SLEEVE BK 5417090 - Caterpillar

August 30, 1993Service Magazine; August 2,1993; Page 4; "Battery Acid Fill Machine May Be Damaging Batteries"In the third sentence of the third paragraph, the word "different" is not correct. The correct word in that location should be "difficult".
--------------- END SUPPLEMENT ---------------The acid filling machines used by many dealers may be damaging Cat batteries.
Check the vacuum pressure setting on your battery acid filling machine. Too much vacuum pressure can cause internal damage to the battery (inter-cell leaks).
Inter-cell leaks cause early battery failure. They are usually noticed when filling the battery. If one or more cells are different or impossible to fill with vacuum filling equipment, that battery has inter-cell leaks (leaking pressure between cells).
Do not sell or use batteries with inter-cell leaks. They are sure to fail quickly.
The maximum vacuum pressure that can be applied to Cat batteries is: 4 PSI (pounds per square inch); 8 in. Hg (inches mercury); 27 kPa (kilo pascal).
Many new acid filling machines have no pressure adjustment or pressure gauge. For those dealers using a "New Way Model 4" machine, a "vacuum adjustment kit" is available. It can be easily added to the machine.
Have the pressure checked on your filling machine, and if over 4 PSI, add a pressure regulating device.