Battery
VW T4 vehicles use a 12V battery, which has a different capacity on different models, depending on the requirements of the respective engine and the equipment used. Owners of models with diesel engines will be interested to know that the ease of starting their engine largely depends not on the capacity of the battery, but on the magnitude of the starting current. For this reason, it is not recommended to use domestic high-capacity batteries (and hence weight), which, as a rule, do not provide the appropriate requirements (starting current to ensure crankshaft rotation).
Table 17
Electrolyte density
The state of the battery Transporter T4 can be judged by indirect signs: difficult start, weak headlights, etc. indicate the inoperability (discharge) of the battery. To check the battery, you need a special load plug with a voltmeter. Without load, the voltage at the terminals of the working battery should be in the range of 12.5-13.5 V. Under load, this voltage drops, the smaller this drop, the more powerful the battery. The battery is considered suitable for operation in starter mode if the voltage at its terminals under load exceeds 9 V. Indirectly, the state (degree of charge) of the battery can be judged by a change in the density of the electrolyte. The density of the electrolyte is measured with a hydrometer. If the density of the electrolyte after charging or when checking (see Fig. 499) is 1.28 g / cm3 - the battery is fully charged, if before charging or when checking the density - 1.12 g / cm3 - the battery is completely discharged. Intermediate values indicate partial charge/discharge. However, it should be mentioned that even if an electrolyte with a density of 1.3 is poured into a “dead” battery, this will not affect its performance in any way - it will not work. with a discharged battery significantly reduces the service life of the latter.
Rice.
499 Checking the density of the battery electrolyte 1 - pipette with hydrometer, 2 - battery
Charging the T4 battery
It is recommended to use a factory-made charger to charge the battery. Charging can be done with any current, but not more than 0.1 of the battery capacity. Moreover, the lower the current, the longer the charging takes, but the less wear (destruction) of the battery plates. The battery is fully charged if there is a rapid evolution of gases from the electrolyte (the battery is “boiling”). After charging, let the battery stand for a couple of hours and check the electrolyte density in all banks. If the density difference between the banks is more than 0.15, additional charging (study) is necessary battery with a current of 1-1.5 A for 3-4 hours to equalize the density.