OTC 3182 Operating instructions

Brand: OTC

Model: 3182

Type: Operating instructions

3182

Digital Battery Load Tester

Test Time: 10 seconds Max Time: 15 seconds

Digital 130 Amp Battery Load/Alternator Tester

Load Switch

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

When Working on Vehicles

• Always wear approved eye protection.

• Always operate the vehicle in a well-ventilated area. Do not inhale exhaust

gases—they are very poisonous!

• Neversmokeorhaveopenamesnearvehicle.Vaporsfromgasolineandcharging

batteriesarehighlyammableandexplosive.Alwayskeepareextinguishersuitable

forgasoline/electrical/chemicalreshandy.

• Alwayskeepyourself,tools,andtestequipmentawayfromallmovingorhotengine

parts.

• Neverlaytoolsonvehiclebattery.Youmayshorttheterminalstogether,causing

harmtoyourself,thetools,orthebattery.

• Always turn ignition key OFF when connecting or disconnecting electrical

components,unlessotherwiseinstructed.

• Keep away from engine cooling fan. On some vehicles, the fan may start up

unexpectedly.

• Neverleavevehicleunattendedwhilerunningtests.

• AlwaysmakesurethevehicleisinPark(automatictransmission)orNeutral(manual

transmission)andthattheparking brakeisrmlyset.Blockthedrivewheels.

• Alwaysfollowvehiclemanufacturer’swarnings,cautions,andserviceprocedures.

Additional Precautions When Testing

• Discharged batteries will freeze. Store batteries above 32°F (0°C) or maintain

batteriesinachargedcondition.

• TheBatteryLoadTesterbecomeshotduringtest.Allowittocoolbetweentests.

Thedisplaybeginsdimmingwhenthetesterisnotallowedtocool.Repeateduse

intheoverheatedconditioncandamagethetester’selectronics.

• Lead-acid batteries contain sulfuric-acid as the electrolyte.The electrolyte is

extremelycorrosiveandevolvesoxygenandhydrogenduringcharging,whichcan

igniteandcauseanexplosion.Haveventilationandkeepamesandsparksaway

fromchargingbattery.Followthemanufacturer’schargingprocedures.

• Ifelectrolytecontactsskin,immediatelyrinsewithwater.Ifelectrolytecontactseyes,

usheyeswithwaterandcontactphysician.Whenhandlingbatteries,weareye

protection,chemicalresistantglovesandprotectiveclothing.

DISCLAIMER!

Duetoinherentdangersassociatedwithautomotivemaintenanceprocedures,

themanufacturerandallpartiesinvolvedwiththedistributionand/orsaleof

thisequipmentwillnotbeheldliableorresponsible,eitherwhollyorinpart,

foranyinjury,damageorclaimsresultinginitsperformanceortheuseofthe

instructionscontainedinthismanual.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Battery Load Tester

The3182DigitalBatteryLoadTesterisahand-held,diagnostictoolusedtotest12V

(volt)and6Vlead-acidtypeautomotivebatteries.A10-secondtestdeterminesthe

conditionofthebattery:Good,WeakorBad.Furthertestingwillidentifypossible

problemsinthechargingandstartingsystems.Testscanbeperformedonfully

orpartiallychargedbatteriesbyinspectingtheelectrolyteoropen-circuitvoltage

andadjustingthevaluesfortemperaturesotherthan70°F(21.1°C).

• Iftheelectrolyteisaccessible,measureitsspecicgravitywithahydrometer.

Thespecicgravityreadingshouldbe1.225orhigherat70°F(21.1°C).For

every10°F(5.6°C)above/below70°F(21.1°C),add/subtract0.004to/fromthe

reading.

• Theopen-circuitvoltageshouldbeatleast12.45Vat70°F(21.1°C).

TheBatteryLoadTestercontainsafour-characterLCD(liquidcrystaldisplay)to

displaybatteryvoltage,aswitchtoapplythetestloadandaredLEDthatisused

toindicatetheconditionofthealternator.Thetesterispoweredbythebattery

undertest.

