Thank you for purchasing this CLARKE Battery Charger.
Please read this manual thoroughly, before attempting to operate this
product and carefully follow all instructions given.
It is vitally important that ALL precautions are taken, as specified, which will not
only provide protection for yourself and that of others around you, but will also
ensure that the battery charger will give you long and satisfactory service.
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 to us without prior permission.
This guarantee does not effect your statutory rights.
ENVIRONMENTAL RECYCLING POLICY
Through purchase of this product, the customer is taking on the
obligation to deal with the WEEE in accordance with the WEEE
regulations in relation to the treatment, recycling & recovery and
environmentally sound disposal of the WEEE.
In effect, this means that this product must not be disposed of with general
household waste. It must be disposed of according to the laws governing
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) at a recognised disposal
facility.
WARNING: ALWAYS SWITCH OFF THE CHARGER WHEN CONNECTING OR
DISCONNECTING LEADS TO AVOID SPARKING AS HIGHLY INFLAMMABLE
HYDROGEN GAS IS RELEASED IN THE PROCESS OF BATTERY CHARGING
PLEASE READ BEFORE USING THIS UNIT
1. Battery acid is highly corrosive. If spillage occurs, wipe off immediately and
wash copiously with water. Particularly avoid contact with the eyes, but if
this occurs, you must seek medical advice.
2. Before charging ensure the battery terminals are clean and that the cells
are filled with electrolyte to the correct level by adding distilled water
where necessary.
3. This product is not intended for use by persons with reduced physical,
sensory or mental capabilities or lack of experience and knowledge.
4. Children must not play with the charger.
5. Do not expose this charger to rain.
6. Never touch the negative and positive leads together.
7. Never attempt any repairs yourself. If you have a problem with your
charger contact your local Clarke dealer or contact
[email protected]
8. When charging is completed, ensure that the vehicle battery leads are
secured to the proper terminals which should be clean, and lightly
smeared with petroleum jelly to prevent corrosion. Finally, re-check the
electrolyte level.
WARNING: CERTAIN TYPES OF SEALED OR MAINTENANCE-FREE BATTERIES
NEED EXTRA CARE WHEN CHARGING. PLEASE CONSULT THE BATTERY
MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USING THIS UNIT.
WARNING: SINCE TOXIC FUMES MAY BE RELEASED DURING BATTERY
CHARGING, ONLY USE THIS UNIT IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA.
Ensure that the outer sheath of the cable is firmly held by the clamp
Neutral
(Blue)
Live
(Brown)
WARNING! READ THESE ELECTRICAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
THOROUGHLY BEFORE CONNECTING THE PRODUCT TO THE
MAINS SUPPLY.
Before switching the product on, make sure that the voltage of your electricity supply is
the same as that indicated on 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 it is necessary to change the
fuse in the plug, the fuse cover must be refitted. If the fuse cover becomes lost or
damaged, the plug must not be used until a suitable replacement is obtained.
If the plug has to be changed because it is not suitable for your socket, or due to
damage, it should be cut off and a replacement fitted, following the wiring instructions
shown below. The old plug must be disposed of safely, as insertion into a mains socket
could cause an electrical hazard.
WARNING! THE WIRES IN THE POWER CABLE OF THIS PRODUCT
ARE COLOURED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING CODE:
Blue = Neutral Brown = Live
If the colours of the wires in the power cable of this product do not correspond with the
markings on the terminals of your plug, 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.
We strongly recommend that this machine is connected to the mains supply
via a Residual Current Device (RCD)
If in any doubt, consult a qualified electrician. DO NOT attempt any repairs
yourself.
This symbol indicates that this is a Class II product, and does not require
an earth connection.
The IBC15 is designed for charging all types of 12V lead-acid batteries
including WET (flooded), GEL, MF (Maintenance Free), EFB (Enhanced flooded
battery), and AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries.
The in-built microprocessor provides fast and safe charging using its safety
features to protect against sparking, reversed polarity, short circuit,
overcurrent, overcharge and over heating.
