Battery Tender 5-Watt 12-Volt Solar Panel Battery Charger Instruction Manual

Contents

• Important Safety Instructions & Warnings
• Product Specifications
• Product Overview
• Solar Panel Operation and Installation
• Trouble Shooting
• Customer Service
• Warranty

Important Safety Instructions & Warnings

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS: This manual contains important safety and operating instructions for the Battery Tender® Solar Panel battery charger.

CAUTION: Read these instructions before using the battery charger.

WARNING AND CAUTION LABEL DEFINITIONS:

• WARNING: Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, could result in serious injury or death.
• CAUTION: Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury.
• CAUTION (without safety alert symbol): Indicates a potentially hazardous situation that if not avoided, may result in property damage.

General Precautions

WARNING: Battery posts, terminals, and related accessories contain lead and lead components, and other chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Always wash your hands after handling these devices.

WARNING: Do not operate the battery charger with damaged DC output cords or accessories. Replace cords or accessories immediately if damaged.

CAUTION: Working with Lead Acid Batteries and Battery Chargers: All lead acid batteries have the potential to emit gasses that may combine into a combustible or explosive mixture. Follow recommended precautions by both the battery and battery charger manufacturers.

CAUTION: Charger Voltage Compatibility: NEVER use a battery charger unless the battery voltage matches the output voltage rating of the charger.

CAUTION: Charger Location: Locate the charger as far away from the battery as is allowed by the length of the output cable harness.

CAUTION: Excessive Moisture: Do not submerge the Solar Panel in any liquid.

CAUTION: Charger Attachments: Do not use attachments that are not recommended or sold by the charger manufacturer.

CAUTION: Monitoring Sealed & Non-Sealed Batteries: Periodically check the battery to see if it is unusually warm. If the battery releases excessive gas or gets hotter than 130°F (55°C) during charging, disconnect the charger and allow the battery to cool.

WARNING: Electric Spark & Open Flame: NEVER smoke or allow a source of electric spark or open flame in the vicinity of the battery or engine.

VENTILATION: Do not operate the charger where ventilation is restricted to allow sufficient airflow.

CHARGER MAINTENANCE: NEVER DISASSEMBLE OR ATTEMPT TO DO INTERNAL REPAIRS. THIS VOIDS THE WARRANTY.

PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS WHEN WORKING NEAR LEAD-ACID BATTERIES:

1. Have someone within range of your voice or close enough to come to your aid if you have an accident.
2. Have plenty of fresh water and soap nearby.
3. Wear complete eye protection and protective clothing. Avoid touching your eyes. If battery acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and water. If acid enters an eye, flood with cold water for at least 10 minutes and get medical attention.
4. Be extra cautious when handling metal tools around a battery. Dropping a metal tool near a battery might spark or create a short circuit.
5. Remove all personal metal items such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and watches.
6. Use Battery Tender® Solar Chargers for charging 12V lead-acid or 12V Lithium Ion batteries only.
7. NEVER charge a visibly damaged or frozen battery.

INFORMATION NOTE ABOUT DRY-CELL BATTERIES: It is perfectly safe to use the Battery Tender® Solar Charger to charge sealed, gas-recombinant, starved electrolyte batteries, possibly with AGM construction.

IF THE BATTERY MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE:

1. To avoid an electric arc, turn off or disconnect all accessories. Remove the cable connected to the grounded terminal from the battery first.
2. Clean the battery terminals. Keep corrosion and debris from coming into contact with your eyes.
3. If the battery is not sealed, add distilled water to each cell until the acid solution reaches the level specified by the battery manufacturer. Do not overfill.
4. Before connecting the charger to the solar panel, check the polarity of the battery posts. Attach at least a 24-inch long 6 AWG insulated battery extension cable to the negative battery post. Connect the charger DC output connectors to the battery and extension cable, positive to positive and negative to negative. Never allow the alligator clips or terminal rings to touch each other after connection.

IF THE BATTERY REMAINS INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE:

1. DO NOT CONNECT THE CHARGER'S OUTPUT LEADS TO THE SOLAR PANEL UNTIL ALL OTHER CONNECTIONS ARE MADE!
2. Place and output DC power cords to avoid accidental damage by movable vehicle parts.
3. Check the polarity of the battery posts. Determine if the vehicle has a positive or negative ground system. Negative ground systems are most common.
4. For negative ground systems, connect the positive (red) alligator clip or ring terminal to the positive battery post. Then connect the negative (black) alligator clip or ring terminal to the vehicle chassis. Make the connection to the engine block or a heavy gauge metal part of the frame, not the carburetor, fuel lines, or thin sheet metal parts.
5. For positive ground systems, connect the negative (black) alligator clip or ring terminal to the negative battery post. Then connect the positive (red) alligator clip or ring terminal to the vehicle chassis. Make the connection to the engine block or a heavy gauge metal part of the frame, not the carburetor, fuel lines, or thin sheet metal parts.

