Schumacher SpeedCharge 600A Owner's Manual

CAUTION:

Read all Safety Rules and Operating Instructions,
and follow them with each use of this product.

00-99-000396/0607

OWNER’S MANUAL

Fully Automatic
Microprocessor Controlled
Battery Charger

Schumacher Electric Corporation
Mount Prospect, IL 60056 U.S.A.

Model 600A
For 6 and 12-Volt Batteries

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S L O W
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M E D I U M
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M E D I U M
C H A R G E

Send Warranty Product Repairs to:

Customer Service Returns
P.O. Box 280,1025 E. Thompson, Hoopeston, IL 60942-0280
Questions? Call Customer Service: 1-800-621-5485

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SAVE THIS OWNER’S MANUAL AND READ BEFORE EACH USE.

Model 600A, Fully Automatic Battery Charger offers features to accommodate the
needs for home or light commercial use. This manual will explain how to use the char­ger safely and effectively. Please read and follow these instructions and precautions
carefully.

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class
B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interfer­ence to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will
not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference
to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment on
and off, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the
following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver
is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio technician for help.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS .................................................................... 3

PERSONAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS ...................................................................... 4

BEFORE USING YOUR BATTERY CHARGER ......................................................... 5

PLUGGING IT IN ................................................................................................... 5

USING AN EXTENSION CORD ............................................................................ 5

PREPARING YOUR BATTERY TO BE CHARGED ................................................... 5

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS ................................................................................... 6

Charging Battery In The Vehicle ............................................................................ 6

Charging Battery Removed From The Vehicle ...................................................... 7

SPEEDCHARGE CONTROLS .................................................................................... 8

USING YOUR BATTERY CHARGER ......................................................................... 9

CHARGING TIPS ........................................................................................................ 9

MAINTENANCE AND CARE .................................................................................... 10

TROUBLESHOOTING ...............................................................................................11

LIMITED WARRANTY .............................................................................................. 12

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

This manual contains important safety and operating instructions for battery charger
Model 600A.

WARNING – RISK OF EXPLOSIVE GASES

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.

To reduce risk of battery explosion, follow these instructions and those 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.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

• To reduce risk of electrical shock,
unplug the charger from the outlet
before attempting any maintenance or
cleaning.

• Always charge battery in a well- venti­lated area.

• WARNING: Battery chargers get hot
during operation and must have proper

ventilation. Air needs to ow around

entire charger. Do not set charger on

ammable materials like carpeting,

upholstery, paper, cardboard, etc.
Charger may damage leather, plastic
and rubber.

HELP US HELP YOU ——

Remember:

Place charger as far away from the bat­tery being charged as the charger cables
will permit.

Do not expose charger to rain or snow.

Never charge a frozen battery. If battery

uid (electrolyte) becomes frozen, bring

battery into a warm area and allow bat­tery to thaw before you begin charging.

Never allow battery acid to drip on

charger when reading specic gravity or
lling battery.

Never set a battery on top of charger.

• WARNING: Handling the cord on this

product or cords associated with ac­cessories sold with this product, may
expose you to lead, a chemical known
to the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Wash hands after

handling.

• Read all instructions and cautions
printed on the battery charger, battery
and vehicle or equipment using bat­tery.

• Use charger only on lead-acid type
rechargeable batteries, such as
those used in cars, trucks, tractors,
airplanes, vans, RV’s, trolling motors,
etc. This charger is not intended to
supply power to a low voltage electri­cal system other than in an automotive
application.

• Never use charger for charging dry
cell batteries that are commonly used
with home appliances like radios, ste­reos, remote controls, etc. These bat­teries may burst and cause personal
injury.

• Do not disassemble charger. Take it

to a qualied service professional if

service or repair is required. Incorrect
assembly may result in re or electri­cal shock.

4

Never place charger directly above
battery being charged. The gases from
the battery will corrode and damage the
charger.

Never touch the battery clamps together
when the charger is on. You could cause
a spark.

Never operate charger if it has received
a hard blow, been dropped, or otherwise
damaged. Take it to a qualied profes­sional for inspection and repair.

Be sure to position the charger power
cord to prevent it from being stepped on,
tripped over or damaged.

Never pull out the plug by the cord when
unplugging the charger. Pulling on the
cord may cause damage to the cord or
the plug.

