Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1921 edition. Excerpt: ...or some similar cause is greatly increasing the resistance in the starting circuit, thus cutting down materially the amount of current that the battery can force through it. In such circumstances, the discharge may not reach so high a rate as that called for by the manufacturer, but to effect a start, even with the engine in normally good condition, a high rate will have to be continued longer, to the correspondingly greater detriment of the battery. In other words, a great deal more current must be drawn from the battery each time the engine is started. Thus, testing the rate of discharge may be made to serve as an indication of the condition of both the starting system and the engine itself. Should it be necessary to make more than eight or ten starts to determine definitely the cause of any variation between the discharge rates shown and those that should be indicated, with everything in normally good condition, the battery should be fully recharged before proceeding any further, as using it for this purpose when almost exhausted is very likely to damage it. Tests of this kind show also whether the efficiency of the battery has fallen off substantially or not, as indicated by its condition after making several starts in succession. When this has been done, the battery may be tested with the voltmeter and hydrometer to ascertain how far it has been discharged. The fact that after having been in service for some time a starting system will not start the engine so many times without exhausting the battery as it would when new may be due either to a loss of efficiency.in the battery or to the poor condition of the other essentials of the system. In the majority of. cases, however, it will be due to the condition of the battery. By substituting the...
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