background image

5

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

Ensure that all installation and operating instructions and safety 
precautions are understood and carefully followed by anyone
installing or using the charger. Follow the steps outlined in “Important
Safety Instructions” at the front of this manual. 

Battery Voltage Selection

Before proceeding with any operation, the user must select the voltage of battery on
the Battery Voltage Selector Switch (see the Control Panel diagram on page 3).

Charge Rate Selection

After charger clamps are correctly connected, plug the charger into a 120 volt AC
outlet and the charger will show a circulating pattern on the Digital Display, indicating
power has been applied. Select the proper charge current rate based on battery size.
Press the 4/15/30/50 AMP button and the charger will begin charging at 4 amps.
Pressing the 4/15/30/50 AMP button again will advance the charge rate to 15
amps, again to 30 amps, and again to 50 amps. Pressing the switch again will turn
OFF the charger output and the display will show “000”.

Note:

The only time the selected charge rate does not display at the full selected rate
is when the battery is nearly full and charging at either step two or three.
The display will show a reduced charge rate. To return to 4A, press the
4/15/30/50 AMP button. When the battery is fully charged, “FUL” shows on the
Digital Display.

WARNING

If Digital Display shows “F02”, the connection to the battery terminals
is bad. Follow the steps outlined in “Important Safety Instructions” at
the front of this manual to disconnect, clean battery terminals, then
reconnect.
If Digital Display shows “F06”, the RED (POSITIVE) and BLACK
(NEGATIVE) clamps are incorrectly connected to battery terminals.
Follow the steps outlined in “Important Safety Instructions” at the
front of this manual to disconnect, then reconnect in correct polarity.

Charging the Battery

1. Press Battery Type selector until desired battery type LED lights.

Note:

The default selection is “GEL” type battery.

2. Press 4/15/30/50 AMP button to begin charging at the 4 amp rate; the unit

sounds a beep and the charging current LED lights. The charger starts charging
at 4 amp rate automatically if 4/15/30/50 AMP button is not pressed within
3 minutes after applying AC power.
If the Display on the charger varies between “F03” and the amp rate, the battery
is sulfated and the charger is trying to give it some charge. If after approximately
2 hours the display just shows “F03”, then the battery will not charge.
Charger occasionally sounds a beep and displays “0.0” during self-test or
charging stage changes.

3. Pressing the 4/15/30/50 AMP button again advances charging rate to 15

amps, pressing once more advances charging rate to 30 amps, and again to 50
amps. (Pressing the button again will turn OFF the charger output and the Display
will show “000”.) This selection and actual battery charge rate are monitored by

4

CONTROL PANEL LED INDICATORS:

WET —

lights when battery type selector is on WET battery type.

GEL —

lights when battery type selector is on GEL battery type.

AGM —

lights when battery type selector is on AGM battery type. 

Float Charge —

lights when automatic charge monitoring is active. This feature

allows a battery to maintain its charge over long periods of non-use. If there is any
loss of power to the charger once power is restored, charger will automatically return
to the default settings. Battery selector type would be “GEL”.

Battery Voltage —

lights when battery voltage is displayed. 

Alternator Good —

lights when load or not load checks show the alternator is

keeping up with the electrical load.

BUTTON (TO THE RIGHT OF LEDS):

Equalize —

a recessed button used to start the equalization process.

AC POWER INDICATOR - 

When connected to an AC outlet, digital display shows circulating pattern to

indicate power is on. Disconnect charger after use.

FAULT CODES

OPERATION CODES

F01

F02

F03

F04

F05
F06
F07

000
FUL

INTERNAL SHORTED CELL BATTERY - 

Cannot be charged. Have battery checked by certified auto service center.

 

EXCESSIVE LOAD ON BATTERY WHILE CHARGING - 

Check load.

BAD BATTERY CONNECTION - 

Check battery connection.

