Harbor Freight Tools 3418 User Manual

BATTERY CHARGER/STARTER

3418

ASSEMBLY AND OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS

Visit our website at: http://www.harborfreight.com

Read this material before using this product.

Failure to do so can result in serious injury.

SAVE THIS MANUAL.

Copyright© 2005 by Harbor Freight Tools®. All rights reserved. No portion of this manual or any artwork

contained herein may be reproduced in any shape or form without the express written consent of Harbor Freight

Tools. Diagrams within this manual may not be drawn proportionally. Due to continuing improvements, actual

product may differ slightly from the product described herein. Tools required for assembly and service may not

be included.

For technical questions or replacement parts, please call 1-800-444-3353.

Manual Revised 06k, 09h

SPECIFICATIONS

Input 120 V~, 60 Hz, 2.2 A Battery Leads 6’ 7” x 16 AWG

Output 12 VDC - 10* A

12 VDC - 2* A
6 VDC - 10* A
Engine Start - 55 A

Power Cord

Weight 10 lb.

6’ 5” x 18 AWG
(3-Prong Grounded Plug)

*Amperage is only present when the unit is connected to a battery or in START mode.

IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

“1. SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS” - This manual contains important safety and operating
instructions for battery charger Model: 03418.

Do not expose charger to rain or snow.2.

Use of an attachment not recommended or sold by the battery charger manufacturer 3.

may result in a risk of re, electric shock, or injury to persons.

To reduce risk of damage to electric plug and cord, pull by plug rather than cord when 4.
disconnecting charger. An extension cord should not be used unless absolutely
necessary.

Use of improper extension cord could result in a risk of re and electric shock. If 5.
extension cord must be used, make sure:

That pins on plug of extension cord are the same number, size, and shape as those a.
of plug on charger.

That extension cord is properly wired and in good electrical condition.b.

That wire size is large enough for AC ampere rating of charger.c.

MINIMUM AWG WIRE SIZE FOR EXTENSION CORDS FOR THIS BATTERY CHARGER

AC input Length of cord, m

Current I, A AWG size of cord

25 50 100 150

0 < I < 2 18 18 18 16

2 < I < 3 18 18 16 14

3 < I < 4 18 18 16 14

4 < I < 5 18 18 14 12

5 < I < 6 18 16 14 12

AC input Length of cord, m

Current I, A AWG size of cord

25 50 100 150

6 < I < 8 18 16 12 10

8 < I < 10 18 14 12 10

10 < I < 12 16 14 10 8

12 < I < 14 16 12 10 8

14 < I < 16 16 12 10 8

Do not operate this charger with a damaged cord or plug – replace the cord or plug 6.
immediately.

Do not operate charger if it has received a sharp blow, been dropped, or otherwise 7.

damaged in any way; take it to a qualied serviceman.

Page 2SKU 03418 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.

Do not disassemble charger; take it to a qualied serviceman when service or repair is 8.
required. Incorrect reassembly may result in a risk of electric shock or re.

To reduce risk of electric shock, unplug charger from outlet before attempting any 9.
maintenance or cleaning.

WARNING - RISK OF EXPLOSIVE GASES.10.

Working in the vicinity of a lead-acid battery is dangerous. Batteries generate a.
explosive gases during normal battery operation. For this reason, it is of utmost
importance that each time before using your charger, you read this and follow the
instructions exactly.

To reduce the risk of the battery explosion, follow these instructions and those b.
published by battery manufacturer and manufacturer of any equipment you intend
to use in vicinity of battery. Review cautionary markings on these products and on
engine.

PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS11.

Someone should be within range of your voice, or close enough to come to your a.
aid, when you work near a lead-acid battery.

Have plenty of fresh water and soap nearby in case battery acid contacts skin, b.
clothing, or eyes.

Wear complete eye protection and clothing protection. Avoid touching eyes while c.
working near battery.

If battery acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and water. If d.

acid enters eye, immediately ood with running cold water for at least 10 minutes

and get medical attention immediately.

NEVER smoke or allow a spark or ame in vicinity of battery or engine.e.

Be extra cautious to reduce risk of dropping a metal tool onto battery. It might spark f.
or short-circuit battery or other electrical part that may cause an explosion.

Remove personal metal items such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and watches when g.
working near a lead-acid battery. A lead-acid battery can produce a short-circuit
current high enough to weld a ring or the like to metal, causing a severe burn.

Use this charger for charging LEAD-ACID batteries only. It is not intended to supply h.
power to a low voltage electrical system other than in an automotive application.
Do not use battery charger for charging dry-cell batteries that are commonly used

with home appliances. These batteries may burst and cause injury to persons and

damage to property.

NEVER charge a frozen battery.i.

PREPARING TO CHARGE BATTERY12.

If it becomes necessary to remove the battery from the vehicle to charge, always a.

remove grounded terminal from battery rst. Make sure all accessories in the vehicle

are off, so as not to cause an arc.

Page 3SKU 03418 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.

Be sure area around battery is well ventilated while battery is being charged. Gases b.
can be forcefully blown away, by using a piece of cardboard or other non-metallic
material such as a fan.

Clean battery terminals. Be careful to keep corrosion from coming in contact with c.
eyes.

Add distilled water in each cell until battery acid reaches level specied by battery d.
manufacturer. This helps purge excessive gas from cells. Do not overll. For a

battery without cell caps, carefully follow manufacturer’s recharging instructions.

Study all battery manufacturer’s specic precautions such as removing or not e.
removing cell caps while charging and recommended rates of charge.

Determinate voltage of battery by referring to car owner’s manual and make sure f.

that output voltage selector switch is set at correct voltage. If charger has adjustable

charge rate, charge battery initially at lowest rate.

CHARGER LOCATION13.

Locate charger as far away from battery as the DC cable permits.a.

Never place charger directly above battery being charged; gases from battery will b.
corrode and damage charger.

Never allow battery acid to drip on charger when reading gravity or lling battery.c.

Do not operate charger in a closed-in area or restrict ventilation in any way.d.

Do not set a battery on top of charger.e.

DC CONNECTION PRECAUTIONS14.

Connect and disconnect DC output clips only after setting any charger switches to a.
off position and removing AC cord from electric outlet. Never allow clips to touch
each other.

Attach clips to battery and chassis as indicated in 15 (e), 15 (f), 16 (b), and 16 b.
(d).

Follow these steps when battery is installed in vehicle. A spark near battery may cause 15.
battery explosion. To reduce risk of a spark near battery:

Position AC and DC cords to reduce the risk of damage by hood, door, or moving a.
engine parts.

Stay clear of fan blades, belts, pulleys, and other parts that can cause injury to b.
persons.

Check polarity of battery posts. POSITIVE (POS, P, +) battery post usually has c.
larger diameter than NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -) post.

Determine which battery post is grounded (connected) to the chassis. If negative d.
post is grounded to chassis (as in most vehicles), see (e). If the positive post is
grounded to the chassis, see (f).

For negative-grounded vehicle, connect POSITIVE (RED) clip from battery charger e.
to POSITIVE (POS, P, +) ungrounded post of battery. Connect NEGATIVE (BLACK)
clip to vehicle chassis or engine block away from battery. Do not connect clip to the

Page 4SKU 03418 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.