The auto-memory feature means that after powering on, the visual display will
show the last selected mode (except BOOST mode).
Once connected, the charger will begin charging after approx 5 seconds.
The yellow CHARGE LED will be on during charging and this will be replaced
by the FULL LED when charging is completed. If the charger remains
connected, it will automatically switch from charging to maintenance status
to maintain the batteries during periods of storage.
Pressing the VOLTAGE button will display the current voltage level of the
battery.
PREPARATION
1. If may be necessary to remove the battery from a vehicle to charge it.
• Always remove the grounded terminal from the battery first.
• Ensure all accessories in the vehicle are switched off to prevent sparking.
2. Clean the battery terminals. Be careful to keep any corrosive matter from
coming in contact with eyes.
3. If the battery can be topped up, add distilled water to each cell until the
battery acid reaches the level specified by the battery manufacturer. This
helps remove unwanted gas from the cell. Do not overfill. For a battery
without cell caps, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
4. Study all the battery manufacturer's specified precautions: for example,
removing or not removing cell caps while being charged, and
recommended rates of charge.
5. Refer to the vehicle manual to find the voltage of the battery and make
sure that the output is set to the correct voltage.
6. If the charger has adjustable charge rate, charge the battery initially at the
lowest rate.
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. Gases from the battery will corrode and damage the charger.
3. Do not let battery acid drip on the charger when reading a hydrometer for
specific gravity or when you fill the battery.
4. Do not use the charger in an enclosed space with reduced airflow.
WARNING: A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY MAY CAUSE BATTERY EXPLOSION.
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY:
• Turn off the charger before you connect/disconnect the DC
output clips.
• Do not let the clamps touch each other.
• Attach the clamps to the battery terminals and make sure that
you get a good connection.
WHEN THE BATTERY IS INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE
1. Route the leads carefully to reduce the risk of damage by the bonnet,
door, or engine parts.
2. Keep away from the fan blades, belts, pulleys, and other parts that can
cause injury.
3. Check the polarity of the battery posts.
4. Refer to the vehicle manual to find out if the vehicle has a Negative or
Positive earth.
• For negative earth vehicles, connect the POSITIVE (RED) lead from the
battery charger to the POSITIVE terminal on the battery. Connect the
NEGATIVE (BLACK) lead to the vehicle chassis, engine block or suitable
earthing point away from the battery. Do not connect the lead to the
carburettor, (if fitted) fuel lines, or sheet metal body parts.
• For positive earth vehicles, (very rare today) connect the NEGATIVE
(BLACK) lead from the battery charger to the NEGATIVE terminal on the
battery. Connect the POSITIVE (RED) lead to the vehicle chassis or
engine block away from the battery. Do not connect the lead to the
carburettor (if used) fuel lines, or sheet metal body parts.
NOTE: If the battery clamps are reversed, the ERROR LED will be on.
5. When charging is completed, switch off the charger and disconnect the
plug from the power supply. Remove the lead from the vehicle chassis,
and then remove the leads from the battery.
WHEN THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE
1. Make sure that you know the polarity of the battery posts.
2. Connect the POSITIVE (RED) lead to the POSITIVE post on the battery.
3. Reach over and connect the NEGATIVE (BLACK) lead at arms length to the
NEGATIVE post on the battery.
4. When charging is completed, switch off the charger and disconnect the
plug from the power supply. When you disconnect the charger from the
battery always do it in the opposite order to the sequence of connection.
NOTE: A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged on shore. To
charge it on board requires equipment specially designed for marine
use.
THE CHARGING PROCESS
This charger has have a sophisticated computer system that performs a 7 stage automatic charging cycle as follows:
STEP 1: DIAGNOSIS
Checks that the battery has connected with the charger and also checks the
battery voltage.
STEP 2: DESULPHATION
If battery voltage is too low, this step automatically generates a pulsing
current to remove sulphate.
