Fiat Bravo Quiz
Electrical system

Charging the battery

In this manual: Electrical system
Dear Reader — 1Engine — 35Engine lubrication — 3Engine cooling — 10Ignition/spark plugs — 14Fuel system — 10Petrol fuel injection — 13Diesel injection system — 13Exhaust system — 7Clutch — 7Transmission / Gearshift / Automatic Transmission — 5Front Axle — 11Rear axle — 4Steering — 9Wheel alignment — 1Brake system — 22Wheels and tyres — 10Body — 34Heating — 6Electrical system — 39Lighting system — 14Instruments — 7Windscreen wiper system — 8Vehicle care / tools — 6Jump Starting / Towing the Vehicle — 3Jacking up the vehicle — 1Fiat Bravo / Brava Maintenance Schedule — 1Maintenance — 38Wiring diagrams — 5
~2min read
Caution: if the battery has been discharged for too long, it may no longer be fully charged, or may not be charged at all.

The steps marked with are omitted on the standard-fitted maintenance-free battery. Observe the notes on the maintenance-free battery.

  • Never short-circuit the battery, i.e. the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals must not be connected. In a short circuit the battery heats up and may burst. Do not bring open flames near the battery. Battery acid is corrosive and must not get into the eyes, onto the skin or clothing; if it does, rinse thoroughly with plenty of water.

  • The battery can also be charged while installed. First disconnect the earth (-) and positive (+) leads.

    Caution: this will erase the "operating values" from the memory of the electronic injection control unit, and the anti-theft key code and stored stations from the radio memory. Therefore, be sure to read the notes in the chapter "Removing and installing the battery" before disconnecting.

  • Before charging, check the electrolyte level and top up with distilled water if necessary.

  • Thaw a frozen battery before charging. A fully charged battery freezes at approx. -65 °C, a half-discharged battery at approx. -30 °C and a discharged battery at approx. -12 °C.

  • Unscrew the caps from the battery, or lift them out with a narrow screwdriver, and lay them loosely over the openings. This prevents acid spray on the paintwork while allowing the gases produced during charging to escape.

  • Charge the battery only in a well-ventilated room. When charging the installed battery, leave the bonnet open.

  • For normal charging, the charging current is approx. 10 % of the capacity (for a 50 Ah battery, approx. 5.0 A). A guide charging time of 10 hours can be used.

  • Connect the battery positive (+) terminal to the charger positive (+) terminal, and the battery negative (-) terminal to the charger negative (-) terminal.

  • The electrolyte temperature must not exceed +55 °C during charging. If necessary, interrupt charging or reduce the charging current.

  • Charge until all cells are gassing vigorously and, in three consecutive measurements taken one hour apart, the specific gravity of the acid and the voltage no longer rise.

  • After charging, check the electrolyte level and top up with distilled water if necessary.

  • Check the acid density. If the value in one cell is clearly below the others (e.g. 5 cells show 1.26 g/ml and 1 cell 1.18 g/ml), the battery is defective and should be replaced.

  • Let the battery gas for approx. 20 minutes, then screw in the cell caps.

Caution: the engine must not be run with the battery disconnected, as this will damage the electrical system.

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