sulfate. Sulfation can usually be removed by a proper desulfation or equalization charge with external manual battery chargers. To accomplish this task, the flooded plate batteries must be charged at 6 to 10 amps. at 2.4 to 2.5 volts per cell until all cells are gassing freely and their specific gravity returns to their full charge concentration. Sealed AGM batteries should be brought to 2.35 volts per cell and then discharged to 1.75 volts per cell and their this process must be repeated until the capacity returns to the battery. Gel batteries may not recover. In most cases, the battery may be returned to complete its service life.
CHARGING Alternators and float battery chargers including regulated photo voltaic chargers have automatic controls which taper the charge rate as the batteries come up in charge. It should be noted that a decrease to a few amperes while charging does not mean that the batteries have been fully charged. Battery chargers are of three types. There is the manual type, the trickle type, and the automatic switcher type.
Q. How can I evaluate the health and charge state of a battery?
Routine battery examinations divulge irregularities in the charging system as well as in the batteries. The principle method is to examine the electrochemistry of the battery through hydrometric electrolyte inspection. As previously discussed, this important examination cannot be accomplished with sealed absorption or gel batteries. Voltage readings alone require experience to interpret. Hydrometric readings will uncover early warnings of overcharging or overdischarging before batteries are damaged. The state-of-charge and reliability of a lead acid battery can best be determined by the specific gravity of the electrolyte measured directly with a common bulb-type hydrometer with a glass float. We do not recommend the ball float type hydrometer. Specific gravity is a unit of measurement for determining the sulfuric acid content of the electrolyte. The recommended fully charged specific gravity of marine batteries is 1.255 to 1.265 taken at 80ºF. More than .025 spread in readings between fully charged cells indicates that the battery may need an equalization charge. If this condition persists, the cell is failing and the battery should be replaced. Since water has a value of 1.000, electrolyte with a specific gravity of 1.260 means it is 1.260 times heavier than pure water while pure concentrated sulfuric acid has a specific gravity of 1.835.
The following table illustrates typical specific gravity values for a cell in various stages of charge:
100% Charged.......1.255 - 1.260 Sp. Gr.
75% Charged.......1.220 - 1.225 Sp. Gr.
50% Charged.......1.185 - 1.190 Sp. Gr.
25% Charged.......1.150 - 1.155 Sp. Gr.
0% Charged.......1.115 - 1.120 Sp. Gr.
Temperature compensation of hydrometric readings is usually unnecessary unless the battery is extremely hot or cold, however, after hard charging or discharging, you may want to add or subtract points of Specific Gravity based on the table.
(PICTURE OF THERMOMETER)
Do not apply hydrometer color coding to readings taken from deep cycle batteries. These red-white-green markings are for "hot" automotive battery types. Also, hydrometer readings taken immediately after water is added to a cell is inaccurate. The water must be thoroughly mixed with the underlying electrolyte by charging, before hydrometer readings are reliable. In addition, do not assume a deep cycle battery will not take a charge because you have been charging it for a while and the float will not rise. If the battery has been fully discharged or partially sulfated it will require considerable charging or equalization before recovering. As electrolyte levels are reduced in the battery, it is important to add water to each cell. Note that only the water portion of the electrolyte evaporates, therefore, it is not necessary to add acid to a battery during maintenance. In fact, the addition of acid to an active battery will reduce its capacity and shorten its remaining life. Water should be added to cells after charging the battery. This will eliminate spillage due to expansion of electrolyte upon charging. Generally speaking, any water that is safe to drink is safe to use in a battery. Do not use water of a known high mineral content or stored in metallic containers. It is the metal impurities in the water that lower the performance of the battery. Distilled water guarantees purity.
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WHY USE KEVIN’S BATTERIES?
In the process of manufacturing we use graded basic material as well as follow toughest procedure of QA, QC other types of inspection.
Various stages of inception are as follows:
Container Set: We are purchasing the best quality PP container. We are checking the every lot in our QC Lab.
Separator/Envelope: We are purchasing best quality PE & Glass met envelope, while most of the other manufacturers are using PVC separators which have different quality problems. Use of envelope avoids the shorting of plates during life. This benefit is not possible in case of PVC. We are checking every lot in our Q.C. Lab.
Lead Alloy / Plates: Plates are the heart of the battery. We are purchasing the good quality plates. We are checking every lot in our lab and sometimes at supplier’s end.
