From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Instructions for battery storage, and warnings about over-discharging and sulphation.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 26\2\ Scan066 | |
| Date | 1st February 1913 | |
| -22h- Contd. 1. Fully charge battery. 2. Empty out electrolyte and replace with pure distilled water. 3. Allow battery to discharge slowly through resistances until battery is practically dead, say until it shows about one volt per cell. 4. Remove all terminals and connections and store apart. 5. Empty out the water and allow battery to drain. 6. If the battery is to be stored, place in a dark, cool place. 7. When the battery is to be put into commission again it should preferably be treated in the same way as a new battery, for which treatment see (a) above. Under running conditions a battery must never be allowed to continue discharging when the voltage of any cell has fallen below 1.8 (except momentarily for the purpose of tracing a faulty cell as described above). Such a discharge may occur if there is an earth or leak in the wiring system or if the ignition switch be left on in error and the primary platinum contacts happen to be in contact. (Always, when leaving the car, notice that the ammeter does jot show any discharge current). Such a discharge allows the plates of the battery to sulphate and is very injurious, in so far as the process of removing the sulphate is tedious, even for a small amount, and impossible when the sulphating has been allowed to proceed too far. The sulphate is formed from the lead of the plates H.R. 235A (500) (T) (S.D.) 408.Derby. 2/126/13. | ||