Associated 6042 User Manual

BEST 6042

ASSOCIATED

ATTERY ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS TESTER

OPERATOR AND SAFETY MANUAL

The B.E.S.T. tester is designed to test electrical systems on 12, 12/24, and 24 volt vehicles. It can test and evaluate starters, batteries, alternators, regulators, wiring connections, and other electrical equipment in the low voltage circuits in the vehicle. Before operating this unit, thoroughly familiarize yourself with the safety instructions included in this booklet and in the service manual.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features.......................................................................1

Safety instructions .......................................................2

Battery Load Tests.......................................................3

Starter Tests ................................................................5

Charging System Tests ...............................................5

Trouble Shooting Hints................................................7

Assembly Instructions..................................................8

FEATURES OF THE B.E.S.T. INCLUDE:

 Large, easy to read, LED digital AMPS and

VOLTS meters. The VOLTS meter reads voltages to ±99.9 volts DC on the EXT position and up to

35.0 volts DC on the INT position. The AMPS meter reads DC currents up to 999 amps.

 The input impedance of the meters is 10 Meg

ohms for accurate testing of solid state circuits.

 The carbon pile is rated 500 amps on 12 volt

batteries for load testing batteries up to 1000 CCA capacity.

 Curved carbon discs allow better low end

resolution of current and longer life.

 AMPS ZERO ADJUST allows for maximum

accuracy in AMPS reading.

 LOAD ON light indicates the carbon pile is

actuated and serves as a reminder to turn the load off (full counter-clockwise position).

 AMPS meter reads both + and - amps for easy

diagnosis of leakage current problems.

 DEFECTIVE DIODE indicator light lets you know

when alternator output diodes or GM diode trios have failed.

 The electronic circuits are protected by a fuse

against excessive voltage inputs that will damage the unit. LED indicators on the circuit board allow for easy diagnosis of fuse or other problems.

 The electronic circuits are protected against

reverse voltages caused by connecting leads incorrectly.

 The electronic circuit board has a protective

coating to prevent damage and meter inaccuracy due to moisture and dirt.

AMP

DEFECTIVE

ADJUST

LOAD ADJUST

LOAD

DIODE

VOLTSFIELD

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SAFETY INSTRUCTIO N

AMPSVOLTS

ASSOCIATED

 The FIELD selector switch is spring loaded and

always returns to an off position so there is no power on the field lead when not in use.

 The field wire (blue) is supplied to allow for

regulator trouble shooting. The lead may be switched to negative (A) or positive (B) polarity depending on the application. The lead has a circuit breaker in it to prevent damage if accidentally shorted out when in use.

 Heavy duty leads are single extended so the may

be used for testing at points up to 15 feet apart.

 The clamps on the heavy duty lead are vinyl

dipped and have a flexi-spring stain relief to prevent cable damage. Solid copper jaws provide better electrical conduction and are field replaceable.

 Heavy duty leads have internal tracer lead wires

for voltage readings where the clamps are attached when the VOLTS switch is in the internal (INT) position. These leads should not be attached to any voltage source that could rise above 35 VDC.

 The light gauge voltage sensing leads (red and

black) have small test clips to allow testing at points where the heavy duty leads can not reach. Use the leads when the VOLTS switch is in the external (EXT) position. The leads can test points in a vehicle up to 15 feet apart and read voltages up to 99.9 VDC.

 The inductive AMPS PICKUP has 10 foot long

lead to allow for testing in hard to reach areas.

 All leads are long enough to test trucks, "high-rise"

four wheel drive, or off road vehicles.

 The cart has a long wheelbase for greater stability

when moved over rough surfaces or cracked floors.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS. The safety information contained herein should be reviewed every time the unit is used.

BATTERY SAFETY:

ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION WHEN WORKING NEAR A BATTERY.

CAUTION: The electrolyte in automotive batteries is

sulfuric acid, which is capable of causing severe damage to skin, eyes, and clothing. When contact with battery acid occurs, proceed as follows:

1) Eyes: Force open and flood with cool running water at least for 10 minutes, then see a doctor. Never use eye drops or other medication before seeing a doctor.