CAUTION!

• Test procedures and information provided in this manual are intended

as general guidelines for engine tune-up and adjustments only. Consult

the applicable vehicle service manuals for all specic tests.

• Before testing, read and follow all safety precautions.

• Do not activate and hold the load switch for more than 15 seconds.

This will overload the tester resulting in damage and void the warranty.

Test Preparation

Multi-Battery Systems

Inallmultiplebatterysystems,allbatteriesmustbetestedseparately.Batteries

may be connected in series, parallel or a combination of both. Only batteries

connectedinseriesmayremainconnectedduringtest.See Figure 1.

Forseriesconnections,allbatteriesareconnectedfromthenegative(-)terminal

ofonebattery,tothepositive(+)terminaloftheother.Onlythenegativeterminal

oftherstbatteryandthepositiveterminalofthelastbatteryaretobeconnected

tothevehicle.Anynumberofbatteriesmaybeconnectedinaseries.However,

each battery must be tested separately.

Forallotherconnections(paralleloracombinationofparallelandseries),the

batteries mustbedisconnectedandelectricallyisolatedfromeachother.

TO VEHICLE POWER TO VEHICLE GROUND

POS NEG POS NEG POS NEG

Figure 1 Multi-Battery Test Conguration

Vehicle Battery

1.TurnignitionkeyOFF;notintheACCESSORIES

position (Figure 2).EngineneedstobeOFFand

all electrical loads must be removed from the

batteryforpropertesting.Ifloadsstillexist,refer

tothevehiclesoperatorandservicemanual.

2.Ifbatteryisbeingcharged,thenstop,turncharger

OFFanddisconnectclampsorleads.Thebattery

cannotbetestedwhilebeingcharged.

3.Theconnectionsmustbecleanandmustmake

goodcontacttoachievecorrecttestresults.

4.On side-post type batteries, install terminal stud adapters. These are not

included,butareavailableatmostautomotivepartsstores.

Battery Temperature

The most accurate test results will be obtained when battery temperature is

at approximately 70°F (21.1°C). If testing battery between 70°F (21.1°C) and

40°F(4.4°C),add0.1voltforevery10°F(5.6°C)below70°F.Iftestingabattery

between70°F(21.1°C)and100°F(37.8°C),subtract0.1Vforevery10°F(5.6°C)

above70°F(21.1°C).

Load Test

1.Connect the tester’s Black

clamptothenegative(-)battery

terminal and the Red clamp to

thepositive(+)batteryterminal

(Figure 3).Makesurebothjaws

makegoodcontact.Ifrequired,

rock clamps back and forth to

improve connection.

2.TheLCDdisplaywillturnonand

displaythebatteryvoltage.Thebatterymustbeatleast75%chargedbefore

conductingtheLoadTest.At70°F(21.1°C),thevoltageshouldbeatleast12.45V

(or6.23Vfora6Vbattery).Remembertoadjustvoltagefortemperaturesother

than70°F(21.1°C).

CAUTION!

• The Battery Load Tester becomes hot when applying the load.

Allow tester to cool between discharges; about 2 minutes. In warm

temperatures, allow more time to cool. If overheating occurs, the LCD

might temporarily become dim. After cooling down, the tester’s LCD

will return to normal.

• Do not activate and hold the load switch for more than 15 seconds.

This will overload the tester resulting in damage and void the warranty.

Figure 2 Engine OFF

Figure 3 Battery Connections

3.PressandholdtheLOAD SWITCHfor

10seconds.RefertoFigure 4.

4.Observe the voltage on the LCD and

note the value. Release the LOAD

SWITCHimmediatelyafterreadingthe

display.

5.Disconnect the Red clamp from the

batteryandthentheBlackclamp.

