Schumacher SC-6500A - Manual (Page 12)

11
This battery charger has a built-in alter-
nator tester that displays either an accu-
rate alternator voltage or an estimate of
the alternator’s relative output compared
to normal alternators. The Alternator %
values displayed should be taken as
general reference, not precise diagnosis.
The alternator tester functions the same
as the battery tester (see previous sec-
tion of this manual for details) with a few
differences.
TESTING SEQUENCE
There are three basic steps required to use
the SC-6500A as an alternator tester.
1. Connect the charger battery clamps to
the battery or charging system. Be sure
to follow all of the precautions listed
under “OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS”.
2. Connect the charger power cord to a
120V AC 2-prong wall outlet. Again, be
sure to follow all of the precautions listed
under “OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS”.
3. Start the vehicle and turn on the
vehicle’s headlights. Read the voltage
on the digital display or press the
DIGITAL DISPLAY button to set the
tester to ALTERNATOR % and read
the alternator percent.
USING THE BUILT-IN ALTERNATOR TESTER
TESTER STATUS LEDs
When the SC-6500A is operating as an
alternator tester, the status LEDs light
under the following conditions.
• The CHARGED (green) LED will light
if the output of the charging system is
at the normally desired level.
• The CHARGING (yellow) LED does
not light in the alternator test mode.
• The CONNECTED LED lights if the
tester detects a connection.
• When the tester digital display is set
to VOLTAGE, the CHARGED and
CHARGING LEDs won't light (it could
be testing a battery or an alternator).
ALTERNATOR TESTING NOTES
• The alternator percent display can
range from 0 to 199.
• The DIGITAL DISPLAY cannot be set
to ALTERNATOR % during charging.
charge should be removed by temporar-
ily creating a load on the battery, such as
by turning on lights or other accessories.
The battery % ranges from 0 to 100.
The battery tester is only designed to
test batteries. Testing a device with a
rapidly changing voltage could yield
unexpected or inaccurate results.