BATTERY VOLTAGE TOO LOW TO ACCEPT CHARGE - 

Have battery checked by certified auto service center.

BATTERY RECONDITIONING - 

(The letters 

DES

 will display for the first 3 seconds.)

INTERNAL OPEN CELL - 

Have battery checked by certified auto service center.

SULFATED CONDITION - 

Battery needs to be reconditioned. See manual.

OVERHEATED CONDITION - 

Disconnect charger and allow to cool for 30 min., check for ample ventilation.

REVERSE POLARITY

ALTERNATOR OUTPUT IS OUT OF TYPICAL OPERATION RANGE

ALTERNATOR VOLTAGE CHECK
CHARGER STANDBY
BATTERY FULLY CHARGED

OVERTIME CONDITION - 

Battery will not accept a charge after 18 hours of continuous charging.  Battery may have

internal damage. Have battery checked by certified auto center.

BATTERY CHARGE RATE IS SET TOO LOW -

 Set charger to higher charge rate. See manual.

VEC1098A_Manual_082606  8/26/06  12:56 PM  Page 4

Summary of Contents for VEC1098A

Page 1: ...arable design The repaired or replaced unit will then be warranted under the terms of the remainder of the warranty period The customer is responsible for the shipping charges on all returned items During the warranty period manufacturer will be responsible for the return shipping charges to the customer in the United States LIMITATIONS This warranty does not cover accessories such as charging ada...

Page 2: ...AD THIS MANUAL EACH TIME BEFORE USING YOUR CHARGER AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY 2 To reduce risk of battery explosion follow these instructions and those published by the battery manufacturer and manufacturer of any equipment you intend to use in vicinity of battery Review cautionary markings on these products and on engine 3 This equipment employs parts switches relays etc that produce arc...

Page 3: ...oubleshooting 10 INTRODUCTION Thank you for selecting the VEC1098A 50 30 15 4 Amp Smart Battery Charger With proper care and use it will give you years of dependable service This battery charger has a high charge rate of up to 50 amps a low charge rate of 4 amps and 150 amps of engine starting power It is designed for charging only 12 volt lead acid batteries conventional automotive maintenance fr...

Page 4: ...ribed in the following chart and on the back of charger CONTROL PANEL DIGITAL READOUT CIRCULATING PATTERN 2 Stage Two Absorption Charge maintains the maximum possible charge at a constant safe predetermined voltage During this phase the charging voltage remains constant while the actual charging current is reduced to allow for the maximum proper internal chemical energy transfer At the end of Stag...

Page 5: ...o give it some charge If after approximately 2 hours the display just shows F03 then the battery will not charge Charger occasionally sounds a beep and displays 0 0 during self test or charging stage changes 3 Pressing the 4 15 30 50 AMP button again advances charging rate to 15 amps pressing once more advances charging rate to 30 amps and again to 50 amps Pressing the button again will turn OFF t...

Page 6: ...ge most of the lead sulfate is dissolved and the plates are free of this insulation If a battery remains in a discharged condition over a longer period of time the lead sulfate changes to a hard crystalline form making a full charge difficult to achieve Reconditioning may save a sulfated battery BATTERY RECONDITION MODE should only be used with 10 amp hour Ah or larger capacity lead acid batteries...

Page 7: ...any codes This initial charge will check the battery for shorted cells F01 open cells F03 or battery too low to accept a charge F02 and to ensure the battery can take a charge If code F03 is displayed change to the BATTERY RECONDITION MODE Remove or disconnect the vehicle s battery when reconditioning 1 Make sure the charger is in initiation state with a circulating pattern on the display or in ch...

Page 8: ...ing and equalizing we recommend taking your battery to a certified automotive service center for evaluation F04 Overtime Condition F04 appears when charging time exceeds 18 hours You may be using a charge current rate too low for a large battery Select higher charge rate to charge the battery F05 Overheated Condition The ventilation grill that prevents the air from flowing in and out of the charge...

Reviews: