CEN-TECH 2/6 Amp 6/12 Volt Battery Charger Owner's Manual & Safety Instructions

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1. SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS – This manual contains important safety and operating instructions for this battery charger.
2. Do not expose charger to rain or snow.
3. Use of an attachment not recommended or sold by the battery charger manufacturer may result in a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons.
4. To reduce risk of damage to electric plug and cord, pull by plug rather than cord when disconnecting charger.
5. An extension cord should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Use of improper extension cord could result in a risk of fire and electric shock. If an extension cord must be used, make sure:
   • That pins on plug of extension cord are the same number, size, and shape as those of plug on charger;
   • That extension cord is properly wired and in good electrical condition; and
   • That wire size is large enough for AC ampere rating of charger as specified in Table A.
6. Do not operate charger with damaged cord or plug – replace the cord or plug immediately.
7. Do not operate charger if it has received a sharp blow, been dropped, or otherwise damaged in any way; take it to a qualified serviceman.
8. Do not disassemble charger; take it to a qualified serviceman when service or repair is required. Incorrect reassembly may result in a risk of electric shock or fire.
9. To reduce risk of electric shock, unplug charger from outlet before attempting any maintenance or cleaning. Turning off controls will not reduce this risk.
10. WARNING – RISK OF EXPLOSIVE GASES.
    • WORKING IN VICINITY OF A LEAD-ACID BATTERY IS DANGEROUS. BATTERIES GENERATE EXPLOSIVE GASES DURING NORMAL BATTERY OPERATION. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT YOU FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EACH TIME YOU USE THE CHARGER.
    • To reduce risk of battery explosion, follow these instructions and those published by battery manufacturer and manufacturer of any equipment you intend to use in vicinity of battery. Review cautionary marking on these products and on engine.
11. PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS
    • Consider having someone close enough by to come to your aid when you work near a lead-acid battery.
    • Have plenty of fresh water and soap nearby in case battery acid contacts skin, clothing, or eyes.
    • Wear complete eye protection and clothing protection. Avoid touching eyes while working near battery.
    • If battery acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and water. If acid enters eye, immediately flood eye with running cold water for at least 10 minutes and get medical attention immediately.
    • NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in vicinity of battery or engine.
    • Be extra cautious to reduce risk of dropping a metal tool onto battery. It might spark or short-circuit battery or other electrical part that may cause explosion.
    • Remove personal metal items such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and watches when working with a lead-acid battery. A lead-acid battery can produce a short-circuit current high enough to weld a ring or the like to metal, causing a severe burn.
    • Use charger for charging a LEAD-ACID battery only. It is not intended to supply power to a low voltage electrical system other than in a starter-motor application. Do not use battery charger for charging dry-cell batteries that are commonly used with home appliances. These batteries may burst and cause injury to persons and damage to property.
    • NEVER charge a frozen battery.
12. PREPARING TO CHARGE
    • 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 vehicle owner's manual and make sure it matches output rating of battery charger. If charger has adjustable charge rate, charge battery initially at lowest rate.
    • A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged on shore. To charge it on board requires equipment specially designed for marine use.
    • SHORTED BATTERIES - will read on Charge Meter as a high end peg at beginning of charging process. If after 5-10 minutes, needle does not move off high end, the battery probably has a short circuit. Unplug charger and discontinue use. Have battery checked by a qualified technician.
    • COLD BATTERIES - begin charging at a low rate, increase as battery reaches a normal temperature, then rate will decrease normally.
    • DO NOT CHARGE A FROZEN BATTERY.
    • BATTERIES WITH HYDROMETER EYE: Do not depend on hydrometer eye to determine battery charge level.
13. 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.
14. DC CONNECTION PRECAUTIONS
    • Connect and disconnect DC output clips only after setting any charger switches to "off" position and removing AC cord from electric outlet. Never allow clips to touch each other.
    • Attach clips to battery and chassis as indicated in 15(e), 15(f), and 16(b) through 16(d).
15. FOLLOW THESE STEPS WHEN BATTERY IS INSTALLED IN VEHICLE. A SPARK NEAR BATTERY MAY CAUSE BATTERY EXPLOSION. TO REDUCE RISK OF A SPARK NEAR BATTERY:
    • Position AC and DC cables 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 the chassis (as in most vehicles), see 5. If positive post is grounded to the chassis, see 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.
    • See Table B on page 8 for length of charge information.
    • Note: If the charger cycles between maximum charge level and a lower charge level when first connected, then the battery may be fully charged or nearly fully charged. Further charging may not be needed. If charging is attempted, charge at a lower rate and carefully monitor charge level to avoid battery damage.
    • When disconnecting charger, disconnect AC cord, remove clip from vehicle chassis, and then remove clip from battery terminal.
    • After use clean, then store the charger indoors out of children's reach.
16. FOLLOW THESE STEPS WHEN BATTERY IS OUTSIDE VEHICLE. A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY MAY CAUSE BATTERY EXPLOSION. TO REDUCE RISK OF A SPARK NEAR 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.
    • Connect POSITIVE (RED) charger clip to POSITIVE (POS, P, +) post of battery.
    • Position yourself and free end of cable as far away from battery as possible – then connect NEGATIVE (BLACK) charger clip to free end of cable.
    • Do not face battery when making final connection.
    • See Table B on page 8 for length of charge information.
    • When disconnecting charger, always do so in reverse sequence of connecting procedure and break first connection while as far away from battery as practical.
    • After use clean, then store the charger indoors out of children's reach.
17. Procedures not specifically explained in this manual must be performed only by a qualified technician.
18. WARNING! Unplug the charger, disconnect any battery, and allow charger to cool completely before performing any inspection, maintenance, or cleaning procedures.
19. WARNING! If the supply cord of this charger is damaged, it must be replaced only by a qualified service technician. DO NOT OPEN CHARGER HOUSING, NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
20. BEFORE EACH USE, inspect the general condition of the charger. Check for:
    • loose hardware,
    • cracked or broken parts,
    • damaged electrical wiring or cable insulation, and
    • any other condition that may affect its safe operation.
21. AFTER USE, wipe external surfaces of the tool with clean cloth.

