CLARKE Intelligent Battery Charger/Maintainer

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing this CLARKE Battery Charger / Maintainer. Before use, read this manual thoroughly and follow all instructions given.

The IBC40 is designed for charging all types of 12V lead-acid and 24V lead-acid batteries, including WET (Flooded), MF (Maintenance-Free), EFB (Enhanced Flooded Battery), GEL, and AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries. A built-in intelligent microprocessor makes charging faster, easier, and safer. This charger features safety protections including reverse polarity, short circuit, overheat, and overcharge protection.

Guarantee

This CLARKE product is guaranteed against faulty manufacture for a period of 12 months from the date of purchase. Please keep your receipt as proof of purchase. This guarantee is invalid if the product is found to have been abused or tampered with in any way, or not used for the purpose for which it was intended. Faulty goods should be returned to their place of purchase; no product can be returned without prior permission. This guarantee does not affect your statutory rights.

Environmental Recycling Policy

Through purchase of this product, the customer is taking on the obligation to deal with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) in accordance with WEEE regulations for treatment, recycling, recovery, and environmentally sound disposal. This product must not be disposed of with general household waste. It must be disposed of according to the laws governing WEEE at a recognised disposal facility.

Safety Instructions

WARNING: WEAR EYE PROTECTION, HAND AND CLOTHING PROTECTION. AVOID TOUCHING EYES WHILE WORKING WITH A BATTERY. SEE YOUR LOCAL CLARKE DEALER FOR ALL YOUR PPE REQUIREMENTS.

Safety Precautions for Working in the Vicinity of a Battery

1. If battery electrolyte contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and water. If electrolyte enters your eye, immediately flood the eye with running clean cold water for at least 15 minutes and seek immediate medical attention.
2. Clean the battery terminals before connecting the charger. Be careful to keep corrosion from coming into contact with your eyes.
3. Batteries generate explosive gases during normal operation. Use in a well-ventilated area.
4. Consider having someone close enough or within voice range to come to your aid when working near a battery.
5. DO NOT smoke, strike a match, or cause a spark in the vicinity of a battery or engine. Avoid explosive gas, flames, and sparks.
6. Remove all rings, bracelets, necklaces, and watches while working with a vehicle battery. These items may produce a short-circuit that could cause severe burns.
7. Be extra cautious to reduce the risk of dropping a metal tool onto the battery. It might spark or short-circuit a battery or other electrical hardware, potentially causing an explosion or fire.
8. Study all battery manufacturer's specific precautions, such as removing or not removing cell caps while charging and recommended rates of charge.
9. When removing a battery from a vehicle to charge it, always remove the grounded terminal first. Ensure all accessories in the vehicle are off.
10. This charger is NOT intended to supply power to an extra-low-voltage electrical system or to charge dry-cell batteries. Charging dry-cell batteries may burst and cause injury to persons and property.
11. NEVER charge a frozen, damaged, leaking, or non-rechargeable battery.
12. DO NOT let battery acid drip on the charger when reading a hydrometer for specific gravity or when filling the battery.

Safety Precautions for Using the Charger

WARNING: ALWAYS SWITCH OFF THE CHARGER WHEN CONNECTING OR DISCONNECTING LEADS.

1. NEVER place the charger in the engine compartment or near moving parts or the battery; place it as far away as the clamp leads allow.
2. DO NOT cover the charger while charging.
3. DO NOT expose to rain or wet conditions.
4. Use of an attachment not recommended or sold by the manufacturer may result in a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons.
5. DO NOT overcharge batteries by selecting the wrong charge mode.
6. To reduce the risk of damage to the electric plug and lead, pull by the plug rather than the lead when disconnecting the charger.
7. Operate with caution if the charger has received an impact/blow or been dropped. Have it checked and repaired if damaged.
8. Any repair must be carried out by the manufacturer or an authorized CLARKE repair agent to avoid danger.

Charger Location

1. Place the charger as far away from the battery as possible.
2. DO NOT position the charger above the battery during the charging procedure, as gases from the battery will corrode and damage the charger.
3. DO NOT use the charger in an enclosed space with reduced airflow.

Safety Symbols

Electrical Connections

WARNING! READ THESE ELECTRICAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS THOROUGHLY BEFORE CONNECTING THE PRODUCT TO THE MAINS SUPPLY.

