Autohaus AHBC-3.8i User manual

BASIC SPECIFICATION:
Input voltage: 240V AC 50HZ
Input current: 0.8A RMS max.
Cut off voltage: 7.4V, 14.4V or 14.7V
Charging current: 3.8A or 0.8A
Operating temperature: -20
° C to +50 ° C
Battery type: all 12V electrolyte battery types (lead, AGM, maintenance-free, “Marine Deep Cycle
” etc.)
Battery capacity: 4 Ah - 120 Ah
Dimensions: 18 x 6 x 4.3 cm (l/w/h)
Weight: 0.47 kg
Marketed by:
AUTOHAUS PRODUCTS NZ
71 Adams Drive Pukekohe
Auckland, New Zealand.
Ph: 0800 473 743
www.autohausnz.com

MODEL AHBC-3.8i BATTERY CHARGER
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
INPUT: 240V AC 50Hz OUTPUT: 6V/12V DC 3.8A
SAFETY WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
Read this manual carefully before the set-up or use of this product and store in a safe place
for future reference.
Batteries generate explosive hydrogen gas, during normal operation and charging. Explosive
gases may escape from the battery which when ignited may cause the battery to explode.
DANGER: RISK OF BATTERY EXPLOSION FROM HYDROGEN GAS WHICH MAY RESULT IN
SERIOUS INJURY. TO HELP REDUCE THIS RISK:
• Prevent flames and sparks near the battery: Keep sparks flames, matches, lighters, cigarettes or other
ignition sources away from the battery.
• Do not use near gasoline vapors or place flammable material near the charger.
• Avoid short circuits which cause sparks: Make sure the polarity of the battery and the charger ALWAYS
match - refer to the Operating Instructions following. Ensure tools do not make contact with the battery
terminals or that the charger clips do not touch together causing sparks.
• Locate the charger as far away from the battery as the battery leads will permit.
• Make sure the charger clips make a good contact and ensure the second clip connection is made away from
the battery. Always plug in and turn on the charger only after all other connections have been made.
Disconnect the 240V mains supply before making or breaking the connections to the battery.
• When disconnecting the battery charger, first turn off and unplug the AC (mains) power supply next always
remove the grounded connection first (i.e. the one connected to the vehicle chassis, away from the battery).
• Read and follow the recommendations and cautions of your battery manufacturer before charging.
Determine the battery voltage and follow their recommended rate of charge.
• To reduce explosive gas emissions add distilled water to each battery cell until battery acid covers the plates.
By this, excessive gas is pushed out of the cells. Do not overfill the battery. After battery charging fill the
battery to the level specified by the battery manufacturer. When charging batteries without cell caps (i.e.
maintenance-free batteries), follow the instructions of the manufacturer carefully.
• Avoid overcharging a battery by leaving a manual battery charger charging for extended periods as
explosive hydrogen gases may form. This overcharging may damage your battery.
• Provide adequate ventilation around the battery and do not charge the battery in a confined space.
CHARGING OPERATION
1. As soon as the AC power cord is plugged in an AC socket, the Stand-By LED (5) lights up to indicate device
operation status. The battery charger detects automatically whether a 6/12V battery is connected. This process
takes approx. 7 seconds.
Depending on the battery type connected, LED indicator (6) lights up
； In case a 12V battery is connected, you
can switch to
“ winter mode ” using the “ Mode ” button (4): the winter mode indicator lights (8) up. By pressing
the
“ Mode ” button again, the battery charger switches back to normal 12V mode (7).
LED indicator (6) is showing: If no further operation is conducted the electronic switch will turn on automatically
together with LED indicator (9) and then start charging with 0.8A current. If everything is OK, LED indicator (9)
will be on during the whole operation until the battery is charged up to 7.5V. When the battery is full charged,
the LED indicator (10) will turn on instead of LED indicator (9), and now a trickle current is available to maintain
the battery charge.
LED indicator (7) is showing: Charging starts with 3.8A current. LED indicator (9) will be on for the whole
charging operation if everything is OK. When the battery is charged up to 14.4V, it changes to trickle charging
mode to maintain the battery charge, and now LED indicator (9) turns off and LED indicator (10) is on.
“ Winter mode ” is a program that switches the batteries optimum charge to 14.7 V. It may be activated under
low temperatures and with AGM batteries.
2. When the battery is fully charged, the
“ Full ” LED indicator (11) lights up and the charging process stops.
Furthermore, the battery charger automatically switches to
“ Maintenance ” mode (i.e. maintaining the battery
at fully charged).
3. In this mode, the microprocessor-controlled electronics of the charger makes sure that, thanks to pulse
charging, the battery can be used at any time and that it is always fully charged. Thus, the battery charger may
be connected to the battery for several months without the risk of overcharge or damage.