Troubleshooting

Follow all safety precautions whenever diagnosing or servicing the tool. Disconnect power supply before service.

Record Product's Serial Number Here:

Note: If product has no serial number, record month and year of purchase instead. Internal parts are not user-serviceable and are not available.

Specifications

*Amperage is only present while connected to a battery.

UL LISTED E252983 31ZP #12084

Operating Instructions

Read the ENTIRE IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION section at the beginning of this manual including all text under subheadings therein before set up or use of this product.

AWARNING TO PREVENT SERIOUS INJURY: Assemble charger according to Assembly Instructions before use. DO NOT PLUG IN CHARGER UNTIL DIRECTED TO DO SO.

Controls

Figure A: Controls

Mode Switch: Use this to set the voltage/amperage output.

Charge Meter: The Charge Meter shows the amount of current being drawn from the charger. It does not show what the charger is capable of delivering. When the battery is fully charged and registering 100% on the Charge Meter, a small charge will continue to move from the charger to the battery. If the charger is not disconnected from the battery, eventually heat build up will cause the battery acid to boil and overcharge the battery causing damage to the battery. Monitor battery charging progress constantly and if battery gets warm, stop charging it immediately.

Charge Meter (6 amp charge mode only):

Figure B: DISCHARGED BATTERY
Initial charge current to the battery is at maximum.

FIGURE C: BATTERY ALMOST FULLY CHARGED
Charge current to the battery is reduced.

Figure D: FULLY CHARGED BATTERY
Charge current to the battery is minimal and the green LED is on.

Sometimes conditions such as a cold battery, a sulfated battery, or a deeply discharged lead calcium battery may cause Charge Meter to read near a full charge when charging process is only beginning.

Preparing to Charge

AWARNING Use this charger only on flooded lead-acid batteries. Other batteries may be damaged or may overheat, leak, or catch fire.

TO PREVENT SERIOUS INJURY: Wear ANSI-approved splash-resistant safety goggles and heavy-duty rubber work gloves whenever connecting, disconnecting, or working near battery. Battery acid can cause permanent blindness.

1. 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.
2. Make sure area around battery is well ventilated while battery is being charged.
3. Clean battery terminals. Be careful to keep corrosion from coming in contact with eyes.
4. 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.
5. Study all battery manufacturer's specific precautions while charging and recommended rates of charge.
6. Determine voltage of battery by referring to vehicle owner's manual and make sure it matches output rating of battery charger. If charger has adjustable charge rate, charge battery initially at lowest rate.
7. A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged on shore. To charge it on board requires equipment specially designed for marine use.
8. SHORTED BATTERIES - will read on Charge Meter as a high end peg at beginning of charging process. If after 5-10 minutes, needle does not move off high end, the battery probably has a short circuit. Unplug charger and discontinue use. Have battery checked by a qualified technician.
9. COLD BATTERIES - begin charging at a low rate, increase as battery reaches a normal temperature, then rate will decrease normally.
10. DO NOT CHARGE A FROZEN BATTERY.
11. BATTERIES WITH HYDROMETER EYE: Do not depend on hydrometer eye to determine battery charge level.

Charger Location

1. Locate charger as far away from battery as DC cables permit.
2. Never place charger directly above battery being charged; gases from battery will corrode and damage charger.
3. Never allow battery acid to drip on charger when reading electrolyte specific gravity or filling battery.
4. Do not operate charger in a closed-in area or restrict ventilation in any way.
5. Do not set a battery on top of charger.

TABLE B: CHARGING RATE/TIME

WARNING! TO PREVENT SERIOUS INJURY, FIRE, AND PROPERTY DAMAGE: Monitor charging during use. This Charger is not automatic and can overcharge and damage a battery if allowed to operate for extended periods of time.

Limited 90 Day Warranty

Harbor Freight Tools Co. makes every effort to assure that its products meet high quality and durability standards, and warrants to the original purchaser that this product is free from defects in materials and workmanship for the period of 90 days from the date of purchase. This warranty does not apply to damage due directly or indirectly, to misuse, abuse, negligence or accidents, repairs or alterations outside our facilities, criminal activity, improper installation, normal wear and tear, or to lack of maintenance. We shall in no event be liable for death, injuries to persons or property, or for incidental, contingent, special or consequential damages arising from the use of our product. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation of exclusion may not apply to you. THIS WARRANTY IS EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS.

To take advantage of this warranty, the product or part must be returned to us with transportation charges prepaid. Proof of purchase date and an explanation of the complaint must accompany the merchandise. If our inspection verifies the defect, we will either repair or replace the product at our election or we may elect to refund the purchase price if we cannot readily and quickly provide you with a replacement. We will return repaired products at our expense, but if we determine there is no defect, or that the defect resulted from causes not within the scope of our warranty, then you must bear the cost of returning the product.

This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.

CENTECH.
3491 Mission Oaks Blvd. • PO Box 6009 Camarillo, CA 93011 • 1-888-866-5797