Solar BA5 User manual

BATTERY TESTERS
BATTERY TESTERS
B
SOLAR Battery Tester (Model BA5)
SOLAR Battery and System Tester (Model No. BA7)
Failure to follow instructions may cause damage or explosion, always shield
eyes. Read entire instruction manual before use.
WARNING
Warning: This product contains chemicals, including lead, known to the State
of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm. Wash
hands after handling.

WARNING
Read these instructions completely before using the SOLAR tester and save them
for future reference. Before using the tester near a car, truck or boat, read these
instructions and the instruction manual/safety information provided by the car,
truck, boat or equipment manufacturer. Following all manufacturers’ instructions
and safety procedures will reduce the risk of accident.
Working around lead-acid batteries may be dangerous. Lead-acid batteries release
explosive gases during normal operation, charging and jump starting. Carefully read
and follow these instructions for safe use. Always follow the specific instructions in
this manual and on the SOLAR tester each time you use it.
All lead-acid batteries (car, truck and boat) produce hydrogen gas which may
violently explode in the presence of fire or sparks. Do not smoke, use matches or
a cigarette lighter while near batteries. Do not handle the battery while wearing
vinyl clothing because static electricity sparks are generated when vinyl clothing is
rubbed. Review all cautionary material on the tester and in the engine compartment.
Always wear eye protection, appropriate protective clothing and other safety
equipment when working near lead-acid batteries. Do not touch eyes while working
on or around lead-acid batteries.
Use extreme care while working within the engine compartment, because moving
parts may cause severe injury. Read and follow all safety instructions published in
the vehicle's Owner's Manual.
Batteries being tested with the SOLAR tester likely contain liquid acids which are
hazardous if spilled.

Personal Precautions
Someone should always be within range of your voice or close enough 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. Protective eyewear should always be worn when working near
lead-acid batteries.
If battery acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and water. If
acid enters eye, immediately flood eye with running cold water for at least 10
minutes and get medical attention immediately.
Be extra cautious to reduce risk of dropping a metal tool onto a battery. It might
spark or short circuit the battery or another electrical part that may cause
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 the tester for testing lead-acid batteries only. Do not use for testing dry-cell
batteries that are commonly used with home appliances.
NEVER test, charge or jump start a frozen battery.
Do not submerge in water.
Do not operate with flammables such as gasoline, etc.
If the tester receives a sharp blow or is otherwise damaged in any way, have it
checked by a qualified service person.
Do not disassemble the tester. Have it checked by a qualified service person.

About Your SOLAR Battery Tester (Model BA5) or
SOLAR Battery and System Tester (Model No. BA7)
Battery Tester Models BA5 and BA7 are designed to test only 12 Volt batteries and
systems (BA7 only). The testers are compatible with a wide range of battery types,
including Conventional, Maintenance Free, AGM, Gel Cell, Marine and Deep Cycle
batteries. The testers can test these types of batteries against several battery
capacity rating systems. Below is a chart of the operating range of the testers
based on the applicable capacity rating systems:
Rating System Testing Capacity
CCA 100-1200 CCA
DIN 55-670 CCA
IEC 65-790 CCA
EN 95-1125 CCA
CA(MCA) 120-1440 CA(MCA)
The testers have a recommended operating ambient temperature range of 32˚F to
122˚F.
Preparing Battery to Be Tested
1. Be sure area around battery is well ventilated while battery is being tested.
2. Clean battery terminals. Wire brush them if necessary. Be careful to keep
corrosion from coming in contact with eyes.
3. Inspect the battery for cracked or broken case or cover. If the battery is
damaged, do not use tester.
4. If the battery is not a sealed Maintenance Free battery, add distilled water in
each cell until battery acid reaches level specified by the manufacturer. This
helps purge excessive gas from cells. Be careful not to overfill.
5. Confirm that all vehicle accessories are turned OFF to ensure you do not cause
any arcing and that the tested battery has a nominal voltage of 12 Volts.
6. If it is necessary to remove battery from vehicle to test, always remove ground
terminal from battery first.

