Matco Tools MBT400 User Manual

Wireless

Electrical System

Analyzer

User Manual

For Testing 6V/8V/12V/24V Lead Acid Batteries individually &

in Battery Packs. Also for testing 12V, 24V and 36V

Charging & Starter Systems

MODEL MBT400

INTRODUCTION

The MBT400 Wireless Micro LCD tests all 6V, 8V, 12V lead acid batteries individually or in parallel and 24V HD (series) battery
packs. The tester will display the battery or battery pack condition as % available capacity, rated capacity (i.e. CCA’s), state of
charge voltage and good, marginal or replace status. The Wireless Micro LCD also tests 6V,12V, 24V and 36V starter and
charging systems including starter draw, alternator output (loaded/unloaded), and diode ripple. The Wireless Micro LCD features
both a Radio and an IR wireless printer output for remote printout of the test results. Test results can be sent to either an USB
Adapter (included) or stand alone IR Printer. The test data for the last test performed is stored in the memory and can be
reviewed either when connected to a battery, or when disconnected from the battery at a later time.

Features:

 Patented conductance technology
 Displays % of capacity and CCA’s.
 Tests 6V,8V,12V & 24V (series) lead acid batteries including AGM and Gel
 Includes Wireless Battery Module Transmitter
 Radio and IR printer interface for remote printing
 USB adapter for PC printing (included)
 No conversion tables needed
 Test batteries from 100 CCA to 3500 CCA (battery pack)
 Tests 6/12/24/36V Starting/Charging Systems
 Tests both series and parallel batteries
 Tests Alternator Ripple
 Bad cell is detected and displayed
 Displays Multiple International Units
 Tests 6V & 8V “golf cart” type batteries
 Custom Header with Company Name, Date and Time
 Loose lead detection
 Temperature Compensation
 RoHS compliant brass post adapters included
 Multiple language (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian & Dutch)
 Reverse polarity protection
 Auto shutoff feature
 Tests parasitic drain
 Made in USA

.

1

MBT400 Controls

Press TEST for testing options

ON/OFF
Press SETUP to view setup options

Graphic LCD display:

Prompt symbols: + (UP/NEXT)

- (DOWN/BACK)
(ENTER)

Press VIEW or PRINT

Radio and IR Interface

Press to scroll UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT or ENTER

Battery Module

Battery Module will power on

Shows steady on
when connecting to
remote

When blinking data is
sending or receiving
to/from remote

Low Battery

and automatically begin
transmitting data when
connected to battery.

Out of Vehicle Test

BATTERY TEST:

1. Connect the MBT400 Battery Module to the battery to be tested. The green Ready LED and the yellow Activity LED will blink. Note:
make sure battery clips make contact with the lead battery post.

2. Press the ON/OFF button to turn on the remote. “MATCO MBT400” will appear momentarily on the display. Press TEST. The display
will show the following screens. Select TEST BATTERY ONLY if testing just the battery. Follow the screen sequence as below. See the
next sections for the starter and charging systems screen sequences.

2

PRIOR TO TESTING

Important: Use stud or post adapters (provided with the MBT400) when connecting to side mount or Group 31 batteries outside of the vehicle. Or

connect battery clips on the base of threaded stud when testing (see Fig. below). Make sure adapters are properly tightened. Connecting the tester
directly to threaded studs or bolts will result in false readings. When connecting to batteries inside or outside of the vehicle, rock the clips back and
forth to ensure a good connection. CHECK CONNECTION may show on the display if a poor connection is detected. Reset clips if necessary.

MENU OPTIONS

SET UP: Press SET-UP to select language, company info (shop name & address), HPIr-PRINTER

or USB adapter (included), technician name and the date and time. Note: after setting date
and time press SET-UP to save.

VIEW or PRINT: Press VIEW or PRINT to review last data in memory or print to IR printer or USB adapter.

TEST: Press TEST to test battery, starter, and charging system. Follow prompts on display. Scroll up/down
and then press enter when desired option is selected.

