Schumacher 9275A-PE User Manual

OWNER'S MANUAL

Model 9275A-PE
Automatic and Manual Battery Charger
2 and 12 Amp Continuous Charge Rates
75 Amp Engine Start
For 12 Volt Lead-Acid Batteries

WORKING IN VICINITY OF A LEAD-ACID BATTERY IS DANGEROUS. BATTERIES GENERATE
EXPLOSIVE GASES DURING NORMAL BATTERY OPERATION. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS
OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT EACH TIME BEFORE USING YOUR CHARGER, YOU READ
THIS MANUAL AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY.

GENERAL BATTERY SAFETY

and Instructions

Read Rules for

Safe Operation

Carefully

1. Before you use your battery charger, be sure to read all in­structions and cautions printed on:

 Battery Charger
 Battery
 Vehicle or unit using battery

2. Use battery charger on LEAD ACID type rechargeable bat­teries only, such as used in autos, trucks, tractors, airplanes,
vans, RV's trolling motors, etc. Charger is not intended to
supply power to low-voltage electrical system other than in
an automotive application.
WARNING: 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.

3. Use only attachments recommended or sold by manufac­turer. Use of non-recommended attachments may result in
fire, electric shock, or injury.

4. When disconnecting the battery charger, pull by the plug
not by the cord. Pulling on the cord may cause damage to
cord or plug.

5. Locate battery power cord so it cannot be stepped on,
tripped over, or subjected to damage or stress.

6. Do not operate charger with damaged cord or plug. Have
cord replaced immediately.

7. Do not operate charger if it has received a sharp blow,
been dropped, or otherwise damaged in any way. Take it to
a qualified professional for inspection and repair.

8. Do not disassemble charger. Take it to a qualified profes­sional when service or repair is required. Incorrect reas­sembly may result in electric shock or fire.

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

10. Do not use an extension cord unless absolutely neces­sary. Use of an improper extension cord could result in fire

or electric shock. If an extension cord must be used, make
sure that:

 Pins on plug of extension cord are the same num-

ber, size, and shape as those of plug on charger.

 Extension cord is properly wired and in good elec-

trical condition.

 Wire size is large enough for AC ampere rating of

charger, as specified below:

Length of cord (feet): 25 50 100 150

AWG size of cord: 18 18 16 14

11. Always charge battery in a well-ventilated area.

NEVER operate in a closed-in or restricted area without
adequate ventilation.
WARNING: Risk of explosive gas.

12. Locate charger as far away from battery as DC charger
cables permit.

13. Do not expose charger to rain or snow.

14. NEVER charge a frozen battery. If battery fluid (electrolyte) is
frozen, bring into a warm area to thaw before charging.

15. NEVER allow battery acid to drip on charger when reading
specific gravity or filling battery.

16. NEVER set a battery on top of charger.

17. NEVER place charger directly above battery being charged.
Gases from battery will corrode and damage charger.

18. NEVER touch the battery clamps together when the charger
is energized.

WARNING: Battery chargers get hot during operation and must

have proper ventilation. Air needs to flow around entire charger.
Do not set on flammable items like carpeting, upholstery, pa­per, cardboard, etc. Will damage leather and melt plastic and
rubber.

• IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS •

• SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS •

ELECTRIC CORPORATION

801 BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE • MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS 60056-2179

Send Warranty Product Repairs to: 1025 E. Thompson Avenue, Hoopeston, IL 60942-0280

Call Customer Service if you have questions: 1-800-621-5485

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PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY

1. WARNING: Wear complete eye protection and clothing

protection when working with lead-acid batteries.

2. Make sure someone is within range of your voice or
close enough to come to your aid when you work with
or near a lead-acid battery.

3. Have plenty of fresh water and soap nearby for use if
battery acid contacts skin, clothing, or eyes. If battery
acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with
soap and water.

4. Avoid touching your eyes while working with a battery.
Acid particles (corrosion) may get into your eyes! If acid
enters your eye, immediately flood eye with running cold
water for at least 10 minutes. Get medical attention
immediately.

PREPARING TO CHARGE

5. Remove all personal metal items such as rings,
bracelets, necklaces, and watches when working with
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.

6. Take care not to drop a metal tool or other metal onto
the battery. Metal may cause sparking or short circuit
the battery or another electrical device. Sparking may
cause an explosion.