STEP 3: ANALYSE
Checks if the battery voltage reaches the threshold after desulphation and
charging begins if the battery voltage is OK.
STEP 4: SOFT START
Charges with constant current.
STEP 5: BULK
Charges with constant maximum current until battery voltage has reached
the threshold.
STEP6: ABSORPTION
A gradually declining current charge for maximum battery voltage.
STEP 7: ANALYSE
Testing if the battery can hold a charge
STEP 8: MAINTENANCE
Continuously monitors the battery and charging current and will intelligently
adapt to the variable battery voltage.
After the full charging cycle, use this battery to start the vehicle’s engine. If the
engine does not start (excluding a defect with the vehicle its-self), it indicates
this battery has declined storage capacity and needs to be replaced.
complete its 5-minute charge. After 300 seconds of boost the display will show
“000” and it should be possible to start the vehicle (whether FULL light is
illuminated or not). If unsuccessful when starting your vehicle, let the battery
rest for 15 minutes and try boost again. Most vehicles will start with one boost.
Do not use the boost function more than twice within a 24-hour period. If 2
boosts cannot successfully start your vehicle, have your battery replaced or
evaluated by a local battery supplier.
USING THE 13.6V SUPPLY
After powering up, the charger is in the Power Supply mode by default when
not connected to a battery. The 13.6V Supply mode provides a current of 7A
(constant voltage and constant current). When used as a power supply, the
charger can also be used to retain a vehicles on-board computer settings
during battery repair or replacement.
Both sparking and reverse polarity protection function normally in this mode. If
positive and negative clamps are touched together the charger will not
create sparks.
OPERATION
TO CHARGE THE BATTERY
1. Connect the charger to the battery (see page 7).
2. Connect the charger to the mains supply.
If the charger senses an incorrectly connected battery, then the ERROR LED
will come on. The fault needs to be identified before you continue connecting
the battery correctly. Reasons for the ERROR light are;
• Battery voltage excessively low
•Reverse polarity
•Overload
• Temperature in the battery is too high. If the buzzer sounds it indicates
that the temperature inside the charger is too high. Once the
temperature reduces the charger will automatically start charging
again.
3. Use the CURRENT selector button to set the charging current and the value
will be shown on the display.
4. Push the on/off button to start the charging process.
Different battery capacity, residual voltage and charging current will all affect
charging time. The following table is for guidance in the case of a fully
discharged battery.
When charging is complete the green “FULL” LED will come on
B
ATTERY SIZEAPPROXIMATETIMETOCHARGEIN HOURS
/Ah2A6A10A15A
42---------------
1472.3----------
2512.54.22.5-----
3015532
40206.742.7
50258.353.4
60301064
100-----16.7106.7
120-----20128
180-----301812
230-----38.32315.3
300----------3020
Switch off the charger and disconnect the plug from the power socket.
Remove the leads from the battery as described on page 8 and store them
onboard the charger with the mains lead.
CARE & MAINTANENCE
This battery charger requires minimal maintenance. As with any appliance or
tool, a few 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 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 if necessary with a moist cloth and clean any
corrosion from the clamps with a solution of water and baking soda.
The battery voltage drops
below 12V soon after being
fully charged.
Couldn't reach fully
charged status in time limit.
Battery does not
charge
Lack of AC input power.Make sure that the charger
Faulty connections to
battery terminals.
Wrong charge voltage
selection.
Battery voltage too low.Ensure enough charging
Charging a very cold
battery.
Have the battery tested by
a qualified technician.
Replace the bad battery if
necessary.
is plugged into AC outlet
and the POWER LED is lit.
Unplug the charger and
check the battery
connection; ensure that
there is a good connection
at the battery terminal/post
and/or vehicle chassis.
Check that the correct
charge voltage was
selected for the battery
being charged.
time was allowed to charge
battery.
If the battery being
charged is extremely cold, it
will not accept a high rate
of charge, so the initial
charge rate will be slow.
The rate of charger will
increase as the battery
warms up.
Never attempt to charge a
frozen battery.