Before switching the product on, ensure that the voltage of your electricity supply matches the rating plate. This product is designed to operate on 230VAC 50Hz. Connecting it to any other power source may cause damage.

This product may be fitted with a non-rewireable plug. If the fuse needs changing, the fuse cover must be refitted. If the fuse cover is lost or damaged, the plug must not be used until a suitable replacement is obtained. If the plug needs changing due to incompatibility or damage, it should be cut off and a replacement fitted following the wiring instructions below. The old plug must be disposed of safely, as insertion into a mains socket could cause an electrical hazard.

If the wire colours in the power cable do not correspond with the markings on your plug terminals, proceed as follows:

• The Blue wire must be connected to the terminal marked N or coloured Black.
• The Brown wire must be connected to the terminal marked L or coloured Red.

Plug must be BS1363/A approved. Always fit a 5 Amp fuse.

Diagram Description: A diagram shows a BS1363/A approved plug with a fuse. The terminals are labeled: Neutral (Blue) and Live (Brown). It also shows the cable clamp securing the outer sheath of the cable.

We strongly recommend connecting this machine to the mains supply via a Residual Current Device (RCD). If in any doubt, consult a qualified electrician. DO NOT attempt any repairs yourself.

[double-insulated symbol] This symbol indicates that this is a Class II product, and does not require an earth connection.

The Charging Process

The charger operates through 8 smart charging steps:

1. STEP 1: DIAGNOSIS - Checks battery connection and voltage.
2. STEP 2: DESULPHATION - If battery voltage is too low, a pulsing current is generated to remove sulphate.
3. STEP 3: ANALYSE - Checks if the battery voltage reaches the minimum threshold after desulphation; charging begins if OK.
4. STEP 4: SOFT START - Charge with stepped constant current.
5. STEP 5: BULK - Charge with constant maximum current until the battery voltage reaches the threshold.
6. STEP 6: ABSORPTION - Provide gradually declining current charge for maximum battery voltage.
7. STEP 7: ANALYSE - Tests if the battery can hold charge.
8. STEP 8: MAINTENANCE - Continuously monitors the battery; charging current intelligently adapts to variable battery voltage (pulse form protection).

Overview

The charger features a digital display and various controls:

• Digital Display: Shows Amperes/Voltage/Second Indicator.
• Error Icon: Indicates an error condition.
• Battery Level Icon: Displays the charge status of the battery.
• Environment Temperature: Indicates if the temperature is low or high.
• Charger Overheating: An indicator for when the charger is too hot.
• Alternator %: Displays the estimated output percentage of the vehicle's charging system (12V only).
• Buttons: Voltage Button, Charge Button, Current Button, Boost/Quick Charge Button, Alternator Check Button.
• Clamps: Positive Clamp (Red) and Negative Clamp (Black) for connecting to the battery.

Connecting to the Battery

CAUTION: A MARINE (BOAT) BATTERY MUST BE REMOVED AND CHARGED ON SHORE. TO CHARGE IT ON BOARD REQUIRES EQUIPMENT SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR MARINE USE.

1. Identify the polarity of battery posts. The positive terminal is typically marked POS, P, or +. The negative terminal is typically marked NEG, N, or -.
2. DO NOT make connections to the carburetor, fuel lines, or thin metal parts.
3. Identify if your vehicle has a negative or positive grounded system by checking which battery post (NEG or POS) is connected to the chassis.
4. For a Negative Grounded Vehicle (Most Common): Connect the RED POSITIVE clamp first to the positive battery terminal, then connect the BLACK NEGATIVE clamp to the negative battery terminal or vehicle chassis.
5. For a Positive Grounded Vehicle (Very Uncommon): Connect the BLACK NEGATIVE clamp first to the negative battery terminal, then connect the RED POSITIVE clamp to the positive battery terminal or vehicle chassis.
6. When disconnecting, disconnect in the reverse sequence, removing the negative first (or positive first for positive ground systems).

