Thorsen Fully Automatic Intelli-Fast Battery Charger, 19-014 Owner's Manual

#19-014

Owners Manual

Owners Manual

Fully Automatic
Intelli-Fast Battery Charger

#19-014

Fully Automatic
Intelli-Fast Battery Charger

© 2010 THORSEN TOOL Co.

®

1

#19-014

#19-014

15, 10 & 2 AMP FULLY AUTOMATIC

INTELLI-FAST BATTERY CHARGER

Congratulations on your purchase of this THORSEN product. We design and engineer
our products to give you years of dependable service. Please review this manual carefully
before operating your new product.

Please take a few moments to read this manual; it will help you understand your
new purchase. As with anything that could cause harm, PLEASE USE CAUTION
WHEN USING THIS PRODUCT. Keep this manual around for future reference.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:

• SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

• Please read, understand and follow these instructions and precautions carefully,
as this manual contains important safety and operating instructions.

• Do not expose charger to rain or snow.

• Use only recommended attachments. Use of an attachment not recommended by
THORSEN TOOL Co. may result in a risk of fi re, electric shock or injury to persons.

• To reduce the risk of damage to electric plug or cord, pull by the plug rather than
the cord when disconnecting the charger.

• An extension cord should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Use of an
improper extension cord could result in a risk of fi re and electric shock. If an
extension cord must be used, make sure:

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

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

3. That the wire size is large enough for the AC ampere rating of the charger as
specifi ed in the table on page 6.

• Do not operate the charger with a damaged cord or plug; take it to a qualifi ed
service person.

• Do not operate the charger if it has received a sharp blow, been dropped or
otherwise damaged in any way; take it to a qualifi ed service person.

• Do not disassemble the charger; take it to a qualifi ed service person when service or
repair is required. Incorrect reassembly may result in a risk of fi re or electric shock.

• To reduce the risk of electric shock, unplug the charger from the outlet before
attempting any maintenance or cleaning. Simply turning off the controls will not
reduce this risk.

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THORSEN Intelli-Fast Battery Charger

#19-014

#19-014

15, 10 & 2 AMP FULLY AUTOMATIC

INTELLI-FAST BATTERY CHARGER

Working in the vicinity of a lead-acid battery is dangerous. Batteries generate
explosive gases during normal battery operation. For this reason, it is of upmost
importance that you follow the instructions each time you use the charger.

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

PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS:

• Consider having someone close enough by to come to your aid when you work
near a lead-acid battery.

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

• Wear complete eye and body protection, including safety goggles and
protective clothing. Avoid touching your eyes while working near the battery.

• If battery acid contacts your skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and water.
If acid enters your eye, immediately fl ood the eye with cold running water for at least
10 minutes and get medical attention right away.

• NEVER smoke or allow a spark or fl ame in the vicinity of a battery or engine.

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

• Remove 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.

• Use this charger for charging a LEAD-ACID battery only. It is not intended
to supply power to a low voltage electrical system other than in a
starter-motor application.

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
devise. Sparking may cause an explosion.

• Do not use this 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.

• NEVER overcharge a battery.

© 2010 THORSEN TOOL Co.

®

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#19-014

#19-014

15, 10 & 2 AMP FULLY AUTOMATIC

INTELLI-FAST BATTERY CHARGER

PREPARING TO CHARGE:

• If it is necessary to remove the battery from the vehicle to charge it, always remove
the grounded terminal fi rst. Make sure all of the accessories in the vehicle are off,
to prevent arcing.

• Be sure the area around the battery is well ventilated while the battery is being
charged.

• Clean the battery terminals before charging the battery. During cleaning, keep
airborne corrosion from coming into contact with your eyes, nose and mouth. Use
baking soda and water to neutralize battery acid and help eliminate airborne
corrosion. Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

• Add distilled water to each cell until the battery acid reaches the level specifi ed by
the battery manufacturer. Do not overfi ll. For a battery without removable cell caps,
such as valve regulated lead-acid-batteries, carefully follow the manufacturer’s
recharging instructions.

• Read, understand and follow all instructions for the charger, battery, vehicle and
any equipment used near the battery and charger. Study all of the battery
manufacturer’s specifi c precautions while charging and recommended rates
of charge.

