Ferris Industries 59O0535 Manuel D’Utilisation

Troubleshooting

A voltmeter can be used to determine condition of 
battery. When engine is off, the voltmeter shows 
battery voltage, which should be 12 volts.When 
engine is running, the voltmeter shows voltage of 
charging circuit which normally is 13 to 14 volts.
A dead battery or one too weak to start the engine 
may not mean the battery needs to be replaced. 
For example, it may mean that the alternator is not 
charging the battery properly. If there is any doubt 
about the cause of the problem, see your dealer. 
If you need to replace the battery, follow the steps 
under Cleaning the Battery & Cables in the Regular 
Maintenance Section.

 1.  Be aware of all the safety precautions you should 

observe during the charging operation. If you are 
unfamiliar with the use of a battery charger and 
hydrometer, have the battery serviced by your 
dealer.

 2.  Add distilled water sufficient to cover the plate (fill 

to the proper level near the end of the charge). 
If the battery is extremely cold, allow it to warm 
before adding water because the water level will 
rise as it warms. Also, an extremely cold battery 
will not accept a normal charge until it becomes 
warm.

 3.  Always unplug or turn the charger off before 

attaching or removing the clamp connections.

 4.  Carefully attach the clamps to the battery in 

proper polarity (usually red to [+] positive and 
black to [-] negative).

 5.  While charging, periodically measure the 

temperature of the electrolyte. If the temperature 
exceeds 125° F (51.6° C), or if violent gassing or 
spewing of electrolyte occurs, the charging rate 
must be reduced or temporarily halted to prevent 
battery damage.

 6.  Charge the battery until fully charged (until the 

specific gravity of the electrolyte is 1.250 or higher 
and the electrolyte temperature is at least 60° F). 
The best method of making certain a battery is 
fully charged, but not over charged, is to measure 
the specific gravity of a cell once per hour. The 

battery is fully charged when the cells are gassing 
freely at low charging rate and less than 0.003 
change in specific gravity occurs over a three hour 
period.

Jump starting is not recommended. However, if it 
must be done, follow these directions. Both booster 
and dis-charged batteries should be treated carefully 
when using jumper cables. Follow the steps below 
EXACTLY, being careful not to cause sparks. Refer 
to Figure 51.
 1.  Both batteries must be of the same voltage.

 2.  Position the vehicle with the booster battery 

adjacent to the vehicle with the discharged battery 
so that booster cables can be connected easily 
to the batteries in both vehicles. Make certain 
vehicles do not touch each other.

 3.  Wear safety glasses and shield eyes and face 

from batteries at all times. Be sure vent caps are 
tight. Place damp cloth over vent caps on both 
batteries.

 4.  Connect positive (+) cable to positive post of 

discharged battery (wired to starter or solenoid).

 5.  Connect the other end of same cable to same 

post marked positive (+) on booster battery.

 6.  Connect the second cable negative (-) to other 

post of booster battery.

7. Make final connection on engine block of stalled 

vehicle away from battery. Do not lean over 
batteries.

8. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster 

battery.Wait a few minutes, then attempt to start 
the engine of the vehicle with the discharged 
battery.

9. If the vehicle does not start after cranking for thirty 

seconds, STOP PROCEDURE. More than thirty 
seconds seldom starts the engine unless some 
mechanical adjustment is made.

10. After starting, allow the engine to return to idle 

speed. Remove the cable connection at the 
engine or frame. Then remove the other end of 
the same cable from the booster battery.

11.Remove the other cable by disconnecting at the 

discharged battery first and then disconnect the 
opposite end from the booster battery.

12. Discard the damp cloths that were placed over 

the battery vent caps.

Not 

for  

Reproduction