Charging Modes

Operation

1. Connect the battery as described on page 8.
2. Plug in the mains plug and switch it on.
3. The charger will automatically detect the battery voltage (12V or 24V).
4. After 10 seconds, the charger will begin charging using the default mode (12V/5A or 24V/5A).
5. The user can manually select charging voltage/current modes by pressing the "VOLTAGE" or "CURRENT" button within the first 10 seconds after switching on (a countdown is shown on the LCD). NOTE: If you choose 24V Mode(s) for a 12V battery, the 12V battery will be damaged.
6. Once the battery type is selected and charging starts, disconnect and reconnect the AC plug if you wish to change the charging mode.
7. During charging, the display will show voltage (12V or 24V) and charging current alternately. When the "VOLTAGE" button is pressed, the display shows battery voltage (e.g., 12.1 V).
8. Pressing the "CHARGE" button during charging will turn the charger off. The charger can be restarted by pressing the "CHARGE" button again.
9. Battery level is indicated by the "battery level icon". When the battery is fully charged, the charger automatically switches to maintenance status without overcharging or damaging the battery.

Battery Level Indicator

Advanced Charging Modes

The following are advanced charging modes requiring full attention before selection.

Using 12V BOOST

WARNING: DO NOT USE BOOST MORE THAN TWO TIMES IN A 24-HOUR PERIOD. IF TWO BOOSTS CANNOT SUCCESSFULLY START YOUR VEHICLE, HAVE YOUR BATTERY REPLACED OR EVALUATED BY A LOCAL BATTERY STORE.

1. Connect the charger to the battery as shown on page 7 and switch on the mains power supply.
2. Allow the charger to start charging after an initial 10-second wait.
3. Press the BOOST/QUICK CHARGE button to start the boost charge mode.
• For optimum results, allow boost to complete its 5-minute charge cycle.
• After 5 minutes, the display will show "000", and you are ready to start your vehicle.
• After each boost, the charger has a mandatory 5-minute rest for safety reasons (even if the BOOST/QUICK CHARGE button is pressed again, the charger will not work).
• After cooling, the LCD shows "End".
4. Press any button to enter the normal charging mode, or the charger will automatically enter normal charging mode after 10 minutes.
5. If unsuccessful when starting your vehicle, let the battery rest for 15 minutes and try boost again. Most vehicles will start with one boost.

Using 12V ALTERNATOR CHECK

1. Connect the charger to the battery as shown on page 7 and switch on the mains power supply. NOTE: The battery must be installed in the vehicle.
2. Press and hold the ALTN CHECK button for 3 seconds. The "CHECK ALT" icon will appear.
3. Start the vehicle and turn on the vehicle's headlights. The digital display shows an estimated output percentage of the vehicle's charging system.

Reading	Output Is:	Icon
0% to 100%	GOOD	[GOOD icon]
Below 0% (13.2 volts)	LOW	[Flashes Slowly icon]
Above 100% (14.6 volts)	HIGH	[Flashes Quickly icon]

4. If you get a LOW or HIGH reading, have the electrical system checked by a qualified technician. After 10 seconds, the charger will return to the normal charging process.

Care & Maintenance

This battery charger requires minimal maintenance. Following common sense rules will prolong its working life.

WARNING: ALWAYS BE SURE THE CHARGER IS UNPLUGGED BEFORE PERFORMING ANY MAINTENANCE OR CLEANING. ANY REPAIRS MUST BE DONE BY A QUALIFIED CLARKE SERVICE TECHNICIAN.

1. Wind up the leads when not in use. Examine the leads at regular intervals for damage and have them replaced if necessary.
2. Clean the case and leads with a moist cloth and clean any corrosion from the clamps with a solution of water and baking soda.

Troubleshooting

Specifications

Component Parts

Declaration of Conformity

This product complies with the following statutory requirements and directives:

• Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016
• Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016
• Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012
• 2014/30/EU Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive
• 2014/35/EU Low Voltage Equipment Directive
• 2011/65/EU Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

The product has been tested against standards including EN 61000-6-1, EN 61000-6-3, EN 60335-2-29, EN 60335-1, EN 62233, IEC 62321 series, and ISO 17075-1.

Product Description: Intelligent Battery Charger 40A, 12/24V

Model Number(s): IBC40

Date of Issue: 01/07/2022

The UKCA mark was first applied in 2022. The CE mark was first applied in 2019.

Signed by J.A. Clarke, Director.