I hope it's ok to post this since it's not Sub-specific (and so incredibly simple a question. I feel kind of dumb.).

 

I want to charge my battery with a trickle charger I was given. I did not recieve a box or manual.

 

I really only need one very simple question answered - it's red on postive, right? If so, please let me know and you have my thanks. Everything below would be superflluous but I'm typing it all out just in case it's not as simple as I think it is or should be.

 

I've only charged batteries with jumper cables and know that it really doesn't matter with those as long as both cars are attached similarly to the jumper cables, but since this is new to me I read the back of the charger.

 

The instructions read:

1.) connect or disconnect battery clips only when supply cord is disconnected or arcing or burning may result.

2.) for a battery installed in a vehicle, first connect charger output lead to ungrounded battery post-not connected to automobile chassis - in accordance with polarity identification (nowhere on the clips or the charger were + or - signs!) and then opposite polarity lead to chassis away from battery: do not connect to carburetor or fuel lines. Disconnect chassis lead first.

 

Etc. The way it was written seemed very complicated to me and I had no idea what it even meant. I looked on the manufacturer's site but no instructions were available.

 

I decided to just do it, so I attached the the black alligator clip to the the negative post and plugged in the charger. Then I touched the red clip to the positive post to make sure there was a spark and there was, so I attached it. Nothing sputtered or blew up so I thought I had done it properly.

 

Then I became a bit uncertain because of the lights on the charger - the red light indicating "power on" was lit and stable, but the yellow indicating "charging" and the green indicating "charged" both kept flashing. Is that how it's supposed to be? I disconnected it all, thinking I should make absolutely sure before I continue.

 

Red on positve or not? And who the heck WRITES those product instructions???

 

Much thanks for help.

 

Mary

Red goes to positive. Black goes to negative. I connect the charger's cables to the battery and then plug the charger into the wall socket.

 

BB

Red goes to positive. Black goes to negative. I connect the charger's cables to the battery and then plug the charger into the wall socket.

 

BB

 

What he said.

 

 

In addition, the flashing lights on the charger..No real way to know what they mean from here. Each charger does things a little differently as far as display goes. For example, mine has meters, but no lights at all.

Red goes to positive. Black goes to negative. I connect the charger's cables to the battery and then plug the charger into the wall socket.

 

BB

 

Thank you very much!

 

Mary

Mary,

 

As the others said, red is the positive lead of the charger and goes to the positive post of the battery. I would guess the flashing lights are trying to tell you the condition of the battery as it charges. You may find that the lights go from flashing to steady on as the battery charges up. First the yellow then the green.

 

The instructions were trying to tell you to connect the charger by first disconnecting the battery ground lead to the vehicle and then connect the charger leads to the battery. Then plug the charger into a AC outlet to power the charger. This is to prevent sparks that could possibly ignite hydrogen gas fumes from the battery. You don't want to see what a exploding battery is like. When the battery is charged remove the AC power to the charger and then disconnect the battery charger leads to help prevent sparking. Sparks near a lead acid battery is a bad thing. Especially after a battery has been charged at a high rate and lots of bubbling occurs in the battery, creating the explosive gas. Since you are using a trickle charger this shouldn't be too much of a problem but it is good to be safe. Turning your head away from the battery just before you disconnect the charger is a good thing to do just in case, along with wearing some safety glasses.

 

Glen