153015 - Rangefinder Westfalia - Free user manual and instructions

USER MANUAL 153015 Westfalia

Please note the following safety notes to avoid malfunctions, damage or physical injury:13 Safety Notes After each use disconnect the battery load tester from the test object. When measuring battery voltage under load on a motor vehicle, observe the following safety hints: a) Always keep a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher permanently available. b) Observe the rules for fire protection and store flammable materials and solvents in separate rooms. c) When working in the engine bay always wear safety glasses and protec- tive gloves to protect your eyes and hands from e. g. battery acid, gasoline and flying off motor parts. d) Do not touch rotating parts when the motor is running. e) Wear tight clothing, tie up long hair and remove jewellery such as neck- laces and rings. f) Ensure sufficient ventilation in confined rooms as exhaust fumes are extremely poisonous. g) Avoid contact with exhaust pipe or cooling system. There is risk of burns! h) Make sure the parking break is firmly set and the vehicle is in Park or Neutral position. Make sure the battery load tester is designed for testing the desired test object! In case of doubt ask a professional. If the battery load tester is damaged, does not work correctly or was stored under unfavourable conditions and it is ascertained that safe operation is no longer possible, do not use the unit further more. Always use the measuring cables attached tightly for your measurements and make sure the isolation of the cables is undamaged. Caution! Working in the vicinity of lead-acid batteries is dangerous! Therefore observe the additional hints for lead-acid batteries. Do not disassemble the unit or attempt to repair it yourself. It does not contain parts serviceable by you. In the case of questions or problems, turn to our customer support.14 Additional Hints for Lead-acid Batteries During normal operation lead-acid batteries might generate explosive gases. Explosive gas can be ignited by a cigarette or an open flame and can damage the battery. Thereby acid will splash out and causes serve chemical burns! When handling lead-acid batteries always wear safety goggles and avoid contact of battery acid with skin and clothing. Wear safety gloves! Do not smoke in the vicinity of batteries. Avoid open flames. Ensure sufficient ventilation! Discharged lead-acid batteries freeze at extremely low temperatures! Never test a frozen lead-acid battery! Never place the battery load tester on the object to be tested! Never perform measurements on a lead-acid battery for more than 10 seconds. In case of eye contact with battery acid, flush eyes for at least 5 minutes with water and consult a physician! In no circumstances apply medication or eye drops without asking a physician. The efficiency of a lead-acid battery decreases with dropping temperatures. A fully charged battery has a capacity of 40 % at an ambient temperature of -18 °C. Most batteries are damaged while over charging. All batteries loose their charge after some time if temperature increases. Self- discharging of maintenance-free batteries is lower than discharging of com- mon lead-acid batteries. Preferably store batteries in cool temperatures to avoid self-discharging to a minimum. Attention! Do not allow a battery to freeze! A fully charged battery will freeze at approx. -65 °C, a half discharged battery at -26 °C and a battery that is charged up to 25 % will freeze at -15 °C. A battery that has been stored uncharged for long period of time will “sulphurize” very easily and looses its capacity because sulphur will deposit on the plates. A fully charged and fault-free battery has a no-load voltage of 12.7 V or more. A defective or discharged battery has no-load voltage of 10.5 V or less.15 Operation Introduction The battery load tester is intended for checking the battery status of 12 V resp. 6 V lead-acid batteries with a capacity of at least 36 Ah. Furthermore you can check the charging system the voltage of the battery under load. Cold Cranking Ampere (CCA) First determine the CCA for the battery in order to read the correct measuring range on the scale of the battery load tester. Cold cranking ampere (CCA) is the amount of current a battery can provide at -18 °C (0° F) for the duration of 30 seconds. The cold cranking ampere is often stated as “CCA” on the battery. If the CCA is not stated on your battery, refer to the recommended values from the following table: Temperature Compensation Correct readings depend on the battery temperature. To achieve correct readings you have to perform temperature compensation if the temperature is below -7 °C. Observe the stated CCA on the battery and decrease the CCA value by 50 Amps (1 Step) if the temperature is -7 °C. Example: The CCA of a battery is 360 A minus 100 A (2 Steps) if the temperature is -18 °C (result 260 A). At -29 °C you have to reduce the CCA value from the battery up to 150 A (3 Steps). Battery Load Test With the battery load test you can determine if the battery’s capacity is sufficient to start a motor vehicle even under adverse climatic conditions. While measuring, the battery is loaded with approx. 100 A. Battery Capacity Cold Cranking Amperes (EN) 5 – 14 Ah 30 – 140 A 20 – 40 Ah 120 – 330 A 52 – 70 Ah 320 – 630 A 74 – 80 Ah 450 – 740 A 95 – 110 Ah 570 – 920 A16 Operation During testing, the voltage in the electric system of the vehicle may drop sharply, especially if the battery is discharged or defective. Please keep in mind that this may trigger the alarm system or anti-theft devices, e. G. in the radio. Therefore it is advisable to take precautions or disconnect the battery for testing in advance.

