PREPARING TO CHARGE. Schumacher AUTOMATIC BATTERY CHARGER

3. PREPARING TO CHARGE

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

3.6

If necessary to remove battery from vehicle to charge, always remove grounded terminal from battery first. Make sure all accessories in the vehicle are off, so as not to cause an arc.

Be sure area around battery is well ventilated while battery is being charged.

Clean battery terminals. Be careful to keep corrosion from coming in contact with eyes.

Add distilled water in each cell until battery acid reaches level specified by battery manufacturer. Do not overfill. For a battery without removable cell caps, such as valve regulated lead acid batteries, carefully follow manufacturer’s recharging instructions.

Study all battery manufacturer’s specific precautions while charging and recommended rates of charge.

Determine voltage of battery by referring to car owner’s manual and make sure that output voltage selector switch is set at correct voltage. If charger has adjustable charge rate, charge battery initially at lowest rate.

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

4. CHARGER LOCATION

Locate charger as far away from battery as DC cables permit.

Never place charger directly above battery being charged; gases from battery will corrode and damage charger.

Never allow battery acid to drip on charger when reading electrolyte specific gravity or filling battery.

Do not operate charger in a closed-in area or restrict ventilation in any way.

Do not set a battery on top of charger.

5. DC CONNECTION PRECAUTIONS

5.1

5.2

Connect and disconnect DC output clips only after setting any charger switches to “off” position and removing AC cord from electric outlet. Never allow the clips of charger to touch each other. Clips may be energized and they may spark.

Attach clips to battery and chassis, as indicated in sections 6 and 7.

6. FOLLOW THESE STEPS WHEN BATTERY IS INSTALLED IN VEHICLE

6.1

6.2

6.3

6.4

6.5

6.6

6.7

6.8

WARNING: A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY MAY CAUSE A BATTERY EXPLOSION.

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY:

Position AC and DC cords to reduce risk of damage by hood, door, or moving engine part.

Stay clear of fan blades, belts, pulleys, and other parts that can cause injury to persons.

Check polarity of battery posts. POSITIVE (POS, P, +) battery post usually has larger diameter than

NEGATIVE (NEG, N, –) post.

Determine which post of battery is grounded (connected) to the chassis. If negative post is grounded to chassis (as in most vehicles), see (6.5). If positive post is grounded to the chassis, see (6.6).

For negative-grounded vehicle, connect POSITIVE (RED) clip from battery charger to POSITIVE (POS, P, +) ungrounded post of battery. Connect NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip to vehicle chassis or engine block away from battery. Do not connect clip to carburetor, fuel lines, or sheet-metal body parts. Connect to a heavy gauge metal part of the frame or engine block.

For positive-grounded vehicle, connect NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip from battery charger to NEGATIVE

(NEG, N, –) ungrounded post of battery. Connect POSITIVE (RED) clip to vehicle chassis or engine block away from battery. Do not connect clip to carburetor, fuel lines, or sheet-metal body parts. Connect to a heavy gauge metal part of the frame or engine block.

When disconnecting charger, turn switches to off, disconnect AC cord, remove clip from vehicle chassis, and then remove clip from battery terminal.

See Operating Instructions for length of charge information.

7. FOLLOW THESE STEPS WHEN BATTERY IS OUTSIDE VEHICLE

7.1

7.2

WARNING: A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY MAY CAUSE A BATTERY EXPLOSION.

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY:

Check polarity of battery posts. POSITIVE (POS, P, +) battery post usually has a larger diameter than

NEGATIVE (NEG, N, –) post.

Attach at least a 24-inch-long 6-gauge (AWG) insulated battery cable to NEGATIVE (NEG, N, –) battery post.

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