Do not operate the charger if it has a
damaged power cord or plug. Have the
cord replaced.

PERSONAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

• Wear complete eye and clothing
protection when working with lead-

acid batteries.

• Make sure that someone is within
range of your voice to come to your
aid if needed while you work with or
are near a lead-acid battery.

• Have plenty of fresh water and soap
nearby for use in case battery acid
contacts your eyes, skin or clothing. If
this happens, wash immediately with
soap and water. Then get medical at­tention.

• Avoid touching your eyes while
working with a battery. Acid particles

(corrosion) may get into your eyes. If
this occurs, ush eyes immediately

with running cold water for at least 10
minutes. Then immediately get medi­cal attention.

• Never charge a frozen battery.

• Remove all personal metal items

from your body, such as rings, brace­lets, necklaces and watches, while
working with a lead-acid battery. A bat­tery can produce a short circuit current

high enough to weld a ring (or the like)

to metal, causing a severe burn.

• Take care not to drop any metal tool

or metal object onto the battery. This
may result in a spark or short circuit
across the battery or another electrical
device that may cause an explosion.

• Always operate the battery charger in

an open, well-ventilated area.

• Never smoke or allow a spark or ame

in the vicinity of the battery or engine.
Batteries generate explosive gases.

• Neutralize any acid spills thoroughly

with baking soda before attempting to
clean up.

5

BEFORE USING YOUR BATTERY CHARGER

It is important to understand the charger’s requirements. This section explains the
charger’s electrical requirements and how to prepare a battery for charging.

PLUGGING IT IN

Your charger requires a 120V AC re­ceptacle installed according to all local
codes and ordinances.

USING AN EXTENSION CORD

The use of an extension cord is not
recommended. If you must use an exten­sion cord, please make sure that you
follow these guidelines:

• Make sure that pins on plug of exten­sion cord are the same number, size,
and shape as those of plug on char­ger.

• Check that the extension cord is
properly wired and in good electrical
condition.

• Make sure that the wire size is large
enough for its length and for the AC

ampere rating, as specied in the

chart below.

PREPARING YOUR BATTERY TO BE CHARGED

It is important that you read and follow these guidelines while you are preparing to
charge the battery.

• Make sure that you have a 12 volt or 6
volt lead-acid battery. Determine volt­age of battery by referring to vehicle
owner’s manual or the battery mark­ings. Be sure to set the charger to the
6V or 12V mode accordingly.

• Clean the battery terminals. Be careful
to keep corrosion from getting in or
around your eyes.

• Wear safety glasses. See additional
“Personal Safety Precautions” on page

4.

• If required, for batteries with remov­able vent caps, add distilled water to
each cell until the battery acid reaches
the level recommended by the manu­facturer. This will help purge excessive
gases from the cells. Be careful not to

overll. If you have a sealed battery

with non-removable vent caps, no ac­tion is necessary.

• Take time to read all of the battery

manufacturer’s specic precautions,

such as removing or not removing vent
caps while charging, and recommend­ed rates of charge.

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

• If it is necessary to remove the battery
from the vehicle to charge it, always
remove the grounded terminal from the
battery rst. Turn off all vehicle acces­sories to avoid sparks from occurring.

• NOTE: A marine (boat) battery in­stalled in a boat must be removed and
charged on shore.

MINIMUM RECOMMENDED EXTENSION CORD

Length of Cord, in Feet 25 50 100 150

AWG* Size of Cord 18 16 12 10

*AWG=American Wire Gauge

6

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

IMPORTANT: Follow all safety instructions and precautions when charging your bat-

tery. Wear complete eye protection and clothing protection. Charge your battery in a
well-ventilated area.

part of the chassis or engine block,

away from the battery (see gure
above). DO NOT connect clamp to

negative battery post, carburetor, fuel
line or sheet metal part.

Connecting to a positive-grounded

system: Connect the black (NEGA­TIVE) output clamp to the NEGATIVE

post of the battery. Rock and twist
the clamp back and forth to be sure
a solid electrical connection is made.

Then connect the red (POSITIVE)

output clamp to a heavy, unpainted
metal part of the chassis or engine
block, away from the battery. DO NOT
connect clamp to positive battery
post, carburetor, and fuel line or sheet
metal part.