7. Always operate battery charger in an open, well­ventilated area.

8. NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in the vicinity
of the battery or engine. Batteries generate explosive
gases!

1. Make sure you have a 12 volt lead-acid battery. Check
car owner manual to make sure.

2. Clean battery terminals. Take care to keep corrosion
from coming in contact with your eyes.

3. If required, add distilled water in each cell until battery
acid reaches levels specified by battery manufacturer.
This helps purge excessive gas from cells. Do not over­fill. For a battery without cell caps, carefully follow
manufacturer's recharging instructions.

4. Study all battery manufacturer's specific precautions,
such as removing or not removing cell caps while charg­ing, and recommended rates of charge.

5. Be sure area around battery is well ventilated while
battery is being charged. Gas can be forcefully blown
away by using a piece of cardboard or other non­metallic material as a fan.

6. If necessary to remove battery from vehicle to charge,
always remove grounded terminal from battery first. Make
sure all accessories in the vehicle are off, so as not to
cause an arc.

7. A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged
on shore. To charge it on board requires equipment spe­cially designed for marine use.

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BATTERY CHARGER CONTROLS

This battery charger offers two 12-volt charge rates,
2 and 12 amps. The 2-amp rate is recommended for
charging small batteries such as those found in
motorcycles and riding lawn mowers whereas the
12-amp rate is for larger automotive and marine
batteries.

Manual Mode: You have a choice of charging in the

automatic or manual mode of operation. The Manual
mode is required for batteries that have been run down to
the point where the battery voltage is less than 1 volt.
(The Automatic mode will not respond to a battery with
less than 1 volt.) Once a battery begins to take on a
charge, it is recommended to switch to the automatic
mode.

Automatic Mode: The Automatic mode should be used
for all other conditions. The charger starts out with the
default setting of 2 amps in automatic. You may change
the mode of operation anytime after the initial start up.
In the Automatic mode, during the first few seconds the
charger will perform an analytical check of the battery.
During this time, the charger will turn on, off, and on
again as indicated on the amp meter. The information
gained from this test determines what action the charger
will take.

Selector Switch: When the switch is set to the Engine
Start position, the Automatic and Manual switch LEDs will
alternately glow once every half second to indicate that
the Engine Start mode has been selected.

SELECT

ENGINE
START

CHARGE

Ammeter: The meter indicates the amount of current
flowing from the charger into the battery. It is not uncom­mon for a discharged battery to draw more than the 12­amp rating of the charger. When this occurs, the needle
will move to the far right past the 12-amp mark. This
effect may last up to an hour depending upon the size
and condition of the battery. Additionally, the meter
shows percentage of charge indicating how close the
battery is to full charge. When using the 2-amp setting,
there will be little or no needle movement on the meter.
Refer to the LED indicator for the battery’s status.

DC AMPS

2 AMP RATE

CHARGE % 100 75 50 25

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Touch-Pad Function Switch Indicators: When a

touch-pad function switch is pressed the LED next to it
will glow orange indicating that its function has been
selected. You may, at any time, change the setting from
the initial default setting of 2 amps while in Automatic
mode. During the analytical period, the LEDs will glow
steady. At the end of this period, either the Manual or
Automatic LED will blink indicating that the charge cycle
has begun.

AUTOMATIC MANUAL

2 AMP

CHARGE

COMPLETE

12 AMP

Charge Complete Indicator: Near the end of the
charge cycle, the green Charge Compete LED will begin
to blink. At the end of one hour when Charge Complete
has been reached, the green indicator will glow steady
and the orange function LEDs will turn off. At this point,
the charger switches into float-mode monitoring and
maintains the battery at its full charge state. Note the
Charge Complete indicator does not function in the
Manual mode. Use the Amp Meter to determine the state
of charge. When using the Manual mode, the charging
must be frequently monitored.

Engine Starting: With the charger properly connected
following “Charging Your Battery in a Vehicle”:

1. Set the selector switch to the Engine Start position.

2. Crank the engine - The charger is programmed to
crank at 75-amps for 5 seconds and then will go into
a 4-minute rest.

If the engine does not start on your first attempt, wait the
4 minutes and then try again. Or, you may switch back to
the 12-amp charge during the rest period by changing
the switch position to Charge and the 12-amp rate setting.

