Basic Small Engine Maintenance
6. Fresh Battery.

Larger engines may have an electric starter; if yours does, then you need to consider its battery.
Small bateries don't hold up very well, as evidenced by their very short warranty periods.  Any lead-acid battery left unused for a month will pretty much discharge and may even become useless.  To help batteries survive, if the engine is to be unused, put a trickle charge on it to keep it fresh.

Clean the terminals:

  • Remove wires from the battery.
  • Use a stiff wire brush to brighten the terminals (the white or black stuff is lead oxide, it does not conduct electricity.)
  • Likewise clean the ends of the wires. Anti Corrosion Material.
    Any one of these works well to keep the terminals on the battery and wires from corroding (oxidising):
  • Anti-corrosion paste (comes in a tube)
  • Anti-corrosion spray (Permatex makes some)
  • Grease (as in axle or bearing grease) Replace the battery if (after cleaning the terminals):
  • It's dead and won't take a charge.
  • If it's cracked (which, of course, means it's dead!)
  • After an overnight charge, it still won't crank your motor.

    Do not attempt to change the battery acid: it is very dangerous and not worth the trouble.

    Just go to the store and buy a new battery!

    Don't forget to take the old one with you as you will be charged $5 or more if you leave the old one home!

    Buying the Battery:
    Follow the owner's manual's recommendation as to battery size (amperage). (Ampereage is electricity's ability to do work. The more amps, the more it can do.)

    Transporting the battery:
    I like getting a cardboard box a bit larger than the battery and placing a few days worth of newspaper in the bottom and sides of it. In case there's battery acid on the battery, the paper will absorb it, and it won't eat the carpet out of my trunk or the paint on the pickup truck bed.

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