Battery Tester Operation
Battery Testing
1. Before you test a battery in a vehicle, turn off the ignition, all accessories and
loads. Close all the vehicle doors and the trunk lid.
2. Make sure the battery terminals are clean. See Preparing Battery to Be Tested.
3. Connect tester leads to the battery, clamping the red clamp to the vehicle
positive battery terminal first. Then, clamp the black clamp to the vehicle
negative battery terminal second.
Note: Whenever possible, connect directly to the terminals/posts of the battery.
4. LED display will power up and show the open circuit voltage of the battery on
the display.
Note: If you see HI / Lo / ---- / Blank on the display or the red “Check
Connections” LED is lit, please refer to Troubleshooting.
5. Press ENTER to initiate the testing process.
6. For Model No. BA7 only, press UP or DOWN arrow key to select the battery test
bAtt and press ENTER.
7. Press UP or DOWN arrow key to select the type of battery to be tested, SLI or
SEAL, where SLI means Standard Starting/Lighting/Ignition flooded batteries
and SEAL means VRLA/GEL/AGM batteries. Press ENTER.
8. Press UP or DOWN arrow key to select the applicable battery rating that you
plan to test against. Options include CCA, din, IEC, En or CA (MCA). Press
ENTER.
9. Press UP or DOWN arrow key to input the battery rating. Press ENTER to
perform the battery test (lasts 1-2 seconds).
10. (Optional sequence that is determined by the tester.) If the display shows CHA-
(Is tested battery charged?), press ENTER. Then press UP or DOWN arrow key
to show yES or no as applicable and press ENTER.

11. When the test is complete, the LED display will show the actual determined
rating (as compared to the nominal rating entered in Step 9) and provide an
LED assessment of starting system condition. Assessment corresponds as
follows:
Green LED – The battery is good and capable of holding a charge.
Green/Yellow LEDs – The battery is good but needs to be charged.
Yellow/Red LEDs – Battery is discharged. The battery condition cannot be
determined until it is fully charged. Recharge and retest the battery. If result is
the same after a second test, the battery should be replaced immediately.
Red LED – The battery cannot hold a charge. It should be replaced
immediately. Or, the battery has at least one short-circuited cell. It should be
replaced immediately.
Err on Display plus Red “Check Connection” LED -– The clamps are not
connected properly or the tested battery is has a higher CCA/CA(MCA) capacity
than the tester’s operating range.
12. Press ENTER return to the home screen and once again display the battery’s
open circuit voltage. Remove the test leads from the battery posts after
completion of testing, always removing the negative clamp first and then the
positive clamp.
System Testing: Starting and Charging System Tests (Model No. BA7 Only)
1. Make sure the battery terminals are clean. See Preparing Battery to Be Tested.
2. Connect tester leads to the battery, clamping the red clamp to the vehicle
positive battery terminal first. Then, clamp the black clamp to the vehicle
negative battery terminal second.
Note: Whenever possible, connect directly to the terminals/posts of the battery.
3. LED display will power up and show the open circuit voltage of the battery on
the screen.
Note: If you see HI / Lo / ---- / Blank on the display or the red “Check
Connections” LED is lit, please refer to Troubleshooting.
4. Turn off all vehicle accessory loads such as lighting, air conditioning, radio, etc.
5. Press ENTER to choose the type of test you would like to perform.

6. Press UP or DOWN arrow key to select the system test SySt. Press ENTER.
7. The screen shows CrAn. Press ENTER to perform Starting System Test.
8. Start the engine. The display will show the minimum voltage reach by the
battery and provide an LED assessment of starting system condition.
Assessment corresponds as follows:
Green LED – Starting System OK.
Yellow LED – Starting System Weak
Red LED – Starting System Problem. Check connections, wiring, and starter
immediately.
9. After Starting System Test, press ENTER to go to Charging System Test CHAr.
10. Run the engine to 1200 – 1500 rpm. Press ENTER. The tester will display the
charging system voltage without loads and provide an LED assessment of that
reading. Assessment corresponds as follows:
Green LED – Charging System OK
Red LED – Charging Voltage is High
Yellow LED – Charging Voltage is Low
11. Next, the tester can provide an assessment of the charging system under load.
12. Without pressing ENTER, turn on the following accessories: blower to high
(heat), high beam headlights, and rear defroster.
Note: Do not use cycling loads such as air conditioning or windshield wipers.
13. The tester will display the charging system voltage under loads and provide an
LED assessment of that reading. Assessment correspond as follows:
Green LED – Charging System OK
Red LED – Charging Voltage is High
Yellow LED – Charging Voltage is Low
14. Turn engine OFF and remove the test leads from the battery posts after
completion of testing, always removing the negative clamp first and then the
positive clamp.