1. Switch off the engine and turn off all consumers such as light, fan, rear window

heating, booster etc. except of the clock and the radio’s storage. Pull the key.

2. Connect the black clamp (3) directly to the negative terminal (NEG, N, -) of

3. Connect the red clamp (1) directly to the positive terminal (POS, P, +) of the

battery. The voltmeter (7) will now display a voltage which depends on the charging state of the battery. If the displayed voltage is below 12.4 V resp. 6.2 V, the battery should be recharged before a full test. If the voltage is still under 12.4 V (6.2 V) after charging, the battery should be replaced. If the needle moves to the extreme end of the scale, the battery is connected with switched polarity!

4. Press the testing switch (6) for max. 10 seconds.

Attention: The housing of the battery load tester becomes very hot during operation. There is risk of burns.

5. Read the value from the voltmeter (7). Select the suitable line for the CCA

value (D) of the tested battery. Notice in which sector the needle comes to a stop. Compare the measured value with the table on the next page to identify the condition of the battery.

6. Finally, note the position of the needle after performing the battery load test for

10 seconds. You will need this value when undertaking the starter test and detecting the condition of the battery.17 Operation

Allow the battery load tester to cool down for at least 1 minute before undertaking new tests. Do not perform more than 3 tests within 5 minutes. Load Test after 10 Seconds Battery Condition Green Zone OK The capacity of the battery is in good condition. The battery is possibly, but not necessarily, fully charged. Measuring the SG of the battery acid will give a precise indication of the battery condition. If the battery is not fully charged, it is advisable to check the charging system. Yellow Zone WEAK but Stable The capacity of the battery is insufficient. The battery is either defective or partly discharged. Measuring the SG of the battery acid will give a precise indication of the battery condition. Red Zone BAD Condition The battery is probably tired or massively discharged. Observe the volt meter after releasing the testing switch. If the voltage raises quickly to 12 V or more, the battery is probably tired. If the voltage slowly rises, the battery is probably massively discharged. Measuring the SG of the battery acid will give a precise indication of the battery condition.18 Operation Measuring the specific Gravity of Battery Acid In a maintenance-free battery the acid specific gravity (SG) cannot be measured. If charging status is not satisfactory, charge the battery once more. In conventional, non maintenance-free batteries the SG can be specified with an acid pipette. The range should be at least 1.25 up to 1.28 g/cm

The SG in a well-conditioned battery has to be equal in all 6 cells. When the density in the cells is different - the highest and the lowest value – and vary up to more than 0.025 (25 points), this might be a hint for possible problems in the cells. When the SG does not show the same state after recharging the battery, the battery might have sulphurized. If the value remains below 1.24 g/cm

- even after charging - the battery is discharged and should be replaced. A battery is used up after approx. 5 – 8 years.

Starter Test With this test you can easily measure whether the starter motor of the vehicle does not take too much current from the battery. In some cases currents of about 200 Ampere can be produced and weak the battery. Before performing this test, the battery load test has to be made and the battery’s condition should be OK.

1. Pull the spark plug cables from the spark plug in order to avoid the engine to

2. Now turn the key to try to start the engine.

3. DO NOT press the testing switch during this test! Only check the voltmeter (7)

and read the decreasing voltage value during the starting time. SG of Battery Acid in g/cm

Charging State Step 1,25 – 1,28 Charged Perform Measurement 1,20 – 1,24 Semi charged Charging is recommended < 1,20 Insufficiently charged Charge immediately19 Operation

4. Now compare the previously noted value form the battery load test (LOAD

VOLTS) with the voltage value of the starter test (MIN, CRANK VOLTS) and check with the aid of the table (A). If the value for MIN, CRANK VOLTS substantially differs from the table, the starter motor might be defective or there is bad cable connection e. g. at the transmission resistance or the battery is under-sized, i.e. too small for the engine. Example: First measuring value shows 10.4 V for load volts and second voltage value for min. crank volts drops to 9.5 V. According to the table the min crank volt can drop up to 8.2 V and is still acceptable. If the voltage value for min crank volts is below 8.2 V, this might be a sign for too much current consumption. Testing the Charging System (Test the Alternator) With this measurement you can test the charging system of your vehicle. Continuous charging or permanent discharging of a battery might lead to damage the battery. First undertake a battery load test and if the capacity of the battery is sufficient, undertake the charging system test. The charging system is tested with the engine running. The engine should run to operating temperature. Stay away from moving and rotating parts and make sure jewellery, clothing and hair cannot become caught; there is a danger of injury. Please also keep in mind that the engine compartment contains hot parts. a) Connect the black clamp (3) to the negative terminal (NEG, N, -) of the battery and the red clamp (1) to the positive terminal (POS, P, +) of the battery. b) For the test, run the engine at a moderate speed (between 1200 and 1500 rpm). c) DO NOT press the testing switch, but only check the voltage value from the voltmeter (7). At the right end of the scale there is a sector labelled “Charging System” (E). If the charging system is in good condition, the needle should be in the green area of this sector and remain stable. LOAD VOLTS