Preparing To Charge; Battery Charger Location; Connection Precautions - Peak PKC0C1 Owner's Manual

Preparing to Charge

1. Determine voltage of battery by referring to car owner's manual to make sure it is 12 volts.
2. If it is necessary to remove battery from vehicle to charge, or to clean terminals, always remove
grounded terminal from battery first. Make sure all accessories in the vehicle are turned off to
prevent arcing.
3. Clean battery terminals. Be careful to keep corrosion from coming in contact with eyes or skin.
4. For batteries with removable vent caps, add distilled water in each cell until battery acid reaches
level specified by battery manufacturer. This helps purge excessive gas from cells. Do not overfill.
For a battery without cell caps, carefully follow manufacturer's recharging instructions.
5. Study all battery manufacturer's specific precautions such as removing or not removing cell caps
while charging and recommended rates of charge.
6. Be sure area around battery is well-ventilated while battery is being charged. Gas can be
forcefully blown away by using a piece of cardboard or other nonmetallic material such as a fan.

Battery Charger Location

• Locate Battery Charger as far away from battery as cables permit.
• Never place Battery Charger directly above battery being charged; gases from battery will corrode
and damage Battery Charger.
• Never allow battery acid to drip on Battery Charger when reading gravity or filling battery.
• Do not operate Battery Charger in a closed-in area or restrict ventilation in any way. Marine
batteries must be removed and charged on shore.
• Do not set a battery on top of Battery Charger.

Connection Precautions

• Ensure the AC power cord is disconnected from AC power before connecting or disconnecting
Battery Charger cables.
• Never touch Battery Charger cables together or to a common piece of metal.
• When connecting Battery Charger cables to a battery, make sure the terminals are clean to ensure
a secure connection and reduce the risk of sparking.
EXPLOSION HAZARD
Follow these steps when battery is installed in vehicle. A spark near battery may cause battery
explosion. Do not plug in AC cord until the Battery Charger cables are connected to the
battery. To reduce risk of a spark near battery:
1. Position AC and DC cords to reduce risk of damage by hood, door or moving engine part.
2. Stay clear of fan blades, belts, pulleys and other parts that can cause injury to persons.
3. Check polarity of battery terminals. Positive (+) battery terminal usually has larger diameter than
negative (–) terminal.
4. Determine which terminal of battery is grounded (connected) to the chassis. If negative terminal
is grounded to chassis (as in most vehicles), it is a negative ground system. If positive terminal is
grounded to the chassis, it is a positive ground system.
5. For negative-grounded vehicle, connect positive (RED) cable from Battery Charger to positive
(+) ungrounded terminal of battery. Connect negative (BLACK) cable to vehicle chassis or engine
block away from battery. Do not connect cable to carburetor, fuel lines or sheet metal body parts.
Connect to heavy gauge metal part of the frame or engine block.
6. For positive-grounded vehicle, connect negative (BLACK) cable from Battery Charger to negative
(–) ungrounded terminal of battery. Connect positive (RED) cable to vehicle chassis or engine
block away from battery. Do not connect cable to carburetor, fuel lines or sheet metal body parts.
Connect to a heavy gauge metal part of the frame or engine block.
7. Plug in the Battery Charger AC cord.
8. When disconnecting Battery Charger, disconnect AC cord, remove cable from vehicle chassis
and then remove cable from battery terminal.
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