Electrolyte: We are having own DM water Plant manufactured by Ion Exchange to ensure good quality DM water. We purchase conc. Sulfuric Acid and prepare Electrolyte after Checking the Quality.
Assembly: We are having the battery assembly mechanic from the best Indian manufacturer (Reardon Machinery, Bangalore). This ensures the good quality and defect free battery production load to ensure that the cell is not short.
Following types of Tests are performed in the production each battery at Kevin
- Shear Test: - We are checking strength of all the inter cell wielding points with shear test machine.
- High Voltage Test: - We check the entire group by applying 1KV.
Charging: Many of the manufacturers are charging the batteries at distributer/ Dealer end. The Initial Charging plays a very important role in the Life of the batteries. We fill electrolyte of good quality and charge for sufficient time to ensure that the battery is fully charged whereas the charging at dealer’s end is not assured. We can’t say that what they have filled, for how many hours they have charged the battery, so the life of the battery is not assured.
DO’S AND DONT’S OF BATTERIES
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DO'S & DONT'S - TO KEEP YOUR BATTERY IN GOOD SHAPE
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IN STORAGE/STOCKING
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DO'S
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DONT'S
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The storage room should be dry & ventilated
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Do not store batteries with other items.
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Batteries should be stored upright.
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Batteries should not be stored sideways.
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Batteries should be handled in on First In First Out (FIFO) basis.
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Batteries of old code should not be allowed to accumulate.
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Charged batteries in stock or fitted on inverter should be checked once in every 3 month.
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Batteries should not be allowed to discharge below 1.200 S.G. or 12.20V (OCV) either during stocking or while fitted in inverter as otherwise permanent degradation sets in.
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Batteries should given a refreshing charge once in every 90 days from stocking and consecutively every 60 days from the date of refresh charging.
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Do not fit batteries which are discharged as this will lead to cranking problems & lower battery life.
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RECHARGING
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DO'S
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DONT'S
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Use good quality charging clips/connecting wires for recharging of batteries
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Do not use broken clips or frayed wires for charging
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Charging room should be well ventilated.
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Before connecting or disconnecting battery in the charging circuit, the charger should be put off first.
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Do not connect or remove battery from charging circuit while charger is still on.
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All batteries should be charged till the closed circuit voltage reaches minimum 15.8 V & the S.G. is 1.260+ - .0010 ( as specified)
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Do not fit partially charged batteries in inverter as otherwise the battery will give lower performance.
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Do not try to fast charge the battery with higher current as this will damage the battery & lead & also reduced battery life
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IN SERVICE
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DO'S
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DONT'S
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Ensure that batteries are checked once in every 3 months.
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Electrolyte level should not be allowed to drop below the top of the plates
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Electrolyte level should be maintained up to the bottom of the filling hole (between min & max.)
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Do not overfill the battery. Topping up should be done only if necessary.
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Topping up should be done only with distilled water.
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Do not use acid tap water or mineral water for topping up.
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Clean terminals/clamps and apply petroleum jelly.
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Metallic contact or shorting the battery terminals/clamps will cause damage to the battery.
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In case of a defective Inverter replace with only a standard quality Inverter.
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Do not use cheap/locally made Inverter. This will damage the battery/electrical system
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Check the physical condition of connecting wires.
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In case the wires are worn out, they needs to be replaced as worn out wires creates resistance to charging/flow of current.
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IN SERVICE
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DO'S
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DONT'S
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Ensure that batteries are checked once in every 3 months.
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Electrolyte level should not be allowed to drop below the top of the plates
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Electrolyte level should be maintained up to the bottom of the filling hole (between min & max.)
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Do not overfill the battery. Topping up should be done only if necessary.
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Topping up should be done only with distilled water.
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Do not use acid tap water or mineral water for topping up.
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Clean terminals/clamps and apply petroleum jelly.
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Metallic contact or shorting the battery terminals/clamps will cause damage to the battery.
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In case of a defective Inverter replace with only a standard quality Inverter.
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Do not use cheap/locally made Inverter. This will damage the battery/electrical system
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Check the physical condition of connecting wires.
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In case the wires are worn out, they needs to be replaced as worn out wires creates resistance to charging/flow of current.
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PROCESS FLOW CHART
Process Flow Chart - Battery
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