3. After the 4-minute wait, you can crank another time.
Repeat again if necessary. Remember to set the
switch back to Engine Start before cranking if you
had switched back to Charge at 12-amps. DO NOT
crank in the 12-amp charge position.

Battery Abort: While in the Automatic mode only, if a
battery fails to meet the criteria of a good battery it will
abort charging. When this happens, all four of the orange
function switch LEDs will began flashing.

Sulfated Battery: If a battery exhibits characteristics of
a sulfated battery, the charger will respond by operating
in a mode of operation designed specifically for this
condition. If the charger fails to recover the battery within
ten hours it will switch to the Battery Abort mode.

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MANUAL VS. AUTOMATIC CHARGING

In the AUTOMATIC positions, the charger will only turn ON when
it is connected to a battery with a voltage over .7 volts. In the
MANUAL position, the charger will turn ON under any condition.
If a battery is so depleted of charge that its voltage is less than
.7 volts, switch to the MANUAL position for a few minutes before
switching to an AUTOMATIC position.

DELCO VOYAGER AND SIMILAR BATTERIES:

Some batteries, especially those with a built-in 'State of Charge'
indicator that have been deeply discharged, may require the
use of the MANUAL position in order to obtain a full charge. To
bring a Delco Voyager battery to full charge, first charge in the
Automatic mode until the Full Charge LED glows, then switch to
the Manual Mode until the built-in 'State of Charge' battery indicator
turns green. The AUTOMATIC position may be used to maintain
the battery at Full Charge.

DESULFATION MODE

If your battery has been left discharged for an extended period
of time, it may have become 'SULFATED'. If your battery voltage

CIRCUIT BREAKER

is less than 12.2 volts prior to being charged, and the voltage climbs
rapidly when you first start charging, your battery may be SUL­FATED. Under this condition, the charger enters DESULFATION
MODE (if it is in an AUTOMATIC position). In DESULFATION MODE,
the initial charging current is very small. The charger will stay in
DESULFATION MODE for 10 hours, attempting to break down the
sulfation. If the battery current increases to normal in this time, the
charger will enter the normal AUTOMATIC MODE. If the current
does NOT increase to normal, the charger will enter the ABORT
state and will shut off. The ABORT state is indicated by all four
LEDs flashing.

NOTE: A buzz or hum is normal when the output cables have
been disconnected and the AC power cord is still connected to
an electrical source (i.e. wall outlet).

These types of noises will also occur when the green light
comes on indicating the battery is "Completely Charged". At
this point, the charger has stopped charging the battery, but still
hums or buzzes until the electrical power is shut off.

This battery charger is equipped with a self-resetting circuit breaker.
This device protects the charger from temporary overloads. In the
event of an overload, the circuit breaker will trip open and after a
short cooling off period will reset automatically. This process is
known as cycling and can be recognized by an audible clicking
sound.

NOTE:

resets itself.

CAUTION: Persistent clicking (more than 30 minutes) may indi­cate reverse connection or shorted battery cells. (See TROUBLE-
SHOOTING)

Clicking sound is normal. Wait until charger automatically

BATTERY TYPES

Three basic types of lead-acid batteries can be given a charge with this charger: (1) Conventional and Low Maintenance,
(2) Maintenance Free, (3) Deep Cycle / Marine.

Conventional and Low Maintenance Batteries. These are the
antimony/lead batteries. Conventional/Low Maintenance bat­teries require periodic addition of water to the acid solution
(electrolyte). Additional water may be added by removing the
filler caps located on the top of the battery.

IMPORTANT: When antimony is known to be one of the materi­als used in the battery's construction, that battery is a Low Main­tenance/Conventional type.

CAUTION: Some Low Maintenance batteries have a relatively
smooth top without any apparent battery filler caps. If, however,
the battery manufacturer/distributor recommends periodic

checking of electrolyte level and provides access to the battery for
water additions, the battery is probably a Low Maintenance/Con­ventional type.

Maintenance Free Batteries. These are calcium/lead batteries
and normally do
caps have been removed from the battery surface. These bat­teries will have a smooth or sealed appearance.

