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Subaru Legacy III (2000-2003 year). Manual - part 299

SC(H6DO)-20

STARTING/CHARGING SYSTEMS

BATTERY

4. Battery

A: REMOVAL

1) Remove battery cable holder (A) from battery
rod.

2) Disconnect the positive (+) cable after discon-
necting the negative (

−

) cable of battery.

3) Remove flange nuts from battery rods and take
off battery holder.

4) Remove battery.

B: INSTALLATION

Install in the reverse order of removal.

Tightening torque:

3.4 N·m (0.35 kgf-m, 2.5 ft-lb)

NOTE:
• Clean battery cable terminals and apply grease
to prevent corrosion.
• Connect the positive (+) cable of battery and then
the negative (

−

) cable of the battery.

C: INSPECTION

WARNING:
• Electrolyte has toxicity; be careful handling
the fluid.
• Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Es-
pecially at contact with eyes, flush with water
for 15 minutes and get prompt medical atten-
tion.
• Batteries produce explosive gases. Keep
sparks, flame, cigarettes away.
• Ventilate when charging or using in enclosed
space.
• For safety, in case an explosion does occur,
wear eye protection or shield your eyes when
working near any battery. Never lean over a bat-
tery.
• Do not let battery fluid contact eyes, skin,
fabrics, or paint-work because battery fluid is
corrosive acid.
• To lessen the risk of sparks, remove rings,
metal watch-bands, and other metal jewelry.
Never allow metal tools to contact the positive
battery terminal and anything connected to it
while you are at the same time in contact with
any other metallic portion of the vehicle be-
cause a short circuit will be caused.

1. EXTERNAL PARTS:

Check for the existence of dirt or cracks on the bat-
tery case, top cover, vent plugs, and terminal posts.
If necessary, clean with water and wipe with a dry
cloth.
Apply a thin coat of grease on the terminal posts to
prevent corrosion.

2. ELECTROLYTE LEVEL:

Check the electrolyte level in each cell. If the level
is below MIN LEVEL, bring the level to MAX LEVEL
by pouring distilled water into the battery cell. Do
not fill beyond MAX LEVEL.

SC-00139

( A )

SC-00053

SC(H6DO)-21

STARTING/CHARGING SYSTEMS

BATTERY

3. SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF ELECTROLYTE:

1) Measure specific gravity of electrolyte using a
hydrometer and a thermometer.
Specific gravity varies with temperature of electro-
lyte so that it must be corrected at 20

C (68

F) us-

ing the following equation:

= St + 0.0007

××××

−−−−

20)

: Specific gravity corrected at electro-

lyte temperature of 20

°°°°

St : Measured specific gravity
t : Measured temperature (

°°°°

Determine whether or not battery must be
charged, according to corrected specific
gravity.
Standard specific gravity: 1.220 — 1.290 [at
20

°°°°

C (68

°°°°

F)]

2) Measuring the specific gravity of the electrolyte
in the battery will disclose the state of charge of the
battery. The relation between the specific gravity
and the state of charge is as shown in figure.

D: MEASUREMENT

WARNING:
• Do not bring an open flame close to the bat-
tery at this time.

CAUTION:
• Prior to charging, corroded terminals should
be cleaned with a brush and common baking
soda solution.
• Be careful since battery electrolyte overflows
while charging the battery.
• Observe instructions when handling battery
charger.
• Before charging the battery on vehicle, dis-
connect battery ground terminal. Failure to fol-
low this rule may damage alternator's diodes or
other electrical units.

1. JUDGMENT OF BATTERY IN CHARGED
CONDITION

1) Specific gravity of electrolyte is held at a specific
value in a range from 1.250 to 1.290 for more than
one hour.

2) Voltage per battery cell is held at a specific value
in a range from 2.5 to 2.8 volts for more than one
hour.

2. CHECK HYDROMETER FOR STATE OF
CHARGE

3. NORMAL CHARGING

Charge the battery at current value specified by
manufacturer or at approximately 1/10 of battery's
ampere-hour rating.

4. QUICK CHARGING

Quick charging is a method in which the battery is
charged in a short period of time with a relatively
large current by using a quick charger.
Since a large current flow raises electrolyte temper-
ature, the battery is subject to damage if the large
current is used for prolonged time. For this reason,
the quick charging must be carried out within a cur-
rent range that will not increase the electrolyte tem-
perature above 40

C (104

F).

It should be also remembered that the quick charg-
ing is a temporary means to bring battery voltage
up to a fair value and, as a rule, a battery should be
charged slowly with a low current.

CAUTION:
• Observe the items in 3. NORMAL CHARGING.
• Never use more than 10 amperes when
charging the battery because that will shorten
battery life.

SC-00094

1.28

Specific gravity [20

˚C (68

˚F)]

Specific gravity and state of charge

Complete charge

Charging condition

1.26

1.24

1.22

1.20