2) Remove contaminated clothing and flood skin for at least

While batteries are being charged or tested, an explosive gas mixture forms inside each cell. Some of this gas escape through the vent holes in the filler caps and may remain around the battery in an explosive condition. Sparks or flames igniting this gas mixture will burn back through the vent hole and explode inside the battery cell. Such an explosion is dangerous not only because of its own force, but also because of the acid electrolyte which could spray onto anything in the vicinity.

TO PREVENT EXPLOSIONS:

1) Use well ventilated areas for charging and testing batteries.

2) Allow no smoking, sparks or open flames near batteries being

3) Do not break live electrical circuits at the terminals of batteries

PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS:

1) Wear complete protection and avoid touching eyes while

2) NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in the vicinity of

3) Be extra cautious to reduce risk of dropping a metal tool onto a

4) Remove personal metal items such as rings, bracelets,

5) Spilled acid: Neutralize with a solution of baking soda (1 pound

VEHICLE SAFETY:

1) Keep your body, clothing, and test leads away from all moving

2) Avoid hot engine parts.

3) Engine exhaust contains deadly carbon monoxide gas. Run

4) When running engine tests, be sure that the vehicle is in "park"

5) When disabling the ignition system to run starter tests, always

6) Do not connect any test lead to carburetor, fuel lines, or sheet

10 minutes with clear, cool water.

charged, tested or batteries recently charged or tested. because a spark may occur at that point causing an explosion.

Always turn battery chargers or tester OFF before connecting or disconnecting the clamps from the battery terminals.

working near battery. battery or engine. battery. The tool may spark or short-circuit the battery or other

electrical parts which may cause an explosion. necklaces, and watches when working with a lead-acid battery.

A lead-acid battery can produce a short-circuit current high enough to instantly weld a ring or the like to metal, and cause severe burn.

per gallon of cold water) or household ammonia (1 pint per gallon of cold water)

parts of the vehicle. Remember, electric fans may start at any time.

engine only in a well ventilated area with exhaust gases ventilated outdoors.

or "neutral" and the parking brake is on when starting the vehicle. Block wheels to prevent vehicle movement.

refer to vehicle service manual for proper procedure. metal parts of frame.

TESTER PRECAUTIONS AND NOTES:

1) Always be sure LOAD ADJUST knob is in full counter clockwise position when disconnecting or connecting heavy duty leads to prevent arcing.

2) Never block ventilating holes on the top or the bottom of the unit. This will shorten the carbon pile life.

3) STEAM AND ODORS MAY BE RELEASED FROM CARBON PILE LOAD ASSEMBLY ANYTIME IT IS USED. THE CARBON DISCS ABSORB MOISTURE AND ODORS AS WOULD AN ACTIVATED CARBON FILTER, THESE ARE RELEASED WHEN THE CARBONS ARE HEATED.

4) A duty cycle is hard to define for a carbon pile load assembly. Size of load, length of test, time between tests, ambient temperature, and other factors affect the duty cycle. For the longest life, never let the carbon discs get red hot. This can be easily seen when running the load test. If the discs get red hot, the binder material holding the carbon granules together will start to deteriorate and lead to shortened disc life.

5) For the ammeter to read +amps, attach current probe so arrow on probe points in direction of current flow (from positive to negative).

6) Residual magnetism in the AMPS PICKUP may cause it to indicate a low current even if there is no current flow. This is a normal situation. Therefore, the AMPS meter has to be zeroed before each use. This can be done with the AMPS ZERO ADJUST knob.

7) In the booklet, the word "positive" refers to the red clamp or lead. The word "negative" refers to the black clamp or lead.

8) "Positive" when referring to a battery terminal will mean the one marked Pos, P, (+).

9) "Negative" when referring to a battery terminal will mean the one marked Neg, N, and (-).

10) PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DEFECTIVE DIODE LIGHT MAY FLASH ON AND OFF DURING SOME OF THE TESTS DESCRIBED. THIS IS NORMAL AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE UNIT.

11) During a load test, the light gauge leads may be used to read voltage across Battery 1, cable jumper, and Battery 2. These can be added up to give the total system voltage. This total may not be the same as read by the voltmeter on INT position with the clamps installed as shown. This may be caused by corrosion on terminals, rounding off by the voltmeter circuit, or other factors and does not mean there is a problem with the unit.

The components in the AMPS PICKUP are somewhat temperature sensitive. As it warms near a hot engine or cools when exposed to outdoor air, the zero on the AMPS meter may drift. Once the pickup has stabilized, the zero will not drift.

