For battery system maintenance schedules and
jump starting procedures, see the owner’s manual in
the vehicle glove box. Optionally, refer to Lubrication
and Maintenance for the proper battery jump start-
ing procedures. While battery charging can be consid-
ered a maintenance procedure, the battery charging
procedures and related information are located in the
service procedures section of this service manual.
This was done because the battery must be fully-
charged before any battery system diagnosis or test-
ing procedures can be performed. Refer to Standard
Procedures for the proper battery charging proce-
dures.
OPERATION
The battery system is designed to provide a safe,
efficient, reliable and mobile means of delivering and
storing electrical energy. This electrical energy is
required to operate the engine starting system, as
well as to operate many of the other vehicle acces-
sory systems for limited durations while the engine
and/or the charging system are not operating. The
battery system is also designed to provide a reserve
of electrical energy to supplement the charging sys-
tem for short durations while the engine is running
and the electrical current demands of the vehicle
exceed the output of the charging system. In addition
to delivering, and storing electrical energy for the
vehicle, the battery system serves as a capacitor and
voltage stabilizer for the vehicle electrical system. It
absorbs most abnormal or transient voltages caused
by the switching of any of the electrical components
or circuits in the vehicle.
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - BATTERY SYSTEM
The battery, starting, and charging systems in the
vehicle operate with one another and must be tested
as a single complete system. In order for the engine
to start and the battery to charge properly, all of the
components that are used in these systems must per-
form within specifications. It is important that the
battery, starting, and charging systems be thoroughly
tested and inspected any time a battery needs to be
charged or replaced. The cause of abnormal battery
discharge, overcharging or early battery failure must
be diagnosed and corrected before a battery is
replaced and before a vehicle is returned to service.
The service information for these systems has been
separated within this service manual to make it eas-
ier to locate the specific information you are seeking.
However, when attempting to diagnose any of these
systems, it is important that you keep their interde-
pendency in mind.
The diagnostic procedures used for the battery,
starting, and charging systems include the most
basic conventional diagnostic methods, to the more
sophisticated On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) built into
the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). Use of an
induction-type milliampere ammeter, a volt/ohmme-
ter, a battery charger, a carbon pile rheostat (load
tester) and a 12-volt test lamp may be required. All
OBD-sensed systems are monitored by the PCM.
Each monitored circuit is assigned a Diagnostic Trou-
ble Code (DTC). The PCM will store a DTC in elec-
tronic memory for any failure it detects. Refer to
Charging System for the proper charging system on-
board diagnostic test procedures.
8F - 2
BATTERY SYSTEM
AN
BATTERY SYSTEM (Continued)