Product Specifications

Product Overview

Below is a list of items that should be included in your retail box:

1. 1 - Solar Panel
2. 4 - Suction Cups
3. 4 - 5mm Hex Nuts
4. 1 - Ring Terminal Harness
5. 1 - OBD II Harness
6. 1 - Handlebar Bracket
7. 1 - Instruction Manual

Solar Panel Assembly/Operation and Installation

Solar Panel Installation

The solar panel can be installed on either side of the solar panel depending on how you wish to use and install the panel. The solar panel can be used inside or outside the vehicle.

Position the solar panel so that it receives the most hours of sunlight during the day. Ensure the inside of the windshield or window is clean and clear and there are no obstructions blocking the solar panel.

Solar Panel Suction Cup Installation

Diagram Description: Two suction cups are shown. Each suction cup has a stem that passes through a hole in the solar panel frame. A hex nut is inserted into a recess on the back of the solar panel and then tightened onto the suction cup stem.

Instructions:

1. Pass the suction cup through the hole into the nut.
2. Insert the hex nut into the recess.
3. Tighten the nut.

Note: The suction cups can be installed on either side of the solar panel depending on how you wish to use and install the panel. The solar panel can be used inside or outside the vehicle.

Solar Panel LED Indicator

The Battery Tender® Solar Charger has a status light that indicates the operating mode of the charger.

WARNING: BEFORE USING THE OBD II CABLE HARNESS TO CHARGE THE VEHICLES BATTERY CHECK THE VEHICLES OWNERS MANUAL OR CONTACT THE DEALER TO ENSURE THIS WILL NOT DAMAGE YOUR VEHICLES ELECTRONICS.

Additional Charger Information

Automatic Charging and Battery Status Monitoring: The Battery Tender® Solar Charger is completely automatic and may be left connected to both the solar panel and the battery for long periods. However, it is prudent to periodically check both the battery and the charger for normal operation.

The charger output power, voltage, and current all depend on the condition of the battery being charged and the available input power from the solar panel.

The Battery Tender® Solar Charge Panel charges up to 325mA (0.325 Amp-Hour per hour). A fully discharged 20 Amp-Hour battery will take approximately 48 hours to recharge to 80% capacity. Some large batteries may take several days.

Special Features:

• Battery Back Feed Protection: The Solar panel has a special circuit that prevents your battery from back charging into the Solar panel and draining your battery.

Working with a Dead Battery or a Battery with a Very Low Voltage: If a 12 Volt, Lead-Acid battery has an output voltage of less than 9 volts when at rest, there is a good chance that the battery is defective. A fully charged 12-Volt, Lead-Acid battery will have a rest-state voltage of approximately 12.9 volts. A fully discharged 12-Volt, Lead-Acid battery will have a rest-state voltage of approximately 11.4 volts. The 1.5-volt range represents the full charge range (0% to 100%).

Trouble Shooting

1. THE SOLAR PANEL GREEN LED LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON:
   • a) Insufficient sunlight to provide power to the Solar Panel.
   • b) Make sure there are no obstructions in front of the Solar Panel.
2. THE SOLAR PANEL LED LIGHT IS ON BUT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE CHARGING THE BATTERY:
   • a) Check all the connections.
   • b) Check the fuse in the cable harness. If blown, replace with a 3A, 250V glass fuse. Do NOT replace with a higher value.
   • c) Check the output cord from the solar panel and cable harness for damage.
   • d) Check the condition and state of the vehicle's battery.
   • e) The vehicle has an excess current draw and is draining the battery.

Customer Service

For customer support please visit batterytender.com. You can also call our customer service hotline 877-456-7901. You may also email us at Service@batterytender.com or use Chat from our website.

Warranty

The Battery Tender® Solar Panel comes with a five (5) year limited warranty against defects or failure (within five (5) years of purchase).

THIS LIMITED WARRANTY IS VOID under the following conditions:

1. The product is misused, subjected to careless handling, or operated under conditions of extreme temperature, shock, or vibration beyond recommendations.
2. The product is disassembled or repaired by anyone who is not an authorized service representative.
3. The product was purchased from an unauthorized source. Warranty is not transferable from the original purchaser.
4. Any physical damage to any of components or any accessory after purchase.
5. Any modifications to any of the components.
6. Do not submerge the Battery Charger/Panel in any liquid.