Harbor Freight Tools 3418 manual Ammeter Readings, Engine Starting

9.When finished charging the battery, push the Function Switch to the Off position and unplug the Power Cord (3) from the electrical outlet.

10.Disconnect the Cable Clamps from the battery.

Ammeter Readings

The ammeter shows how much charging current is drawn from the charger (to the battery). When a dead or low battery is charged the charger’s ammeter will register at the high end. As the battery charges, the reading will move down toward the low end, resting on zero, when the battery is fully charged. When using the battery in engine starting mode (discussed further down this page) the needle on the ammeter will peg toward the high end of the ammeter.

Do not depend on reading the ammeter to approximate how long charging will take. Even at full charge the ammeter will still be providing as much as 50 percent of the charger’s output rating. It’s best to monitor the battery’s charge. Sometimes, certain conditions such as a cold battery, a sulfated battery, or a deeply discharged Lead Calcium battery (on many newer cars) may cause the ammeter to read near a full charge, when the charging process is only beginning.

Note: Cold batteries (at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit) begin charging at a low rate and then increase as the battery warms. When the battery charges up, the rate will decrease at a normal rate. Do not charge a frozen battery.

SHORTED BATTERIES will read on the ammeter as a high end peg at the beginning of the charging process. If after 5-10 minutes the needle does not move off of the high end, the battery probably has a short circuit. Unplug the charger and discontinue use. Have the battery checked by a qualified technician.

Engine Starting

Note: This charger’s high-current output can help start vehicles with weak batteries. Please note that some of the newer vehicles with onboard computers may be damaged from this process. Thoroughly read the vehicle owner’s manual before using this procedure.

1.Connect the charger to the battery as discussed on pages 7 and 8, but leave the battery cables attached.

2.Set the charger to charge the battery for 5-10 minutes according to the appropriate charge rate for the size of the battery as explained on the previous 2 pages.

3.Set the select function switch (See FIGURE 1 on page 6) to Start and the select switch (see FIGURE 1 on page 6) to 55A.

4.Try to start the vehicle. If it doesn’t start in 2-3 minutes, stop and wait for the vehicle to charge for 5-10 minutes more and try again. Repeat this process until successful.

Note: If the engine continues to spin but will not start after several tries, than you may have another problem unrelated to charging. Stop attempting to start/charge the battery until the problem is found and corrected. Continued engine cranking may damage

the vehicle’s starter.
SKU 03418	For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.	Page 9