Deep Cycle Batteries. These heavy duty batteries are used in
boats, construction equipment, sump pumps, etc. They are nor­mally marked DEEP CYCLE on the outside of the case.

not require water additions. Therefore, filler

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS: CHARGING BATTERY OUT OF THE VEHICLE

When charging battery out of the vehicle, take care to determine the battery type. To reduce risk of a spark near battery, follow these steps
when battery is outside vehicle. WARNING: A spark near battery may cause battery explosion. WARNING: When removing battery from
vehicle or boat, disconnect grounded post first. When disconnecting, make sure all accessories are off, so as not to cause an arc.
(NOTE: A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged on shore. (To charge on board requires special equipment designed for
marine use.) WARNING: When reinstalling battery, attach the ground post first.

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1. Check polarity of battery posts. Battery case will be marked
by each post: POSITIVE (POS, P, +) and NEGATIVE (NEG,
N, -). NOTE: The positive battery post usually has a larger
diameter than the negative post.

2. Attach a 24-inch long (or longer) 6-gauge (AWG) insulated
battery cable to NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -) battery post.
(Purchase cable separately.)

3. Connect POSITIVE (RED) charger clamp to POSITIVE (POS,
P, +) battery post. Rock clamp back and forth to make good
connection.

4. Position yourself and free end of 24-inch cable as far away
from battery as possible. Then connect NEGATIVE (BLACK)
charger clamp to free end of cable. WARNING: Do not face
battery when making final connection. Rock clamp back
and forth to make a good connection.

FIGURE 1 shows the connection.

5. Plug charger AC cord into 120 volt outlet.

6. Select automatic or manual charging, see Charger
Controls.

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS: CHARGING BATTERY IN VEHICLE

POSITIVE

BATTERY

+-

24", 6 GUAGE
CABLE

FIGURE 1: CONNECT NEGATIVE BATTERY CLAMP

TO 24-INCH CABLE END

NEGATIVE

BATTERY CHARGER

POWER
CORD

TO GROUNDED
POWER OUTLET

7. When battery is fully charged, unplug charger from AC
power source.

8. When battery is fully charged and charger is unplugged,
(1) remove clamp from end of Negative end of cable, and
(2) remove clamp from Positive battery post, in that order.

9. Clean and store battery charger.

When charging battery in vehicle, take care to determine the battery type and which pole is grounded. To reduce risk of a spark near
battery, follow these steps when battery is inside vehicle. WARNING: A spark near the battery may cause battery explosion.

1. Position AC power cord and DC charging cords to reduce risk
of damage by hood, door, or moving engine parts.

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

GROUND

(NEG)

3. Check polarity of battery posts. Battery case will be marked
by each post: POSITIVE (POS, P, +) and NEGATIVE (NEG,
N, -). NOTE: The positive battery post usually has a larger
diameter than the negative post.

4. Determine which post of battery is grounded (connected)
to chassis. NOTE: The negative post is normally grounded.

NEGATIVE GROUNDED POST

5A. For negative-grounded vehicle, connect POSITIVE (RED)

clamp from battery charger to POSITIVE (POS, P, +)
ungrounded post of battery. Connect NEGATIVE (BLACK)
clamp to vehicle chassis or engine block away from battery.
Connect to a heavy-gage metal part of the frame or engine
block.

FIGURE 2: CONNECTION TO NEGATIVE

GROUNDED BATTERY

WARNING: Do not connect clamp to carburetor, fuel lines, or

sheet-metal body parts. NOTE: Attach clamps to battery
post and twist or rock back and forth several times to make
a good connection. This tends to keep clamps from slipping
off terminals and helps to reduce risk of sparking.

6. Plug charger AC cord into a grounded 120 volt outlet.

7. Select either automatic or manual, see Charger Controls.

8. When battery is fully charged, unplug charger from AC power
source.

FIGURE 2 shows connections for a negative-grounded battery.

POSITIVE GROUNDED POST

5B. For positive-grounded vehicle, connect NEGATIVE (BLACK)

clamp from battery charger to NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -)
ungrounded post of battery. Connect POSITIVE (RED) clamp
to vehicle chassis or engine block away from battery.

9. Remove charger clamps from (1) chassis and (2) battery
post, in that order.

10. Clean and store battery charger.
NOTE: Charger will hum when clamps are removed from

battery and power cord is still plugged into electrical outlet.

Connect to a heavy-gauge metal part of the frame or engine
block.

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