3
NOTE : A battery left deep discharged for an extended period which may result in permanent damage to one or more cells,
may heat up considerably during charging. Stop charging immediately if the battery casing temperature becomes uncom-
fortably hot to touch.
4) a) The CHARGING stage (yellow LED) delivers a constant current of 0,6 Amps into the battery, whose progressively rising
impedance will cause the charging voltage to increase until 14,3V, when the
OptiMate
will start the absorption and verifi-
cation stage.
b) The charging voltage is now limited at 13,6V during 30 minutes. Should the monitored voltage reduce by 300mV or
more, or the current drawn by the battery exceed 200mA during these 30 minutes, the programme reverts immediately to
the main CHARGING stage & 4) a) is repeated. If for whatever reason the battery voltage falls below 12,3V during the veri-
fication stage, the red warning LED will indicate.
c) Self-discharge test : Once the current has remained below 200mA for a full 30 minutes (this is indicative of a battery
that has accepted as much charge as its basic condition allows), a test period of 30 minutes automatically follows, to check
for excessive self-discharge. The yellow LED will flash during the first such test period, but not during subsequent 30 minu-
te test periods which follow provided the green LED continues to indicate. During test periods the circuit offers no current
to the battery whose voltage it nonetheless continuously monitors to check if this consistently remains at least 12,3V, a level
consistent with ±50% of theoretical capacity for filler cap and ±40% for AGM / GEL batteries, the absolute minimum to crank
an engine at normal temperature. In this case the green OK LED will indicate after the test, but if the voltage falls below
12,3V the red WARNING LED will immediately indicate. See clause 6 below. Note that this test is an indicative, not a conclu-
sive test of battery condition, which can be more exactly established by using a
miniTestMate
®
which tests on-vehicle bat-
tery voltage during cranking as well as the charging system operation, or by contacting a workshop equipped with a
BatteryMate
®
150-9
or
TestMate
®
digital battery tester.
5) During the maintenance cycle (with green OK LED or red WARNING LED indicating), at a voltage limited at 13,6V, a cur-
rent of up to 600mA, according to the battery’s requirement, is available to maintain it at full charge and support any in-cir-
cuit accessories such as an electronic anti-theft device, or losses due to deteriorating wiring. The support current is availa-
ble for 30 minutes with a 'rest' period of 30 minutes, to ensure safe maintenance of filler cap & sealed batteries. During the
“rest” period the self-discharge test described in (4c) occurs. These 2x30 minute cycles continue for as long as the green
OK LED is indicating and the voltage remains above 12,3V. If for any reason the voltage even momentarily drops below
12,3V, the red WARNING LED will indicate, the “rest” / self-discharge test periods cease, but the circuit then continues to
offer support current to the battery until disconnected.
6) RED LED : the red WARNING LED means that after being charged the battery's voltage is not being sustained or that
despite recovery attempts the battery was irrecoverable. This may be due to a defect in the battery itself, such as a short-
circuited cell or total sulphation, or, if the battery was still connected to the vehicle’s wiring system, the red LED may be
signalling a loss of current through deteriorating wiring or a degraded switch or contact, or in-circuit current-consuming
accessories. A sudden load such as the headlights being switched on while the charger is connected, can also cause the
battery voltage to dip below 12,3V. Always remove the battery from the vehicle, reconnect the
OptiMate
and allow it to pro-
ceed through its programme once more. If the green LED then indicates, the cause is to be traced on the vehicle. If the red
LED indicates, it is the battery which is suspect and should be taken to a professional workshop for load testing on a
BatteryMate
diagnostic load-tester/charger. It is important to note that even if the red LED does indicate, the battery will
continue to receive float charge support at 13,6V until disconnected, so as to protect it from deterioration as far as feasible.
7) Maintaining a battery for extended periods : After activating the charger you should observe the LED indications every
few hours until either the green GOOD or red WARNING battery LED indicate. If the red WARNING LED indicates, disconnect
and remove the battery from the vehicle then reconnect it to the charger for a fresh trial. If the red WARNING LED indicates
for a battery which is not connected to the vehicle or other wiring system, or the battery temperature is hot to the touch,
disconnect the battery from the charger and get it professionally tested using an accurate electronic tester specifically desi-
gned for that type of battery. At least once every two weeks, check that the connections between the charger and battery
are secure, and, in the case of batteries with filler caps on each cell, disconnect the battery from the charger, check the
level of the electrolyte and if necessary, top up the cells with distilled water, then reconnect.
When handling batteries or in their vicinity, always take care to observe the SAFETY WARNINGS above.
8) Disconnect the
OptiMate
first from the AC mains supply and then from the battery. Always disconnect from the AC mains
before reconnecting to the same or another battery.
9) CHARGING TIME : The time required for the
OptiMate IIISP
to complete a charge on a normally discharged battery is
roughly equal to the battery's Ah rating. For example, a normally discharged 12Ah battery should take no more than 12 hours
to progress to the self-discharge check (flashing yellow LED followed by the ∆ or
√
LED indication).
Deep-discharged batteries will take longer.