Group 31 female

Stud adapters

Side- mount male

post adapters

The keypad and the display are used to enter text with the following key assignment:

Figure 2

Figure 3

As seen in Fig. 1, the key functions in this mode have different functions used to enter the text
required.
Use the Arrow keys to navigate the keys on the keyboard layout as shown in Fig. 2 or Fig. 3.
Press ENTER key to add the character selected.
Press Backspace to erase the last character.
Select backslash key (/) to start a new line.
Press the Alphabet/Numeric keyboard toggle modes key to switch between Fig. 2 and Fig. 3

layouts.
Press Save and Exit key to save and exit.

Figure 1

(alphabet mode)

STARTER TEST:

Note: Before the starter can be properly tested, make sure the battery or battery-pack SOC (state of charge) and battery
condition tests GOOD and the engine is OFF.

To test the Starter, press the ON/OFF button to turn on the remote. “MATCO MBT400” will appear momentarily on the display.
Press TEST. The display will show the following screens. Select TEST BATTERY & STARTER. Follow the screen sequence as
below. See the next section for the charging system screen sequences.

3

2- 12V batteries in
parallel: add rated
capacities of single
battery. Pack is still
12V.

2- 12V batteries in series: add 1/2
rated capacities of single battery.
Pack is 24V.

In Vehicle Tests

BATTERY TEST:

Connect the MBT400 Battery Module to the battery to be tested. The green Ready LED and the yellow Activity LED will

blink. Press the MENU ON/OFF button to turn on the remote. “ MATCO MBT400” will appear momentarily on the display
and then the display will show WAITING TO CONNECT. When connected the green LED will stop blinking and the display
will show IN VEHICLE TEST? PRESS YES (←). The display will then prompt the user to SELECT BATTERY/SYSTEM
VOLTAGE. Press the + UP or - Down buttons to select the battery or battery pack voltage i.e. 6V, 8V,12V, 24V, 36V to be
tested.

NOTE: When testing the battery in the vehicle, make sure vehicle engine is not running and all accessory loads are off. If
SURFACE CHARGE (SOC) is displayed, turn on accessory loads (lights, AC or heater) for 15 seconds with engine off.

Testing Battery Packs:

The MBT400 tests battery packs when they are connected to the vehicle as though it is testing a single battery. When testing
a battery pack, enter the battery voltage and rating of the pack as a single battery.

Batteries in parallel: For batteries connected in parallel, add the rated capacity of each single battery to determine the rated
capacity of the pack. For example two 500 CCA batteries in parallel would have a rating 1,000 CCA (see figure below). The
voltage of the pack remains the same regardless of the number of batteries in the pack. The MBT400 can test batteries in
parallel up to 3500 CCA.

Batteries in series: A pack consisting of 2 single 12V batteries in series would have 24V. The rated capacity of the two 12V
batteries in series is ½ the rating of the single battery. For example two 500 CCA 12V batteries in series would have a
rating of only 250 CCA. The MBT400 can test two 12V batteries in series

IMPORTANT: The MBT400 determines the condition of the pack as whole but does not determine the condition of the
individual battery in the pack. If the condition of the parallel pack is determined to be bad, disconnect the batteries from the
pack and check each battery individually.

CHARGING SYSTEM TEST:

IMPORTANT: Engine must be off before testing charging system.

Charging system can also be road tested while driving vehicle*.

To test the Charging system, press the ON/OFF button to turn on the remote. “MATCO MBT400” will appear momentarily
on the display. Press TEST. The display will show the following screens. Select TEST BATTERY & CHARGER. Follow the
screen sequence as below.

*ROAD TESTING THE CHARGING SYSTEM

Connect the local unit to the battery making sure it is properly secured. Turn on the Remote and wait for the connection to
sync. Set the vehicle charging voltage and press Enter. The display will show the battery SOC (state of charge). Start engine
and begin road testing at various speeds with and without accessory loads. The display will show the real time alternator
output. Check manufacturer’s specifications for proper charging voltage during road test.

Warning! Risk of accident.

