Schumacher SC-600A User Manual (2024)

Model: SC-600A Automatic Battery Charger

Voltage: 6, 12 Amperage: 2, 4, 6

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

READ ENTIRE MANUAL BEFORE

USING THIS PRODUCT

00-99-000396/0408

IMPORTANT: READ AND SAVE THIS SAFETY AND INSTRUCTION MANUAL.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS1.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS – This manual contains important safety 1.1 and operating instructions for battery charger Model SC-600A.

Do not expose charger to rain or snow.1.2 Use of an attachment not recommended or sold by the battery charger 1.3

manufacturer may result in a risk of re, electric shock, or injury to per­sons.

To reduce risk of damage to electric plug and cord, pull by plug rather than 1.4 cord when disconnecting charger.

An extension cord should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Use of 1.5 improper extension cord could result in a risk of re and electric shock. If

an extension cord must be used, make sure:

That pins on plug of extension cord are the same number, size, and •

shape as those of plug on charger; That extension cord is properly wired and in good electrical condition and;•

That wire size is large enough for AC ampere rating of charger as speci-• ed in Table 8.3.

Do not operate charger with damaged cord or plug; take to a qualied 1.6 service person. (Call customer service at: 800-621-5485.)

Do not operate charger if it has received a sharp blow, been dropped, or 1.7 otherwise damaged in any way; take it to a qualied serviceman. (Call customer service at: 800-621-5485.)

Do not disassemble charger; take it to a qualied serviceman when 1.8

service or repair is required. Incorrect reassembly may result in a risk of

electric shock or re. (Call customer service at: 800-621-5485.) To reduce risk of electric shock, unplug charger from outlet before attempt-1.9

ing any maintenance or cleaning. Turning off controls will not reduce this risk.

WARNING – RISK OF EXPLOSIVE GASES.

WORKING IN VICINITY OF A LEAD-ACID BATTERY IS DANGEROUS. BATTERIES GENERATE EXPLOSIVE GASES DURING NORMAL BATTERY OPERATION. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT YOU FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EACH TIME YOU USE THE CHARGER.

TO REDUCE RISK OF BATTERY EXPLOSION, FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS AND THOSE PUBLISHED BY BATTERY MANUFAC­TURER AND MANUFACTURER OF ANY EqUIPMENT YOU INTEND TO USE IN VICINITY OF BATTERY. REVIEW CAUTIONARY MARKING ON THESE PRODUCTS AND ON ENGINE.

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PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS2.

Consider having someone close enough by to come to your aid when you 2.1 work near a lead-acid battery.

Have plenty of fresh water and soap nearby in case battery acid contacts 2.2

skin, clothing, or eyes.

Wear complete eye protection and clothing protection. Avoid touching 2.3 eyes while working near battery.

If battery acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and 2.4 water. If acid enters eye, immediately ood eye with running cold water for

at least 10 minutes and get medical attention immediately. NEVER smoke or allow a spark or ame in vicinity of battery or engine.2.5 Be extra cautious to reduce risk of dropping a metal tool onto battery. It 2.6

might spark or short-circuit battery or other electrical part that may cause explosion.

Remove personal metal items such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and 2.7 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 charger for charging a LEAD-ACID battery only. It is not intended to 2.8 supply power to a low voltage electrical system other than in a starter-mo­tor application. Do not use battery charger for charging dry-cell batteries that are commonly used with home appliances. These batteries may burst

and cause injury to persons and damage to property. NEVER charge a frozen battery.2.9

PREPARING TO CHARGE3.

If necessary to remove battery from vehicle to charge, always remove 3.1 grounded terminal from battery rst. Make sure all accessories in the vehicle are off, so as not to cause an arc.

Be sure area around battery is well ventilated while battery is being 3.2 charged.

Clean battery terminals. Be careful to keep corrosion from coming in con-3.3 tact with eyes.

Add distilled water in each cell until battery acid reaches level specied by 3.4 battery manufacturer. Do not overll. For a battery without removable cell caps, such as valve regulated lead acid batteries, carefully follow manu-

facturer’s recharging instructions. Study all battery manufacturer’s specic precautions while charging and 3.5

recommended rates of charge. Determine voltage of battery by referring to vehicle owner’s manual and 3.6

make sure that output voltage selector switch is set at correct voltage. If

charger has adjustable charge rate, charge battery initially at lowest rate.

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CHARGER LOCATION4.

Locate charger as far away from battery as DC cables permit.4.1 Never place charger directly above battery being charged; gases from bat-4.2

tery will corrode and damage charger. Never allow battery acid to drip on charger when reading electrolyte spe-4.3

cic gravity or lling battery.

Do not operate charger in a closed-in area or restrict ventilation in any 4.4 way.

Do not set a battery on top of charger.4.5

DC CONNECTION PRECAUTIONS5.

Connect and disconnect DC output clips only after setting any charger 5.1 switches to “off” position and removing AC cord from electric outlet. Never allow clips to touch each other.

Attach clips to battery and chassis, as indicated in 6.5, 6.6, and 7.2 5.2 through 7.4.