Note: In the case where the charging process is interrupted (e.g. because of power blackout), charging /
maintaining the charge will then continue automatically.
4. To finish the charging process, always disconnect the 240V connector from the socket and, only then,
disconnect the charger clips from the battery!
Important:
• If the “ Wrong Connection ” LED (11) flickers after the charger has been plugged in a 240V socket, there
has been a wrong polarity connection at the battery. In such case, disconnect the battery charger from the
socket and reconnect the battery properly.
CAUTION: Electrical appliances should not be disposed of as general waste.
1
6

DURING USE
A. BATTERY IN A VEHICLE
FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS IF THE BATTERY IS INSTALLED IN A VEHICLE. SPARKS IN THE
PROXIMITY OF THE BATTERY MAY CAUSE ITS EXPLOSION: TO HELP REDUCE THIS RISK:
1. Place the AC and DC cables so that they will not be damaged by moving parts of the engine.
2. Keep distance from fan blades, v-belts, cables and other parts that may cause injuries.
3. Make sure you clearly indentify which battery pole is which on the battery: POSITIVE POLE (POS, P, +)
(RED) and the NEGATIVE POLE (NEG, N, -) (BLACK).
4. Determine which battery contact is connected to the vehicle body (i.e. earthed). In case the negative pole is
connected to the vehicle body (this is the case with most vehicles), you must follow point (5). In case the
positive pole is connected to the vehicle body, follow point (6).
5. With negative earthed vehicles, you have to connect the POSITIVE CLIP (RED) of the battery charger with
the unearthed POSITIVE POLE (POS, P, +) of the battery. Connect the NEGATIVE POLE (BLACK) to the
vehicle body or to the engine: if possible, do not connect it close to the battery. Do not connect the clip to the
carburetor, fuel feed or thin sheet metal parts. Connect the clip to the bodywork frame or engine block.
6. With positive earthed vehicles, you have to connect the NEGATIVE CLIP (BLACK) of the battery charger
with the unearthed NEGATIVE POLE (NEG, N, -) of the battery. Connect the POSITIVE POLE (RED) to the
vehicle body or to the engine: if possible, do not connect it close to the battery. Do not connect the clip to the
carburetor, fuel feed or thin sheet metal parts. Connect the clip to the bodywork frame or engine block.
7. Lastly connect the AC (mains) power cord. Check again the charger voltage is set to match the battery
voltage. As an extra precaution, turn away from the battery before turning the charger on.
8. When disconnecting the battery charger, first disconnect the AC cord from the power supply; next,
disconnect the clip connected to the vehicle body.
Only after that, disconnect the clip from the battery contact.
B. BATTERY OUT OF A VEHICLE
FOR BATTERIES NOT INSTALLED IN A VEHICLE, FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS. SPARKS IN THE
PROXIMITY OF THE BATTERY MAY CAUSE ITS EXPLOSION: TO HELP REDUCE THIS RISK:
1. Make sure you clearly indentify which battery pole is which on the battery: POSITIVE POLE (POS, P, +)
(RED) and the NEGATIVE POLE (NEG, N, -) (BLACK).
2. Connect the negative clip (black) of the battery charger with the NEGATIVE POLE (NEG, N, -) of the battery.
3. Connect the positive clip (red) of the battery charger with the POSITIVE POLE (POS, P, +) of the battery.
4. Lastly connect the AC (mains) power cord. Check again the charger voltage is set to match the battery
voltage. As an extra precaution, turn away from the battery before turning the charger on.
5. When disconnecting the battery charger, follow the steps in a reversed order: the last contact should be
disconnected first.
6. Batteries used on water (boats) must be removed and transported to the ground for charging.
DANGER! - To prevent explosion of the battery when being used on boats, take the following steps:
• BEFORE disconnecting or removing the battery, air the battery area properly.
• Be very careful when removing the battery from the battery compartment: prevent electric arc or sparks
which could ignite released gases.
DANGER! - Prevent electric shock: When the battery charger is plugged in an AC socket, DO NOT carry out
any maintenance.
CAUTION: Prevent injuries and/or material damage: NEVER dismantle the device. The device does not
contain any parts that would need maintenance by the user.
DANGER: BATTERIES CONTAIN HIGHLY CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES WHICH MAY RESULT IN
SERIOUS INJURY SHOULD YOU COME INTO CONTACT WITH THEM. TO HELP REDUCE THIS RISK:
• Wear personal protective clothing and safety glasses
• Stay away from the battery and keep others away for their safety and protection.
• Battery posts may contain acid corrosion. Avoid touching eyes while working near the battery.
• If battery acid comes in
contact with eyes: Hold eyes open and flood with water for at least 15 minutes.
Seek immediate medical attention. If in contact with skin or clothes: Remove contaminated clothing and
wash skin thoroughly with soap and water. Seek medical attention if condition persists.