Two people should be in the vehicle when driving on the road, one to drive and the other to attend to the equipment. Accidents can

occur when attention is not solely given to driving.

Road test: Extra precautions are required to keep the local unit away from hot or moving parts while a

vehicle is driven on the road. It may be necessary to secure the local unit to frame or body parts with wire or
nylon ties to insure that the local unit does not change position while the vehicle is being driven.

The following data can be viewed or printed for the last test stored in the tester’s memory:

Technician Name
Date
Battery Voltage
CCA Rating
CCA Available
% Available
State of Health Battery
Initial Battery Voltage

Cranking Voltage

4

USING THE IR PRINTER INTERFACE

The MBT400 will download test data to any stand-alone IR Printers utilizing either IrDA or HPIr protocol. The user can print
both when connected and when not connected to a battery. To print out the last test results:

1. Turn on the MBT400 by pressing the ON/OFF button.

2. Press SET-UP button. Select either model IrDA or HPIr-PRINTER.

3. Press the VIEW or PRINT button. The display will show the message ALIGN THE PRINTER. Align the MBT400
transceiver located at the top of the tester with the printer’s IR receiver. Note: The HPIr printer must be within 12­18 in. from the tester and remain aligned during entire printout. The last data stored in the memory will begin to
printout on the IR printer.

Note: The alignment between the tester and the IR printer must be proper for data to print out.

*Important: Make sure the printer you are using is selected in the Set Up Menu.

VIEW OR PRINT TEST RESULTS

Starting System Condition (Normal)
Idle No Load
Rev No Load
Idle Load
Rev Load
Ripple Peak to Peak
Charging System Condition (Normal)

Using the USB Adapter

The USB adapter allows the user to download the stored test data in the MBT400 into your computer. Once the
CD program is installed, the test data is stored in a Windows based program for immediate printing or saved in a
file for future reference.

5

Plug into
Computer
USB port

Radio Receiver

Radio Transmitter

NOTE: Depending on

the environment, the

Figure 1

remote should be
within 20 feet of the
USB adapter.

Installing the USB CD

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Minimum (Home or Pro), Vista (Home or Pro), Windows 7* (Home or Pro) 32 & 64 Bit System

1. Insert the CD into your CD-Rom

2. Follow the simple onscreen instructions. The software will prompt you through each step of the installation.

3. If the software does not start automatically:

Note: The software installation requires Microsoft Framework 3.5. This will be automatically installed if required. In this case
installation may take about 10 to 12 minutes to install although older systems may take longer.

4. When the installation finishes, connect the USB adapter to one of the USB ports on your computer. The computer will show

5. When the new hardware installation is complete, double click on the USB Software icon to open the USB Adapter program.

* WINDOWS 7 USERS:

If error messages occur when printing you may need to set the UAC (User Account Control) slider is set to “Never Notify”.
To set:

1. In control panel select user account (family safety).

2. Under “Make changes to your account”, select “Change user account control settings.”

3. Adjust slider down to “Never Notify”.

4. Restart computer.

This allows users to save and reopen battery tester data files (files with .btd extensions.)

Note: Select WIRELESS in Set Up Menu under PRINTER- for radio transmission to the USB Adapter

1. Click on the USB Adapter icon to open the USB Adapter program.

2. Select OPTIONS> SETUP to enter shop name, address, phone number and language. This information will show at the top of the print out

page each time the data is printed and only needs to be entered once.

3. Turn on the MBT400 and press VIEW or PRINT button. Select Print and the stored data will appear on computer monitor. See following

example:

NOTE: Enter the customer, technician name, car make/model, etc.
The data will automatically display in the appropriate columns. Note: If it is not necessary to track the customer, technician, or other information
on this screen, leave blank and click OK without entering their names.

To save the data, click on Save As. The data will be saved as a .btd file. To view the file at a later date, click on Load and select the file name
desired. Note: to save and view all test data stored, keep all test data in the same file. Each new data downloaded will always be added to the
next row. Note: To delete any row of data- Click mouse to highlight and press delete key on keyboard. Otherwise, individual data can be saved as
a separate file as long as no new data is added and saved to that file.

