Duralast DL-15D 15 Amps Battery Charger User Guide

Table of Contents

Duralast DL-15D 15 Amps Battery Charger

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

This charger is not intended for use by children.
Do not expose the charger to rain or snow.
Use of an attachment not recommended or sold by the battery charger manufacturer may result in a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons.
To reduce the risk of damage to the electric plug and cord, pull by the plug rather than the cord when disconnecting the charger.
Do not operate the charger with a damaged cord or plug – replace the cord or plug immediately.
Do not operate the charger if it has received a sharp blow, been dropped, or otherwise damaged in any way; take it to a qualified serviceman.
Do not disassemble the charger; take it to a qualified serviceman when service or repair is required. Incorrect reassembly may result in a risk of electric shock or fire.
To reduce the risk of electric shock, unplug the charger from the outlet before attempting any maintenance or cleaning. Turning off controls will not reduce this risk.

PERSONAL SAFETY 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 skin, clothing, or eyes.
Wear complete eye protection and clothing protection. Avoid touching your eyes while working near a battery.
If battery acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and water. If acid enters the eye, immediately flood the eye with running cold water for at least 10 minutes and get medical attention immediately.
NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in the vicinity of the 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 parts, which may cause an explosion.

PREPARING TO CHARGE

If necessary to remove the battery from the vehicle to charge, always remove the grounded terminal from the battery first. Make sure all accessories in the vehicle are off, so as not to cause an arc.
Be sure the area around the battery is well ventilated while the battery is being charged.
Clean battery terminals. Be careful to keep corrosion from coming in contact with your eyes.
Add distilled water in each cell until the battery acid reaches the level specified by the battery manufacturer. Do not overfill. For a battery without removable cell caps, such as valve-regulated lead-acid batteries, carefully follow the manufacturer’s recharging instructions.
Study all battery manufacturers’ specific precautions while charging and recommended rates of charge.
Determine the voltage of the battery by referring to the car owner’s manual, and make sure that the output voltage selector switch is set at correct voltage. If the charger has an adjustable charge rate, charge the battery initially at the lowest rate.

CHARGER LOCATION

Locate the charger as far away from the battery as DC cables permit.
Never place a charger directly above a battery being charged; gases from the battery will corrode and damage the charger.
Never allow battery acid to drip on the charger when reading electrolyte specific gravity or filling the battery.
Do not operate the charger in a closed-in area or restrict ventilation in any way.
Do not set a battery on top of a charger.

DC CONNECTION PRECAUTIONS

Connect and disconnect DC output clips only after setting any charger switches to the “off” position and removing the AC cord from electric outlet. Never allow clips to touch each other.
Attach clips to the battery and chassis, as indicated in sections 6 and 7.

FOLLOW THESE STEPS WHEN THE BATTERY IS INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE

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

Position the AC and DC cords to reduce the risk of damage from the hood, door, or moving engine part.
Stay clear of fan blades, belts, pulleys, and other parts that can cause injury to persons.
Check the polarity of the battery posts. POSITIVE (POS, P, +) battery post usually has a larger diameter than NEGATIVE (NEG, N,–) post.
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 (6.5). If a positive post is grounded to the chassis, see (6.6).
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 NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip to vehicle chassis or engine block away from 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.
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.
When disconnecting the charger, turn the switches off, disconnect the AC cord, remove the clip from the vehicle chassis, and then remove the clip from the battery terminal.
See Operating Instructions for length of charge information.

FOLLOW THESE STEPS WHEN THE BATTERY IS OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE

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

Check the polarity of battery posts. POSITIVE (POS, P, +) battery post usually has a larger diameter than NEGATIVE (NEG, N, –) post.
Attach at least a 24-inch-long 6-gauge (AWG) insulated battery cable to the NEGATIVE (NEG, N, –) battery post.
Connect the POSITIVE (RED) charger clip to the POSITIVE (POS, P, +) post of the battery.
Position yourself and the free end of the cable as far away from the battery as possible – then connect the NEGATIVE (BLACK) charger clip to the free end of the cable.
Do not face the battery when making the final connection.
When disconnecting the charger, always do so in the reverse sequence of the connecting procedure and break the first connection as far away from the battery as practical.
A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged on shore. To charge it on board requires equipment specially designed for marine use.

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

Remove all cord wraps and uncoil the cables prior to using the battery charger.

CONTROL PANEL

LED INDICATORS

CLAMPS REVERSED (red) LED flashing:

The connections are reversed.

CHARGING (yellow/orange) LED lit:

The charger is charging the battery.

CHARGED/MAINTAINING (green) LED lit:

The battery is fully charged, and the charger is in maintenance mode.

NOTE: See Operating Instructions for a complete description of the charger modes.

DIGITAL DISPLAY

The display will show the battery VOLTAGE when the charger is not charging a battery. When it goes into charging mode, the display will automatically change to ON (to show charging has started) and then show the percent of charge of the battery being charged and either 6 or 12 (the voltage of the battery, determined by the charger). If you manually stop the charging process (by pressing the CHARGING RATE button) before the battery is fully charged, the display will show OFF.

NOTE: During charging, the display will go into sleep mode and will not show the percentage of charge or the voltage of the battery. To turn the display back on, press any 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, or the voltage of the battery, depending on what mode the charger is in.

CHARGE RATE

The charger will automatically adjust the charging current, based on battery size, in order to charge the battery completely, efficiently, and safely.

CHARGING RATE BUTTON

Use this button to set the maximum charge rate. Press the button until the desired charge rate is selected.

3A

For charging small batteries, such as those commonly used in garden tractors, snowmobiles, and motorcycles. Also used to maintain fully charged large batteries.

