Operation; Led Display Panel; Before Charging; Pre-Charge Activation - Peak PKC0C1 Owner's Manual

OPERATION

LED Display Panel

Charged Indicator Light – When the battery is fully charged, the green LED will light.
Power Light – The red LED will light to indicate the Battery Charger is plugged into an AC power
source.

Before Charging

• Make sure the Battery Charger is disconnected from the power supply.
• Make sure that the voltage of the battery matches the rated output of the Battery Charger by
referring to the vehicle owner's manual.
• Check the polarities of the battery terminals: positive for the (+) symbol and negative for the (–)
symbol.
• See CHARGING TIMES on page 7 before charging battery.

Pre-Charge Activation

When starting to charge a battery, the current will depend on the battery's percent of charge. As the
battery charge level increases, the current reduces. To measure the battery charge level as charging
proceeds, a hydrometer or a voltmeter should be used. Typically 12.6V DC is considered full charge
for a 12-volt battery if the voltage is measured one hour after the Battery Charger is disconnected.
During charging, a nominal 12-volt battery can measure 13.6 volts or higher. If so, it needs to rest
after charging to measure actual state of charge.
EXPLOSION HAZARD
Be aware that a fully charged battery will also cause a low current reading. Attempting pre-
charge activation of a fully charged battery may cause explosion - make sure that battery is
discharged before using this procedure.
Pre-charge activation is the term for the time it takes before a battery begins to
accept a measurable rate of charge - it can be as long as 4-8 hours from the time the charging
process begins. Pre-charge activation is indicated if the ammeter reading is zero and a
hydrometer or voltmeter reading shows that the battery is fully discharged.
The newer, high-calcium-type 12-volt DC batteries may need pre-charge activation if
their charge has been allowed to drop to a very low level. When deeply discharged, this type
of battery will provide only a very low voltage output and will draw less than 1 amp during the
recharging process, until activated.

Charging if Battery Is Installed in a Vehicle

1. Check polarity of battery terminals: For top-mounted battery connectors, the positive (+) terminal
usually has a larger diameter than the negative (–) battery terminal. For side-mounted battery
connections, the positive terminal is red, and the negative terminal is black.
2. There are two different sets of cables that can be used for charging. You can use the battery clip
cable or the ring terminal cable.
When using the ring terminal cable, make sure to use the correct hardware to
connect the cables to the battery. Hardware is not supplied with the Battery Charger.
3. Using the appropriate cable, plug it into the cable connector cord from the Battery Charger.
4. Using the battery clip cable or the ring terminal cable, attach Battery Charger cables to battery
connections as follows.
Negative-Grounded Vehicle: Connect the positive (RED) Battery Charger cable to the positive
(+) ungrounded battery terminal. Then, connect the negative (BLACK) Battery Charger cable to
the vehicle chassis, or the engine block (away from the battery). Do not connect the cable to the
carburetor, fuel lines or sheet metal body parts: connect only to a heavy gauge metal part of the
frame or engine block.
Negative-grounded type systems are the most common in today's vehicles.
Positive-Grounded Vehicle: Connect the negative (BLACK) Battery Charger cable to the
negative (–) ungrounded battery terminal. Then, connect the positive (RED) Battery Charger
cable to the vehicle chassis or engine part (away from the battery). Do not connect the cable to
the carburetor, fuel lines or sheet metal body parts: connect only to a heavy gauge, stable metal
part of the frame or engine block.
6