 Click START on the Windows Taskbar
 Chose RUN
 Type D:\setup.exe (where D is your CD-ROM drive
 Click OK.

the prompt “Found New Hardware”. Follow the directions in the new hardware Wizard to complete the driver installation.

System Requirements:

Downloading Data Using the USB Adapter

Printing the Data on your PC Printer

To print the data using your PC printer, click on print button. The last entry will print. To print a different entry,
click on the row to highlight. The data will print out on standard 8 1/2 x 11 size computer paper.

Header information is entered in
Setup (see page 3)

Date and Technician
(see page 4)

Car information entered
(see page 4)

Data from battery tester

MBT400 Battery

Compartment

Figure 1

NOTE: To properly test the Electrical System
(Full Test) the test sequence should be Battery
Test, Starter Test, and then Charging System
Test. The battery must be in good condition to
properly test the Starter and Charging system.
Therefore, the Starter Test Data and/or Charging
Test Data may not show on the printout if either

test is skipped.

6

If the tester is left on while in a user select mode (other than SOC) the MBT400 will automatically shutoff after 5
minutes from the last user entry. This will conserve battery life in case the tester is left on inadvertently.

1. The MBT400 will alert the user when the voltage of the internal battery is low and needs to be replaced.
When this occurs, the display shows REPLACE INTERNAL BATTERY. This message will also display if
no battery is installed.

2. To replace battery: Remove screw at back of tester and lift up the battery cover. Insert the 9V battery into

PARASITIC DRAIN TEST

Note: Make sure all accessory loads are off before checking for parasitic drain.

Note 1: To avoid losing computer settings, turn on remote immediately after connecting and turning local unit on.
Note 2: Check manufacturer’s specifications to determine acceptable current drain and how long it is necessary for the

computer to go into sleep mode.

the battery compartment noting the polarity label inside. (See figure below).

1. In the TEST menu select PARASITIC DRAIN TEST.

2. Disconnect negative battery cable and connect the local unit in series to cable and battery as shown in
Figure 1 below.

3. After connecting, the remote will display the battery current drain in mAmps. See Note 2.

REPLACING THE INTERNAL 9V BATTERY

AUTO SHUTOFF

6

Item

Part Number

Brass post adapters

B555

Carrying case

MBT400CC

Instruction Manual

MBT400IM

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

Model #

MBT400

Name

Electrical System Analyzer

Battery Size Range

100 CCA to 3500 CCA

DC Voltage: Range/Accuracy

3.0V to 49.9V/ +/- 2% reading

LCD Display

1.25” X 2.5” Graphic LCD with backlight

mA Range (Parasitic drain test)

5 mA to 1,000 mA

Power Supply

9V (Internal Battery)

Cable Length (battery module)

2 Ft.

Wireless Signal

900MHz (Custom Protocol)

Weight, lbs

1.5 lbs

Warranty

2 years

Wireless Range

Approx. 50 Ft. (depending on the
environment)

IR Printer Specifications

Infra Red Protocol:

IrDA & HPIr Capable

Normal dist. from Tester to Adapter:

18”

USB Cable:

Mini USB

USB cable length:

36”

Operating Temperature:

32°F to 120°F

Weight:

.25 LBS

REPLACEMENT PARTS

Every effort has been made to provide reliable, superior quality products. However, in the event your instrument
requires repair, forward unit to Service Center freight prepaid to the address below with return address, phone
number and/or email address.

The MBT400 Micro LCD Electrical System Analyzer is warranted to be free of defects in materials and workmanship
for a period of two years from the date of purchase. This warranty applies to all repairable instruments that have not
been tampered with or damaged through improper use including unauthorized opening of the unit. Please ship
warranty units that require repair freight prepaid to Service Center along with proof of purchase, return address,
phone number and/or email address.

RETURN FOR REPAIR POLICY

WARRANTY POLICY

SERVICE CENTER

2651 W 81st Street

Hialeah, FL 33016