15A

For charging automotive, marine, and light truck batteries. Not intended for industrial applications.

BATTERY TYPE BUTTON

Use this button to set the type of battery to charge.

Regular

Set the button to STD. 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 has a greater plate count. The plates are thinner and have somewhat different material composition. Regular batteries should not be used for deep-cycle applications.

AGM

Set the button to AGM. The Absorbed Glass Mat construction allows the electrolyte to be suspended in close proximity to the plate’s active material. In theory, this enhances both the discharge and recharge efficiency. The AGM batteries are a variant of Sealed VRLA (valve-regulated lead-acid) batteries. Popular uses include high-performance engine starting, powersports, deep-cycle, solar, and storage batteries.

GEL

Set the button to GEL. 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 those for other styles of lead-acid battery. This is probably the most sensitive cell in terms of adverse reactions to overvoltage charging. Gel batteries are best used in VERY DEEP cycle applications and may last a bit longer in hot weather applications. If the wrong battery charger is used on a gel cell battery, poor performance and premature failure will result.

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

CHARGING A BATTERY IN THE VEHICLE

Turn off all the vehicle’s accessories.
Keep the hood open.
Clean the battery terminals.
Place the charger on a dry, non-flammable surface.
Lay the AC/DC cables away from any fan blades, belts, pulleys, and other moving parts.
Connect the battery, following the precautions listed in sections 6 and 7.
Connect the charger to an electrical outlet.
Select the battery type and the charge rate.
When charging is complete, disconnect the charger from the AC power, remove the clamps from the vehicle’s chassis, and then remove the clamp from the battery terminal.

CHARGING A BATTERY OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE

Place the battery in a well-ventilated area.
Clean the battery terminals.
Connect the battery, following the precautions listed in sections 6 and 7.
Connect the charger to the electrical outlet.
Select the battery type and the charge rate.
When charging is complete, disconnect the charger from the AC power, disconnect the negative clamp, and finally, the positive clamp.
A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged on shore.

BATTERY CHARGING TIMES

Times are based on a 50% discharged battery and may change, depending on the age and condition of the battery.

AUTOMATIC CHARGING MODE

When an Automatic Charge is performed, the charger switches to maintenance mode automatically after the battery is charged.

ABORTED CHARGE

If charging cannot be completed normally, charging will abort. When charging aborts, the charger’s output is shut off, and the display will show “bad / bat” and an error code. Do not continue attempting to charge this battery. Check the battery and replace, if necessary.

DESULFATION MODE

The display will show “SUL” when a sulfated battery is detected, and the charger will go into desulfation mode. If the desulfation is not successful after 10 hours, the charger will go into abort mode. The display will show “bAd / bAt / F02”.

COMPLETION OF CHARGE

Charge completion is indicated by the CHARGED/MAINTAINING (green) LED. When lit, the charger has switched to the maintain mode of operation.

MAINTAIN MODE (FLOAT MODE MONITORING)

When the CHARGED/MAINTAINING (green) LED is lit, the charger has started maintenance mode. In this mode, the charger keeps the battery fully charged by delivering a small current when necessary. If the charger has to provide its maximum maintain current for a continuous 12-hour period, it will go into abort mode (see Aborted Charge section).

This is usually caused by a drain on the battery, or the battery could be bad. Make sure there are no loads on the battery. If there are, remove them. If there are none, have the battery checked or replaced.

MAINTAINING A BATTERY

The DL-15D charges and maintains both 6 and 12-volt batteries.

NOTE: The maintain mode technology allows you to safely charge and maintain a healthy battery for extended periods of time.

However, problems with the battery, electrical problems in the vehicle, improper connections, or other unanticipated conditions could cause excessive current draws. As such, occasionally monitoring your battery and the charging process is required.

USING THE BATTERY VOLTAGE TESTER

With the charger unplugged from the AC outlet, connect the charger to the battery following the instructions given in previous sections.
Plug the charger’s AC power cord into the AC outlet.
If necessary, press the BATTERY TYPE button until the correct type is indicated.
Read the voltage on the digital display. Keep in mind that this reading is only a battery voltage reading; a false surface charge may mislead you. Compare the reading to the chart below.

POWER-UP IDLE TIME LIMIT

If no button is pressed within 10 minutes after the battery charger is first powered up, the charger will automatically switch from tester to charger if a battery is connected. In that case, the charger will be set to charge at the 3A rate and gel cell battery type.

TESTING AFTER CHARGING

After the unit has been changed from tester to charger (by selecting a charge rate), it remains a charger. To change the battery charger back to a tester, press the CHARGING RATE button until all charge rate LEDs are off.

MAINTENANCE AND CARE

A minimal amount of care can keep your battery charger working properly for years.

Clean the clamps each time you are finished charging. Wipe off any battery fluid that may have come in contact with the clamps to prevent corrosion.
Occasionally, cleaning the case of the charger with a soft cloth will keep the finish shiny and help prevent corrosion.
Coil the input and output cords neatly when storing the charger. This will help prevent accidental damage to the cords and charger.
Store the charger unplugged from the AC power outlet in an upright position.
Store inside, in a cool, dry place. Do not store the clamps clipped together, on or around metal, or clipped to the cables.

TROUBLESHOOTING/ERROR CODES

Error Codes

If you get an error code, check the connections and settings and/or replace the battery.

Troubleshooting

BEFORE RETURNING FOR REPAIRS

If these solutions do not eliminate the problem, or for more information about troubleshooting, call:

Schumacher Electric Corporation Customer Service 1-800-621-5485

Return products under warranty to your local AutoZone store.

For more Manuals by Duralast, visit ManualsLibraryy

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