Troubleshooting
Question: What does it mean if the Tester Display shows HI?
Answer: The voltage of the tested battery is over 15V and too high of a reading for
a 12V battery. The tester will not work under this situation. Confirm that the tested
battery has a nominal voltage of 12 Volts.
Question: What does it mean if the Tester Display shows Lo?
Answer: The voltage of the tested battery is under 7V and too low to power the
tester. Confirm that all vehicle accessories are turned OFF and that the tested
battery has a nominal voltage of 12 Volts. If so, charge the battery. If reading is the
same after charging, the battery should be replaced.
Question: What does it mean if the Tester Display is blank?
Answer: The voltage of the tested battery is too low to power the tester. Check
battery connections and be sure that you have not made a reverse connection. If
condition persists, confirm that all vehicle accessories are turned OFF and that the
tested battery has a nominal voltage of 12 Volts. If so, charge the battery. If reading
is the same after charging, the battery should be replaced.
Question: What does it mean if the Tester Display shows ----?
Answer: The voltage reading is unstable. Confirm that all vehicle accessories are
turned OFF and that the tested battery has a nominal voltage of 12 Volts. If
condition persists, place a short (15-20 seconds) load on the battery by turning on
the lights or another accessory and then turn accessory OFF. This temporary load
may assist in stabilizing the battery voltage by removing any surface charge on the
battery.
Question: What does it mean if the RED Check Connection LED is lit?
Answer: The tester is not sensing a proper 12 Volt battery connection. Make sure
that the tester is properly connected using the correct polarity (positive to positive,
negative to negative). Make sure that each connection is tight, with good surface
contact between the clamp and the connected surface.

Question: What might cause sparking at the connection to the negative or positive
terminal?
Answer: It is important that the tester clamps make a good connection to the
battery terminal (preferred) or to the battery connection hardware. Avoid connecting
to any screws that are used as part of the vehicle’s battery connection. In some
circumstances, usually when connecting to such screws, an inefficient connection
is made that provides very little surface contact from the clamp to the connected
surface. In such cases, the tester’s electrical pulse will try to follow the easiest path
to the battery posts. If such a situation occurs, disconnect tester immediately and
attempt to make a better connection with greater surface contact between the
clamp and the connected surface.

Warranty
Clore Automotive, LLC warrants your SOLAR Battery Tester to be free from defects in
material and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of sale to the
original user or consumer purchaser.
This warranty excludes and does not cover defects, malfunctions, or failures of your
tester which were caused by repairs made by an unauthorized person, mishandling,
modifications, normal wear, unreasonable use or damage to the tester while in your
possession, as determined by Clore Automotive, LLC.
In no event shall Clore Automotive, LLC be liable for consequential or incidental
damages. Some states do not allow limitations on the length of the implied warranty
or the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above
limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal
rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
This warranty is in lieu of all other express warranties. The duration of any implied
warranty, including but not limited to any implied warranty of merchantability or
fitness for a particular purpose, made in respect to your product is limited to the
period of the express warranty set forth above.
Instructions for obtaining service under this warranty:
To obtain service under this warranty, return your SOLAR Battery Tester to the place
of purchase, along with your dated sales receipt, for an exchange. Your product can
also be sent back to Clore Automotive for exchange – visit www.cloreautomotive.com
for shipping address.
Registering Your Purchase
For best service and to receive periodic product updates, please visit
www.cloreregistration.com, click on the SOLAR logo, complete the information in the
web form and click “submit.” It’s that easy!
For answers to questions concerning use, out-of-warranty service, or
warranty/service information on this or other Clore Automotive products, contact:
Clore Automotive Technical Service
800.328.2921
913.310.1050
www.cloreautomotive.com