6. Plug power cord into an AC outlet.

7. Press the appropriate control but-

tons to select the desired charge rate
and battery voltage. The CHARGING

(yellow) LED should light and the

charging process should start. If the

CONNECTED (red) LED is not on,

check for correct cable connections.

8. To disconnect the charger, unplug

its power cord before attempting to
disconnect the output clamps. Then,
while standing away from the bat­tery, remove the output clamp from
the chassis or engine block. Finally,
remove the output clamp from the bat­tery post.

9. Clean and store the charger in a dry

location.

NEGATIVE GROUNDED SYSTEM

CHARGING BATTERY IN THE
VEHICLE:

1. Avoid personal injury by keeping clear
of fan blades, belts, pulleys and other
engine parts.

2. Avoid damaging the charger by keep­ing the power cord and output cords
away from the hood, door or moving
engine parts.

3. Note the polarity of the battery posts

by checking the identication marks
on the battery: POSITIVE (POS, P or
+) and NEGATIVE (NEG, N or -). The

positive post is usually larger than the
negative post.

4. Identify which battery post is ground­ed or connected to the chassis. THIS
IS NORMALLY THE NEGATIVE
POST.

5. Connecting to a negative-grounded

system: Connect the red (POSITIVE)

output clamp to the POSITIVE post of
the battery. Rock and twist the clamp
back and forth to be sure a solid
electrical connection is made. Then

connect the black (NEGATIVE) output

clamp to a heavy, unpainted metal

7

1. Note the polarity of the battery posts

by checking the identication marks
on the battery: POSITIVE (POS, P or
+) and NEGATIVE (NEG, N or -). The

positive post is usually larger than the
negative post.

2. Attach at least a 24-inch-long, 6-

gauge (AWG), insulated battery cable
to NEGATIVE (NEG, N or -) battery

post. Rock and twist the clamp back
and forth to be sure a solid electrical
connection is made.

3. Connect the red (POSITIVE) output

clamp to the POSITIVE battery post.
Rock and twist the clamp back and
forth to be sure a solid electrical con­nection is made.

4. Position yourself as far away from the
battery as possible, and then connect

the black (NEGATIVE) output clamp

to the free end of the cable.

5. Plug the power cord into an AC outlet.

POSITIVE NEGATIVE

BATTERY CHARGER

BATTERY

24", 6 GAUGE
CABLE

POWER
CORD

TO

GROUNDED

POWER

OUTLET

CHARGING BATTERY REMOVED
FROM THE VEHICLE:

6. Press the appropriate control but­tons to select the desired charge rate
and battery voltage. The CHARGING

(yellow) LED should light and the

charging process should start. If the

CONNECTED (red) LED is not on,

check for correct cable connections.

7. To disconnect the charger, unplug
its power cord before attempting to
disconnect the charger clamps. Then,
while standing away from the bat­tery, remove the output clamp from
the NEGATIVE battery post. Finally,
remove the output clamp from the
POSITIVE battery post.

8. Clean and store the charger in a dry
location.

IMPORTANT: Follow all safety instruc­tions and precautions when charging
your battery. Wear complete eye protec­tion and clothing protection. Charge your
battery in a well-ventilated area.

8

SPEEDCHARGE CONTROL

600A CONTROL PANEL

BATTERY SIZE

Use this button to set the charge rate to
one of the following three:

• 2A or 4A BATTERY SIZE: Intended for

charging small batteries such as those
commonly used in garden tractors, snow
mobiles and motorcycles. The 2A rate
is not intended to be used as a trickle
charger for larger batteries.

• 6A BATTERY SIZE: Use for charging

automotive and marine batteries. Not
intended for industrial applications.

BATTERY TYPE BUTTON

Use this switch button to set the type of
battery to be charged to one of the fol­lowing two:

• 12 Volt: This is the type of battery usually

used in cars, trucks, and motorcycles.
These batteries usually have vent caps
and are often marked “low maintenance”
or “maintenance-free”.

• 6 Volt: This is the type of battery usually

used in antique and some specialized
vehicles.

2A SMALL 6V

12V

75%

50%

25%

6A LARGE

BATTERY SIZE

CONNECTED

CHARGING

CHARGED

BATTERY TYPE

4A MEDIUM

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