FOLLOW THESE STEPS WHEN BATTERY IS INSTALLED IN 6. VEHICLE.

A SPARK NEAR BATTERY MAY CAUSE BATTERY EXPLOSION. TO REDUCE RISK OF A SPARK NEAR BATTERY:

Position AC and DC cords to reduce risk of damage by hood, door, or 6.1 moving engine part.

Stay clear of fan blades, belts, pulleys, and other parts that can cause 6.2 injury to persons.

Check polarity of battery posts. POSITIVE (POS, P, +) battery post usually 6.3 has larger diameter than NEGATIVE (NEG, N,–) post.

Determine which post of battery is grounded (connected) to the chassis. 6.4

If negative post is grounded to chassis (as in most vehicles), see (6.5). If positive post is grounded to the chassis, see (6.6).

For negative-grounded vehicle, connect POSITIVE (RED) clip from battery 6.5 charger to POSITIVE (POS, P, +) ungrounded post of battery. Connect

NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip to vehicle chassis or engine block away from

battery. Do not connect clip to carburetor, fuel lines, or sheet-metal body

parts. Connect to a heavy gauge metal part of the frame or engine block.

For positive-grounded vehicle, connect NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip from bat-6.6 tery charger to NEGATIVE (NEG, N, –) ungrounded post of battery. Con-

nect POSITIVE (RED) clip to vehicle chassis or engine block away from

battery. Do not connect clip to carburetor, fuel lines, or sheet-metal body

parts. Connect to a heavy gauge metal part of the frame or engine block.

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When disconnecting charger, turn switches to off, disconnect AC cord, 6.7 remove clip from vehicle chassis, and then remove clip from battery termi-

nal. See OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS for length of charge information.6.8

FOLLOW THESE STEPS WHEN BATTERY IS OUTSIDE VEHICLE. 7.

A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY MAY CAUSE BATTERY EXPLOSION. TO REDUCE RISK OF A SPARK NEAR BATTERY:

Check polarity of battery posts. POSITIVE (POS, P, +) battery post usually 7.1 has a larger diameter than NEGATIVE (NEG, N, –) post.

Attach at least a 24-inch-long 6-gauge (AWG) insulated battery cable to 7.2

NEGATIVE (NEG, N, –) battery post. Connect POSITIVE (RED) charger clip to POSITIVE (POS, P, +) post of 7.3

battery. Position yourself and free end of cable as far away from battery as pos-7.4

sible – then connect NEGATIVE (BLACK) charger clip to free end of cable.

Do not face battery when making nal connection.7.5 When disconnecting charger, always do so in reverse sequence of con-7.6

necting procedure and break rst connection while as far away from bat-

tery as practical. A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged on shore. To 7.7

charge it onboard requires equipment specially designed for marine use.

BATTERY CHARGING - AC CONNECTIONS8. For all grounded cord-connected battery chargers:8.1

GROUNDING AND AC POWER CORD CONNECTION • INSTRUCTIONS – Charger should be grounded to reduce risk of electric shock. Charger is equipped with an electric cord having an equipment­grounding conductor and a grounding plug. The plug must be plugged into an outlet that is properly installed and grounded in accordance with all local codes and ordinances.

DANGER – Never alter AC cord or plug provided – if it will not t outlet,

have proper outlet installed by a qualied electrician. Improper connec­tion can result in a risk of an electric shock.

For grounded, cord-connected battery chargers with an input rating 8.2 less than 15 amperes and intended for use on a nominal 120-volt circuit:

This battery charger is for use on a nominal 120-volt circuit, and has a • grounding plug that looks like the plug illustrated in sketch A in Figure

8.8. A temporary adapter, which looks like the adapter illustrated in sketches B and C, may be used to connect this plug to a two-pole recep-

tacle as shown in sketch B if a properly grounded outlet is not available. The temporary adapter should be used only until a properly grounded

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outlet can be installed by a qualied electrician.

DANGER – Before using adapter as illustrated, be certain that center

screw of outlet plate is grounded. The green-colored rigid ear or lug ex tending from adapter must be connected to a properly grounded outlet–

make certain it is grounded. If necessary, replace original outlet cover

plate screw with a longer screw that will secure adapter ear or lug to outlet cover plate and make ground connection to grounded outlet.

8.3

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8.4

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SPEEDCHARGE CONTROL9.

BATTERY SIZE9.1

Use this button to set the charge rate to one of the following three:

2A SMALL or 4A MEDIUM:• Intended for charging small batteries such

as those commonly used in garden tractors, snow mobiles and motorcy­cles. The 2A rate is not intended to be used as a trickle charger for larger batteries.

6A LARGE:• Use for charging automotive and marine batteries. Not intended for industrial applications.

BATTERY TYPE BUTTON 9.2

Use this button to set the type of battery to be charged to one of the fol-

lowing two:

12 Volt: • This is the type of battery usually used in cars, trucks, and mo- torcycles.

6 Volt: • This is the type of battery usually used in antique and some spe-

cialized vehicles.

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS10.

No assembly required.

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