• Never charge a frozen battery as gases may form and crack the battery spraying out acid.
•
Corrosive substances may escape from the battery during charging and damage delicate surf
aces.
DANGER: ELECTRICAL AND FIRE HAZARD WHICH MAY RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY. TO HELP
REDUCE THIS RISK:
• This charger is designed for indoor use only. Do not expose to rain, snow fog or wet conditions.
• If the battery charger or AC (mains) power chord is damaged in any way do not attempt to use it. It must be
replaced or repaired by a qualified service person. Only use identical replacement parts. Using
accessories not approved or supplied by the battery charger manufacturer may result in the risk of fire,
electric shock or physical injury.
• Before any inspection, maintenance or cleaning unplug the charger first. Do not dismantle the charger.
Clean only with a dry cloth. Do not clean with flammable or corrosive liquids.
• Make sure the charger clips are not touching together at any time.
• Remove jewelry such as rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches as these can short circuit.
• Use for charging 12 Volt and 6 Volt lead acid batteries ONLY. Do not attempt to charge non-rechargeable
batteries and/or dry cell batteries as they may burst causing injury.
• This charger is not intended to supply low-voltage power for applications other than battery charging.
• This charger is not certified for charging a battery on board a boat on water. For charging boat batteries
move the battery to dry land.
• When charging a battery in a vehicle e
nsure all vehicle accessories including lights, heaters, appliances
etc are turned off prior to charging - refer to the Operating Instructions below.
GENERAL WARNINGS
• This equipment is not intended for
persons with insufficient knowledge or experience with the use of the
equipment or for use by young children. Keep out of reach of young children and when not in use store the
equipment securely to ensure that they do not play with it.
• People with pacemakers should consult their physician before using this product.
• Please also refer to the safety instructions on the equipment and the Operating Instructions following.
2
5

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
PRODUCT DIAGRAM
1. – charger pole clip (black)
2. + charger pole clip (red)
3. Charger
4. Mode button
5. Stand By
6. LED indicator “6V”
（ 14.4V/0.8A ）
7. LED indicator “12V”
（ 14.4V/3.8A ）
8. LED indicator “winter mode”
（ 14.7V/3.8A ）
9. LED indicator “charging”
10. LED indicator “full”
11. LED indicator “wrong connection”
BEFORE USE
A. PREPARATION FOR BATTERY CHARGING
1
. Wear personal protective clothing and safety glasses
2. If necessary, remove the battery to be charged from the vehicle. If removing the battery always disconnect
the earth cable from the battery first.
3. When charging the battery, make sure the room is ventilated properly.
4. Clean the battery contacts. Make sure that corrosive dust does not get in your eyes.
5. Read the safety instructions given by the battery manufacturer carefully and check whether cell caps must
be removed during the charging process or whether they may stay closed; keep to the charging current given
by the battery manufacturer.
6. Make sure that battery voltage corresponds with the charger voltage.
7. Fill all battery cells with distilled water until battery acid covers the plates. By this, excessive gas is pushed
out of the cells. Do not overfill the battery. After battery charging fill the battery to the level specified by the
battery manufacturer. When charging batteries without cell caps (i.e. maintenance-free batteries), follow the
instructions of the manufacturer carefully.
ALWAYS follow the battery manufacturer’s instructions concerning the battery power values.
B. PLACING THE BATTERY CHARGER
1. Place the battery charger the maximum possible distance from the battery, as far as the DC secondary
cables can go
on a stable, flat surface. Then check for cracked or broken parts, damaged power cords, clamps,
and any other condition that may affect the safe operation of the battery charger.
2. Never place the charger over the battery to be charged: gases released from the battery may explode or
cause corrosion and damage to the battery charger.
3. Make sure that battery acid never spills on the battery charger when checking the battery acid thickness or
level in the battery.
4. Do not operate the device in closed venues or in places with insufficient ventilation.
5. Never place the battery charger on the battery.
6. Boat batteries (used on the sea) must be transported on land to be recharged.
C. SAFETY CAUTIONS CONCERNING DC CONNECTION
DC cables may be connected or disconnected only when the AC (mains) power supply cord is disconnected
from the power source. Fasten the clips on the battery contacts and move them back and forth several times to
create good contact. By this, clips are prevented from slipping and the danger of sparks is reduced. The clips
must never touch each other.
D. SAFETY CAUTIONS CONCERNING AC (MAINS) CONNECTION
1. The connector must be plugged only in a power supply socket installed according to local norms and
regulations.
2. DANGER!
– Prevent electric shock: Never alter the AC (mains) power supply connector in any way -
improper connection may result in the danger of electric shock.
5.
6.
7.
9. 10. 11.
8.
4.
2.
1.
3.
3
4