• Determine the voltage of the battery by referring to the vehicle owner’s manual
and make sure that the output voltage selector switch is set to the correct voltage.
If the charger has an adjustable charge rate, charge the battery in the lowest
rate fi rst.

• Make sure that the charger cable clips make tight connections.

• Locate the charger as far away from the battery as the DC cables permit.

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

• Do not set the battery on top of the charger.

• Never allow battery acid to drip onto the charger when reading the electrolyte
specifi c gravity or fi lling the battery.

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

DC CONNECTION PRECAUTIONS:

• Connect and disconnect the DC output clips only after setting all of the charge
switches to the “off” position and removing the AC plug from the electrical outlet.

• Never allow the clips to touch each other.

• Attach the clips to the battery and chassis:
NEGATIVE GROUNDED Vehicle:

• Connect the POSITIVE (RED) clip from the battery charger to the
POSITIVE (POS, P, +) ungrounded post of the battery. Connect the
NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip to the vehicle chassis or engine block away from
the battery. Do not connect the clip to the carburetor, fuel lines or
sheet-metal body parts. Connect to a heavy gauge metal part of the frame
or engine block.

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#19-014

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15, 10 & 2 AMP FULLY AUTOMATIC

INTELLI-FAST BATTERY CHARGER

POSITIVE GROUNDED Vehicle:

• Connect the NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip from the battery charger to
the NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -) ungrounded post of the battery. Connect the
POSITIVE (RED) clip to the vehicle chassis or engine block away
from the battery. Do not connect the clip to the carburetor, fuel lines
or sheet-metal body parts. Connect to a heavy gauge metal part of the
frame or engine block.

FOLLOW THESE STEPS WHEN BATTERY IS INSTALLED IN VEHICLE:

A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY MAY CAUSE A BATTERY
EXPLOSION. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY:

1. Position the AC and DC cables to reduce the risk of damage by the hood,
door and moving or hot engine parts.

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

3. Check the polarity of the battery posts. The POSITIVE (POS, P, +) battery post
usually has a larger diameter then the NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -) post.

4. Determine which post of the battery is grounded (connected) to the chassis.
If the negative post is grounded to the chassis (as in most vehicles), see step 5.
If the positive post is grounded to the chassis, see step 6.

5. For a negative-grounded vehicle, connect the POSITIVE (RED) clip from
the battery charger to the POSITIVE (POS, P, +) ungrounded post of
the battery. Connect the NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip to the vehicle chassis
or engine block away from the battery. Do not connect the clip to the carburetor,
fuel lines or sheet-metal body parts. Connect to a heavy gauge metal part of
the frame or engine block.

6. For a positive-grounded vehicle, connect the NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip from
the battery charger to the NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -) ungrounded post of the battery.
Connect the POSITIVE (RED) clip to the vehicle chassis or engine block away from
the battery. Do not connect the clip to the carburetor, fuel lines or sheet-metal
body parts. Connect to a heavy gauge metal part of the frame or engine block.

7. When disconnecting the charger, turn all switches to off, disconnect the AC cord,
remove the clip from the vehicle chassis and then remove the clip from the
battery terminal.

8. See CALCULATING CHARGE TIME for length of charge information.

FOLLOW THESE STEPS WHEN BATTERY IS OUTSIDE VEHICLE:

A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY MAY CAUSE A BATTERY
EXPLOSION. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY:

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

© 2010 THORSEN TOOL Co.

®

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15, 10 & 2 AMP FULLY AUTOMATIC

INTELLI-FAST BATTERY CHARGER

2. Attach at least a 24-inch long 6-gauge (AWG) insulated battery cable to
the NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -) battery post.

3. Connect the POSITIVE (RED) charger clip to the POSITIVE (POS, P, +) post
of the battery.

4. Position yourself and the free end of the cable you previously attached to
the NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -) battery post as far away from the battery as
possible – then connect the NEGATIVE (BLACK) charger clip to the free end
of the cable.

5. Do not face the battery when making the fi nal connection.

6. When disconnecting the charger, always do so in the reverse order of the
connecting procedure and break the fi rst connection while as far away from
the battery as practical.

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

BATTERY CHARGING — AC CONNECTIONS:

• This battery charger is for use on a nominal 120-volt circuit.

• DANGER – Never alter AC cord or plug provided – if it does not fi t the

outlet, have proper outlet installed by a qualifi ed electrician. Improper
connection can result in a risk of an electric shock.

• Recommended minimum AWG size for extension cords for battery chargers:

AC INPUT RATING

AMPERES

AT LEAST

0
2
3
4
5
6

8
10
12
14
16
18

IF THE INPUT ARTING OF A CHARGER IS GIVEN IN WATTS RATHER THAN IN AMPERES, THE CORRESPONDING AMPERE
RATING IS TO BE DETERMINED BY DIVIDING THE WATTAGE RATING BY THE VOLTAGE RATING — FOR EXAMPLE:

1250 WATTS / 125 VOLTS = 10 AMPERES

BUT LESS

THAN

2
3
4
5
6

8
10
12
14
16
18
20

25

(7.6)

18
18
18
18
18
18
18
16
16
16
14
14

AWG SIZE OF CORD

LENGTH OF CORD, FEET (M)

50

(15.2)

18
18
18
18
16
16
14
14
12
12
12
12

100

(30.5)

18
16
16
14
14
12
12
10
10
10

8
8

150

(45.6)

16
14
14
12
12
10
10

8
8
8
8
6

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THORSEN Intelli-Fast Battery Charger

#19-014

#19-014

GROUNDING METHOD:

GROUNDED
OUTLET OUTLET

GROUNDING

PIN

15, 10 & 2 AMP FULLY AUTOMATIC

INTELLI-FAST BATTERY CHARGER

ADAPTER
(C)

(A) (B)

GROUNDING

MEANS

CONTROL PANEL:

DIGITAL DISPLAY

The Digital Display gives a digital indication of % of charge or voltage, depending
on the Display Mode chosen.

© 2010 THORSEN TOOL Co.

®

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#19-014

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15, 10 & 2 AMP FULLY AUTOMATIC

INTELLI-FAST BATTERY CHARGER

DISPLAY MODE BUTTON

• Battery % - The Digital Display shows an estimated charge percent of the battery
connected to the charger battery clamps.

• Voltage – The Digital Display shows the voltage at the charger battery clamps in
DC volts.

CHARGE RATE BUTTONS

Use these buttons to set the maximum charge rate to one of the following:

• 2A Trickle Rate – Intended for charging small batteries such as those commonly
used in garden tractors, snow mobiles and motorcycles.

• 10A Medium Charge Rate – Use for charging automotive, marine and deep-cycle
batteries. Not intended for industrial applications.

• 15A Fast Charge Rate - Use for charging automotive and light truck batteries.
Not intended for industrial applications.

BATTERY TYPE BUTTONS

Use these buttons to set the type of battery to be charged.

• 6V – This battery type is usually used in garden tractors, motorcycles and
antique vehicles.

• 12V – This battery type is usually used in automotive, marine and deep
cycle situations.

• Regular (Standard) – This battery type is usually used in cars, trucks and
motorcycles. These batteries have vent caps and are often marked “Low
Maintenance” or “Maintenance-free”. This type of battery is designed
to deliver quick bursts of energy (such as starting engines) and have a greater
plate count. The plates will also be thinner and have somewhat different material
composition. Regular batteries should not be used for deep cycle applications.

• Deep-Cycle – Deep-cycle batteries are usually marked as “Deep-Cycle” or “Marine”.
Deep-cycle batteries are usually larger than the other types. This type of battery has
less instant energy but somewhat greater long-term energy delivery than regular
batteries. Deep cycle batteries have thicker plates and can survive a number of
discharge cycles.

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#19-014

#19-014

15, 10 & 2 AMP FULLY AUTOMATIC

INTELLI-FAST BATTERY CHARGER

• AGM – The Absorbed Glass Matt construction allows the electrolyte to be
suspended in close proximity with the plate’s active material. In theory, this
enhances both the discharge and recharge effi ciency. Actually, the AGM batteries
are a variant of Sealed VRLA (valve regulated lead acid) batteries. Popular
uses include high performance engine starting, power sports, deep cycle, solar
and storage battery.

• GEL – The Gel Cell is similar to the AGM style because the electrolyte is suspended,
but different because technically the AGM battery is still considered to be a wet cell.
The electrolyte in a GEL cell has a silica additive that causes it to set up or stiffen.
The recharge voltages on this type of cell are lower than the other styles of lead
acid battery. This is probably the most sensitive cell in terms of adverse reactions to
over-voltage charging. Gel Batteries are best used in VERY DEEP cycle application
and may last a bit longer in hot weather applications. If the incorrect battery charger
is used on a Gel Cell battery, poor performance and premature failure is certain.

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS:

• Connect the battery and AC power following the precautions listed on page 6.

• Select the appropriate battery type and charge rate for your battery.

CHARGING

If the charger does not detect a properly connected battery, the CONNECTED
(red) LED will not light until such a battery is detected. Charging will not begin while
the CONNECTED (red) LED is not on. When charging begins, the CHARGING (yellow)
LED will be lit.

BATTERY PERCENT AND CHARGE TIME
This charger adjusts the charging time in order to charge the battery completely,
effi ciently and safely. The microprocessor automatically performs the necessary
functions. This section includes guidelines that can be used to estimate charging
times. The duration of the charging process depends on three factors:

• State – If a battery has only been slightly discharged, it can be charged in less
than a few hours. The same battery could take up to 10 hours if very weak.

• Battery Rating – A higher rated battery will take longer to charge than a lower rated
battery under the same conditions. A battery is rated in ampere hours (AH), reserve
capacity (RC) and cold cranking amps (CCA). The lower the rating, the quicker the
battery will charge.

© 2010 THORSEN TOOL Co.

®

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15, 10 & 2 AMP FULLY AUTOMATIC

INTELLI-FAST BATTERY CHARGER

• Charge Rate – The charge rate is measured in amps. The 2A rate is for charging

smaller batteries such as those used for motorcycles and garden tractors. Such
batteries should not be charged using the higher rates. The 10A and 15A rates are
for charging automotive and light truck batteries. All charging modes will decrease
the charge rate as the battery approaches maximum charge. After the charging
process has started, the digital display can be used to determine charging progress
by selecting the BATTERY % mode.

There are some important facts to keep in mind when charging a battery.

• When the display indicates 77% charged, the battery has been charged enough
to start most vehicles.

• When the battery is fully charged, the display will indicate 100% charged.

• The battery % shown in tester mode is an estimate based on the battery voltage.

• The battery % shown in charger mode is an estimate of the relative charge in the
battery compared to the charge it should have if the charging process is allowed
to complete and can be used to estimate the relative charge time. The lower
the % shown the longer the charge time for a given battery.

• The battery % shown in charger mode is an indication of the relative progress of
the charging process. The higher the battery % displayed, the less charge time
remains.

• The more a battery is discharged, the faster it absorbs charge from a charger. That
means that the battery % increases faster at the beginning of the charging process
than at the end. In other words, it takes longer for the battery to absorb the last few
percents of charge than the fi rst several percents.

Automatic Charging Mode:

When a charge rate is selected, the charger is set to perform an automatic charge.
When an automatic charge is performed, the charger switches to the maintain mode
(see below)automatically after the battery is charged.

Aborted Charge

If charging can not be completed normally, charging will abort. When charging
aborts, the charger’s output is shut off and the CONNECTED (red) LED will blink.
In that state, the charger ignores all buttons. To reset after an aborted charge, either
disconnect the battery or unplug the charger.

Desulfation Mode:

If the battery is left discharged for an extended period of time, it could become
sulfated and not accept a normal charge. If the charger detects a sulfated battery,
the charger will switch to a special mode of operation designed for such batteries.
Activation of the special desulfation mode is indicated by the CHARGING (yellow)
LED blinking. If successful, normal charging will resume after the battery is
desulfated. The CHARGING (yellow) LED will then stop blinking and stay lit.
Desulfation could take up to 10 hours. If desulfation fails, charging will abort and
the CONNECTED (red) LED will blink.

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THORSEN Intelli-Fast Battery Charger