Last Updated on September 9, 2022 by John Robinson
Schumacher has remained a trusted producer of automotive electrical parts since the year 1946. For more than fifty years, Schumacher battery chargers have been recognized as the best in quality. You’d be amazed to learn that Schumacher is also the official supplier for NASCAR.
Note that no matter how great the quality of a product may be, it cannot remain flawless throughout its life. The best battery chargers can experience malfunctioning. But before you smear the blame upon your battery charger, it is vital that you properly examine your vehicle’s battery.
Schumacher Battery Charger Troubleshooting
Check the condition of your vehicle’s battery
It is not always necessary for the problem to lie in your battery charger. It is also possible that the trouble actually lies in your vehicle’s battery. One should always examine the battery in the best possible manner before blaming it on the battery charger.
One of the simplest methods of examining the battery involves the use of a voltmeter to ensure that the voltage lies between 12.4 and 12.7 volts. It is also possible to adequately test your battery with the help of a power probe. In case you spot any leakage or corrosion on the body of the battery, you should get it examined immediately.
Get the right solution for every problem in your Schumacher battery charger
Schumacher battery chargers are simple devices. Their faults and the correction procedures are not as complicated as certain other systems of your vehicle.
What to do if the battery charger does not recognize the battery?
Some problems are more common than others. It sometimes happens that the battery charger does not recognize the battery. Whenever such a thing happens, you must first pay attention to the functioning of the battery.
Note that it is important for the battery to run at minimum of 4 volts so that the battery charger can be turned on and worked. If you find out that your battery is very discharged, the problem certainly lies there. Each time such an issue appears, remember to examine the battery first.
What if the battery does not charge when the battery charger is turned on?
In case your battery indicated that it is not charging, you first need to check the strength of its connection with the charger. Foremost, you must jiggle the clip and make sure that the connection is right. Then you should test this on a different device.
It is possible that the original battery may be defective. In case the other device also does not charge, there may be a problem with your battery charger. Your battery charger may need replacement.
What if the charger doesn’t turn on when connected?
In case your Schumacher battery charger doesn’t turn on even after being connected, you may have to replace your main power regulator board. You must make sure that the connection is intact and that your battery is running smoothly. Be certain of the issue before heading for a replacement.
Is the clicking sound while charging a symptom?
Schumacher battery chargers commonly emit clicking sounds while working. If you notice these sounds, you must let the charger run and charge for over twenty minutes. You must also assure that the leads are connected to the correct poles.
When the leads are correct and the clicking still goes on, there ought to be an issue with your battery. This problem can only be analyzed by connecting your battery charger to a new battery. If the sound persists, there is some problem with the connection.
What if the battery charger clicks on and off?
It may be quite disappointing to come across a battery charger that keeps switching from on to off. Note that Schumacher battery chargers are equipped with built-in protective mechanisms. These chargers are designed to automatically switch off when the battery gets overheated.
This is a protective measure to prevent serious damage. In case the temperature of your battery seems normal, you may unplug the charger and try running it by reversing the connections. This should ideally solve the issue. If it doesn’t, there may be some flaw in your battery charger.
What does the yellow blinking light mean?
The light indication on a Schumacher battery charger may be colored yellow or green. A yellow light indicates that the battery is charging. A green light is the signal for a full battery. A blinking yellow light indicates that your vehicle’s battery is in ‘abort mode’.
The abort mode keeps the battery from finishing its charge. This problem can be simply solved by unplugging, replugging, and even waiting.
Save yourself some trouble by following some essential guidelines
There are some things that you can keep in mind while dealing with a Schumacher battery charger. Maintaining certain precautions would only save you from additional problems.
Make sure that you charge your battery at an appropriate place. Most defects in the battery only arise because of overheating. A Schumacher battery charger should ideally be charged in a well-ventilated room with enough space for air circulation.
It is also important to use the right charging mode when you are dealing with different types of batteries. The most commonly employed batteries these days include the flooded, AGM, gel cell, and lithium-ion. While there are certain advanced mechanisms that adequately prevent the batteries from overheating, you must ensure that you employ the right charging mode while powering your battery.
It is essential that you understand the capabilities of your battery before you can determine what kinds of charging you can employ. Your battery manual must contain the necessary information. Note that there is a float mode that lets you charge your battery automatically in cycles that guard against overcharging.
It is essential that you utilize a charger with the correct voltage. In fact, the choice of a battery charger is always made by the voltage of the battery. Note that Schumacher battery chargers can handle 6V as well as 12V batteries.
The use of a higher voltage than necessary would damage your battery. Your overall battery life would be drastically affected.
Know how to test a battery’s charging capabilities 
If you know how to adequately test a battery charger, you can assure that it is working properly and charging your batteries to the correct level. Foremost, you’d need to connect the positive and negative test probes of a multimeter device to the corresponding charger points. You’ll get a reading on the multimeter that would signify the voltage being set out by the battery charger.
Otherwise, you can always check the charging capabilities of your vehicle to rightly assess the problem. You first need to turn on your car’s battery. Then, you ought to switch on the headlights to load the battery. This would also reduce any surface charges that may have built up. You can get a static reading to confirm your battery’s current charging level. Note that you must only start the engine after the current charge has been confirmed.
The next step would be to set your multimeter to DC. This mode would accurately measure the direct current that your battery relies upon. Ideally, your multimeter’s voltage must be set higher than your battery.
Then you can connect your multimeter test probes to the vehicle’s battery terminals. This can be conveniently done by inserting the tips of the probes in a vertical manner inside the space between the terminals and the adjoining metal fittings. This would make sure that your probes don’t slip out accidentally during the test.
First position the positive probe and then the negative. After the attachment of both probes, your multimeter should display a reading of around 12.6 volts. This value is the static voltage of your battery. It shows that your battery is holding a charge, but it does not assure that it is sufficiently charging.
When you start your vehicle’s engine, the reading displayed on the multimeter may suddenly drop. You must let the engine run for about five minutes until the alternator can charge the battery by some amount.
A reading greater than 13.2 after turning off the ignition key and all other electrical components would mean that the battery is charging adequately. In case the reading does not change, there could be some issue with the alternator.
Conclusion
A Schumacher battery charger is an integral and relatively simple device. Any problem in this component can be aptly detected by first examining the battery. This is essential because a vehicle’s battery typically undergoes more problems than a charger.
We hope we have adequately answered any symptoms that your vehicle may have been showing. Whether it is a clicking sound or blinking yellow lights, we have you covered. It is also necessary that you test your battery’s charging capabilities. This would also help you figure whether there is actually a fault in the charger.
Schumacher battery chargers are considered the best in quality and generally last very long. Any emanating issue can be possibly solved.
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