Bulletin Number: 00-003

Category: SERVICE

ATTENTION: Service Managers, Service Personnel, and Parts Managers

DATE: February 24, 2000

MODEL: DSS 300/350

SUBJECT: BSOC and sealed or maintenance-free batteries

DESCRIPTION: BSOC (Battery State-of-Charge) may give inaccurate

readings when certain types of sealed or maintenance-free
batteries are used. As a result, trucks using these
batteries may generate low-voltage error codes and shut
down before BSOC readings drop low enough to cut-out lift
or warn the operator to change the battery.

RESOLUTION: There are two general categories of this type battery:

1) Gelled Electrolyte
Batteries that use the gelled electrolyte design demonstrate
similar discharge characteristics to equivalent capacity
flooded cell batteries. The use of gelled electrolyte
batteries does not require a change in BSOC setting.
2) Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM)
Batteries that use either the AGM design or a combination
of AGM and gelled electrolyte have a significantly different
discharge characteristic than equivalent capacity flooded
cell batteries. Batteries using AGM design have a higher
sustained voltage during discharge than an equivalent
capacity flooded cell battery. To compensate for this
difference, the BSOC lift cut-out setting must be set to a
higher percentage (corresponding to the higher voltage)
when using a battery with AGM design. Add 10 to 20
percent to the BSOC setting that would be used for a
flooded cell battery in this application.

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PROCEDURES: 1) Determine what type of battery is being used in the
truck.
2) For gelled electrolyte batteries, use the same BSOC
setting that would be used for flooded cells in that
application.
3) For AGM and combination AGM/gelled electrolyte
batteries, use a compensated BSOC setting as
described above.
NOTE: In cases where there is a mixed usage of AGM or
AGM/gelled electrolyte batteries and flooded batteries, it is
recommended that the compensated setting be used since
it is difficult to determine which type of battery may be
installed. Although this would result in “early” BSOC cut-
out when using flooded cell batteries, this may be
preferable to damage and/or warranty exclusion as a result
of over-discharging the sealed or maintenance-free battery.

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