Olympian

Technical Information
Bulletin
TIB 0036
16 July 2008
SUBJECT: Battery charger troubleshooting

Affects all product

PROBLEM:
Battery chargers can fail under certain conditions, or can be diagnosed as having failed when
they are actually in good working order.
SERVICE PARTS AFFECTED:
Table 1
Service Part Current Charging Supply
UL
Float
Boost
Type
1
number
Rating
Volts
Volts
approval
voltage
voltage1
652-301
3.5
12
120 Boxed
Yes
13.6V
14.1V
10000-14090
10
12
120 Boxed
Yes
13.6V
14.1V
652-302
3.5
24
120 Boxed
Yes
27.2V
28.2V
10000-14090
10
24
120 Boxed
Yes
27.2V
28.2V
652-170
5
12
120 Open
Yes
13.6V
14.1V
652-179
3
24
120 Open
Yes
27.2V
28.2V
10000-05858
5
12
120 Open
No
13.6V
10000-05861
5
12
120 Open
No
13.6V
14.1V
10000-05857
5
12
230 Open
No
13.6V
10000-05860
5
12
230 Open
No
13.6V
14.1V
10000-05859
5
24
120 Open
No
27.2V
10000-05863
5
24
120 Open
No
27.2V
28.2V
10000-05856
5
24
230 Open
No
27.2V
10000-05862
3
24
230 Open
No
27.2V
28.2V
Note 1: Voltage listed is rated for ambient temperature of 20 degrees C and a fully charged
battery.
SOLUTION:
24 Volt Open-Type Chargers Can Overheat
Open-type charges that are contained within a small, enclosed control panel may overheat. This
is especially true for 24 volt chargers. Overheating can cause the potentiometer within the
charger to fail. Open-type chargers that are Non-UL approved and that are date stamped from
13 September 2007 and later have improved components. Open-type chargers that are Non-UL

approved and that have a serial number break from 0709-1531 and larger are fitted with the
printed circuit board version 6.3. The new circuit boards allow the temperature compensation to
be disabled by moving the jumper that is on the printed circuit board from internal (INT) to
(NON). The new circuit boards can be placed in either vertical orientation regardless of the
direction that is shown on the label.
Digital Warnings on the Control Panel
Battery chargers are equipped with circuitry for temperature compensation. Occasionally, the
battery chargers will intermittently initiate an erroneous alarm for either a Low Battery Voltage or
a High Battery Voltage. The erroneous alarms are attributed to the thresholds that are set for
the alarms in the digital controller. The thresholds that have been set may be improper for
battery chargers that have compensation for temperature. Refer to TIB031 - AC & DC
Connector Placement On Powerwizard Control Panel for the correct setpoint values and for the
procedure to change the setpoints.
Incorrect Supply Voltage
Battery chargers can fail to operate correctly if a charger is used with the incorrect rating for the
supply voltage. Cross-reference the supply voltage that is listed on the label for the ratings of
the charger against the auxiliary supply voltage which is connected to the charger.
Loose Connections at the Terminals
Wires that are connected to the charger or wires that are connected within the charger may
become loose. For cage clamp Terminals please use the correct sized tool. A flat screwdriver
with a non-flared tip which has a maximum width of 3.5 mm (0.1378 inch) should be used. Use
a tool to push straight down on the terminal to open the jaws. Use special care in order to
ensure that the wires are correctly inserted into the terminals. Also, on boxed chargers, check
the crimp terminals to the internal ammeter.
Incorrect Battery Type
The chargers are designed to be used with only batteries that are vented and lead acid. The
chargers may not operate correctly if the chargers are used with a VRLA (sealed) battery or a
NiCd battery.
Output Voltages may be Incorrect
The output voltage of the charger may be different from the voltage that is specified in Table 1
due to the following reasons:
The charger will not operate normally if a battery that is not in good condition is connected or if
no battery is connected. The output will only be up to half of the rated output voltage.
If the battery(s) is/are not charged, the output voltage will be lower than the voltage that is
specified in Table 1. Charge the battery and re-test. The battery should then output the full float
voltage.
The internal temperature compensation on the chargers adjusts the output voltage in order to
provide the correct charging voltage to the battery for the ambient temperature. Check the
ambient temperature and allow the nominal output voltage to change from the nominal value
that is shown in Table 1 to change to the value that is shown in Table 2.

Table 2
Temperature
(degrees C)
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50

12V
12V
Float Boost
14.3V 14.8V
14.1V 14.6V
14.0V 14.5V
13.8V 14.3V
13.6V 14.1V
13.4V 13.9V
13.2V 13.7V
13.1V 13.6V

24V
Float
28.6V
28.3V
27.9V
27.6V
27.2V
26.8V
26.5V
26.1V

24V
Boost
29.6V
29.3V
28.9V
28.6V
28.2V
27.8V
27.5V
27.1V

Short Circuit to Chassis

The positive output of the charger may be connected to the chassis of the charger.
Other Factors
Other factors can lead to battery chargers that are diagnosed incorrectly. The following reasons
can lead to a faulty diagnosis:
The main auxiliary supply is disconnected. The battery charger will stop operating when the
main supply is disconnected. The battery will drain. No battery voltage will be present when the
main supply is reconnected. The charger will not produce the rated output that is expected. This
event may be incorrectly interpreted as a failure of the charger.
A loss of voltage can be the result of an internal failure of a battery. This event may be
incorrectly interpreted as a failure of the charger.
See also:
TIB 0004
TIB 0027
TIB 0031

Improved Battery Chargers

Power Wizard charge-fail alarm at high and/or low temperatures.
AC & DC connector placement on PowerWizard control panel

For more information contact CPI@fgwilson.com