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 vehicle battery maintenance, charging, and long-term storage procedures.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 139\3\ scan0205 | |
| Date | 14th November 1938 guessed | |
| 5. the aid of a naked light, and on no account disconnect any of the battery terminals or connections when a charge or discharge current is passing, for such a course incurs risk of explosion and involves personal risk. //The battery must never be allowed to remain in a discharged condition. A battery not in active service should be kept in condition by fully charging it and then giving it a freshening charge at least once every two months. It should be given a thorough charge before being put back into service. //Disconnect the cables from a battery not in service, so that it does not lose its charge owing to any slight leak in the car wiring. If the battery is to be stored for a long time or if it is not possible to give it the necessary freshening charges, or if the battery is to be despatched abroad, the best procedure, which is not, however, as good as keeping the battery in a charged condition, is as follows:- (1) Fully charge the battery. (2) Empty out electrolyte and replace with pure distilled water. (2)(3) Allow battery to discharge slowly through [handwritten insert: side and headlamps] resistance [handwritten, crossed out: for about five hours] until it shows only about 11 volts. (3)(4) Remove terminals, clean, [crossed out: re-vaseline,] and store or despatch these separately. 4 (5) Empty out [handwritten insert: liquid electrolyte.] water and allow battery to drain. 5 (6) For storage, place in a cool dry place with vent plugs well tightened up. (7) [crossed out: On no account leave battery stored away with water in the cells at any time or under any conditions.] | ||