+ -+ -

BATTERY 2BATTERY 1

FIGURE 1

BATTERY LOAD TESTS

TESTING 12 VOLT BATTERIES:

1) The standard battery load test is to apply a load on the battery equal to ½ the cold cranking amp (CCA) capacity of the battery for 15 seconds. Both the voltage and temperature of the battery under load determine whether a battery is good or not.

2) Before testing the battery be sure that:

 Battery terminals are clean.  The battery does not have any physical damage.  The battery is not frozen.  The LOAD ADJUST knob is in the full counter clockwise

position

+ -

12 VOLT

PROPER TEST PROCEDURE IS AS FOLLOWS:

1) Attach red and black heavy duty leads to the positive and negative battery posts. Twist or rock clamps back and forth several times to make a good connection. Be sure the VOLTS switch is in INT position.

2) Attach the AMPS PICKUP around either lead of the tester. Be sure the arrow points in the direction of the current flow.

3) Adjust the AMPS meter with the AMPS ZERO ADJUST knob to give a reading of 000.

TESTING 12/24 VOLT SYSTEMS:

For best results in a 12/24 volt system that has batteries connected per the diagram above, each battery should be tested separately and the connection between the batteries tested at the same time. Both battery tests should be run as described in the previous section.

FIGURE 2

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4) Read the open circuit voltage (OCV) of the battery. If the voltage is 14.4 volts of higher, the load test may be run. If 12.3 volts or lower, (75% state of charge) the battery should be recharged and retested.

5) Apply a load to the battery of a ½ the CCA rating for 3 seconds to remove any surface charge. If the voltage has fallen below

12.4 volts, recharge and retest.

6) If the battery is adequately charged, apply a load to the battery of the ½ CCA rating of the battery for 15 seconds. Adjust the load as necessary during the test. Note the voltage of the battery under load and then turn the load off.

The minimum acceptable voltage for a battery at the different temperatures is as follows:

BATTERY TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION 15 SECOND

°C 21↑

°F 70↑

9.6 9.5 9.4 9.3 9.1 8.9 8.7 8.5

MIN VLT

IF THE CCA OF THE BATTERY IS NOT KNOWN, IT CAN BE DETERMINED BY THE FOLLOWING PROCESS:

1) Determine the temperature of the battery and find the minimum accepted voltage from the chart above.

2) Apply a load to the battery until the voltage reaches the above determined number.

3) Adjust the load as needed to maintain the voltage for 15 seconds. Note current at 15 seconds and turn load off.

4) Multiply the current reading by 2 to determine the CCA rating of the battery. Check vehicle manufacturer’s recommendation for the proper battery CCA and compare to your results.

16 10 4 -1 -7 -12 -18

60 50 40 30 20 10 0

LOAD TEST

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+ - + -

12V12V

BATTERY 2BATTERY 1

FRAME

FIGURE 3

PROPER TEST PROCEDURE IS AS FOLLOWS:

1) Attach heavy duty leads to Battery 1 and run battery load test. Evaluate the results. (See figure 3)

2) Attach the negative heavy duty lead to the negative terminal of Battery 2. Attach the positive heavy duty to the negative terminal of Battery 1. (By attaching at that point and not at the positive terminal of Battery 2, we will check the connection between the batteries at the same time.) Attach the negative light gauge voltage lead to the positive terminal of Battery 2 and the positive light gauge lead to the negative terminal of Battery 1. (See figure 4)

3) Run the battery load test on battery 2. At the end of the 15

RED

LEAD

+ -

12V

BATTERY 1 BATTERY 2

+ -

12V

FRAME

FIGURE 4

seconds and with the load still on the battery, switch VOLTS to EXT position and read the voltage drop across the cable connecting the 2 batteries. Turn load off and evaluate results.

4) To evaluate the battery load test, the voltage drop read across the cable (EXT position) has to be added to read the voltage on the INT position to give the proper battery voltage. Evaluate the battery based on this voltage (EXT + INT).

5) Evaluate the cable jumper between the batteries, based on the voltage read on the EXT position. A typical acceptable voltage drop is 0.2 volts. Check the service procedure for the vehicle if there is any question about the acceptable voltage drop.

BLACK LEAD

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