4.Turn off vehicle’s headlights and read the digital display.

5.To turn OFF the charger, unplug the power cord from the AC wall outlet.

6.Disconnect the battery charging clamps as outlined in

“Charging Your Battery” on page 3.

H. ENGINE START

The Engine Start is a feature to help start the engine of your vehicle.

1.Plug the power cord into a 3-prong electrical wall outlet.

2.Push SELECT VOLT/CHARGE RATE button and choose 150A START. The ENGINE START feature will deliver 150 amps to help crank a 12-volt system.

3.Push the symbol located in the Timer Set Time section until the number 5 is displayed.

4.Crank the engine for no more than 3 seconds. If it does not start, wait three minutes before cranking again for no more than 3 seconds.

NOTE: During extremely cold weather, or if the battery is severely exhausted, charge the battery for about 5 minutes in the 55 amp setting before cranking the engine.

5.After the engine starts, unplug the charger power cord from the wall outlet.

6.Disconnect the output clamps from the battery.

7.Clean and store the charger in a dry location.

IMPORTANT: Do not try to start the engine without a battery in it. You could cause damage to the electrical system.

If the engine does turn over, but never starts, there is not a problem with the starting system. There is a problem somewhere else with the vehicle. STOP cranking the engine until the other problem has been diagnosed and corrected.

I.CHARGE PERIOD

The Hydrometer or Electronic Method

To find the time needed to fully charge your battery, determine the battery’s charge level with a hydrometer or electronic Percent-of- Charge Tester. The following table will help you convert hydrometer readings to percent of charge values.

SPECIFIC

PERCENT OF

PERCENT OF

GRAVITY

CHARGE

CHARGE NEEDED

1.265

100%

0%

1.225

75%

25%

1.155

25%

75%

1.120

0%

100%

When you know the percent of charge and the Amp Hour (AH) rat- ing of your battery, you can calculate the approximate time needed to bring your battery to a full charge.

To convert Reserve Capacity to Amp Hours, divide Reserve Ca- pacity by 2, and add 16:

Ampere Hour rating = (Reserve Capacity) + 16

(2)

NOTE: The Reserve Capacity can be obtained from the battery specification sheet or the owner’s manual.

To calculate time needed for a charge:

Find the percent of charge needed. (A battery at 50 percent charge that will be charged to 100 percent needs another 50 percent (.50).

Multiply the Amp Hour rating by the charge needed (.50) and divide by the charger setting (2/20/55 amps).

Multiply the result by 1.25 and you’ll have the time needed, in

hours, to bring the battery to full charge.

Add one additional hour for a deep-cycle battery. Example:

Amp Hour Rating x % of charge needed x 1.25

=

hours of

Charger Setting

 

charge

100 (AH Rating) x .50 (charge needed) x 1.25

=

4.16666

15 (Charger Setting)

 

hours

100 x .50 = 3.3333 x 1.25

=

4.16666

15

 

 

You would need to charge your 100-Ampere Hour Battery for a little more than 4 hours at the 20-Amp charge rate using the above example.

J. BATTERY CHARGING

CHARGER MUST BE ASSEMBLED BEFORE USING.

1.Before charging any battery, make sure the electrolyte (battery liquid) in each cell is at correct level.

2.Set all buttons and timers to the OFF position.

3.If the battery is being charged inside the vehicle, use connection procedures outlined in Section E. Should the battery be removed from the vehicle, follow the instruction in Section F. Plug the power cord into the AC outlet.

4.Set the charge rate switch to the desired charge position. See Charge Rate Charts.

5.Set the timer from OFF position to desired timed charge, 30- 135 minutes.

NOTE: This battery charger is not automatic and can overcharge a battery if permitted to operate for extended periods of time. Monitor the charging often.

Also,yourchargermayexhibitanoise(buzzing)duringcharging. Laminations of the transformer tend to vibrate. This is normal...

continue to charge the battery. The noise may continue after charger is disconnected from battery.

The Chart Method

Use the following table to more accurately determine the time it will take to bring a battery to full charge. First, identify where your battery fits into the chart.

Small batteries — motorcycles, garden tractors, etc. — are usually rated in Ampere Hours (AH). For example: 6 to 12 AH, or 12 to 32 AH.

Batteries in cars and smaller trucks are usually rated in Reserve

Capacity (RC), Cold-Cranking Amps (CCA), or both.

Marine, or deep-cycle batteries are usually rated in Reserve

Capacity (RC).

NR means that the charger setting is NOT RECOMMENDED.

Find your battery’s rating on the chart on page 6 and note the charge time given for each charger setting. The times given are for batteries with a 50-percent charge prior to recharging. Add more time for severely discharged batteries.

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Schumacher SE-1555A owner manual Engine Start, Charge Period, Battery Charging, Hydrometer or Electronic Method