6.Figure 5showstherangefora500CCA

(Cold-CrankingAmperage) battery

tested at 70°F (21.1°C). For batteries

ratedatotherCCAvalues,subtract0.1V

forevery100CCAbelow500CCAfrom

thevaluesshowninFigure 5.Add0.1V

forevery100CCAabove500CCA.

 IfthevoltageisintheWEAKregion,then

thebatteryisprobablydischargedand

needstobechargedbeforetesting.

• Disconnecttesterandchargebattery;

followbatterychargermanufacturer’s

instructionsforchargingprocedures.

WARNING!

Charging a battery with a bad cell may cause severe personal injury and

damage to vehicle and/or equipment.

• Disconnectcharger,reconnecttesterandretest.Ifthevoltageremainslow,

thenthebatteryisnotacceptingachargeandshouldbereplaced.

Test Results

GOOD - means the battery is in

good condition and should start

the vehicle in any environment.

WEAK - Indicates the battery is

dischargedandrequirescharging.

Chargebatteryandthenretest.

• IfbatterytestsWEAKasecond

time,thiscouldindicateoneor

more cells are bad and battery

mustbereplaced.

• If battery reads GOOD, the

battery was not suciently

chargedduringthersttest.

BAD - Indicates the battery is

deeply discharged and requires

acompletechargeorthebattery

isbadandrequiresreplacement.Checkthefollowing(onpage6)andretest.

Test Time: 10 seconds Max Time: 15 seconds

Digital 130 Amp Battery Load/Alternator Tester

Load Switch

Figure 4 Load Switch and Display

Figure 5 500 CCA Test Results at 70°F (21.1°C)

GOOD

WEAK

BAD

10.00V

6.10V 3.05V

5.00V

12V Battery 6V Battery

•Batteryclampsaresecurelyfastenedtotheterminals.

•Terminalsarecleanandfreeofdebrisforagoodelectricalcontinuity.

•Ifaside-posttypebatteryisbeingtested,verifytheterminalstudadaptersare

screwedintightly.

Ifnofaultisdetected,thenchargebatteryandretestbeforereplacingthebattery.

Iftesterstillindicatesabadbattery,thenreplacementisrequired.

NOTE: A WEAK or BAD indication may be due to excessive resistance

caused by a bad connection or corrosion between battery cables and the

battery posts. Remove battery cables from battery, connect the tester directly

to the posts and retest.

Starting Test

Thistestevaluatesthevehicle’sstartingsystembymeasuringthebatteryvoltage

whilecrankingtheengine.

1.Whileobservingpolarity,connectthetesteracrossthevehicle’sbatteryposts:

Redtopositive(+),Blacktonegative(-).RefertoFigure 6.

2.Disable the ignition system to prevent the vehicle from starting. Refer to a

vehicleservicemanualifnecessary.

Figure 6 Starting Test and Charging Test Setup

3.HaveanassistantturntheignitionswitchtotheStartPositionandcrankengine

for15seconds.Ifworkingalone,usearemotestarterswitch.Do not press the

Load Switch.Observethebatteryvoltageindicatedonthedisplay.

4.Ahealthystartingsystem,with a good, fully charged battery,shouldreadabove

9.0Vduringthistest.

5.Readingsbelow9.0Vmayindicateaprobleminthestartingsystem.Recharge

batteryandrepeatthistest.Ifvoltagereadingsstillremainbelow9.0V,then

probablyeitherthebatteryisbad(performtheLoadTest),thestarterisdefective

or the cables are loose or corroded.

Charging Test

Thistestmeasuresthebatteryvoltagewhiletheengineisrunningtodetermine

ifthechargingsystemisoperatingproperly.

1.Startthevehicleandallowittowarm-up.Thismaytake10to15minutes.

2.TurnengineOFF.

3.WhenperformingtheChargingTest,thebatteryshouldbepartiallydischarged.

TurntheignitionswitchtotheACCESSORIESpositionandturnheadlightsON

andfantoHIGHfor1minute.

4.Whendone,turnheadlightsandfanOFFandthenturnignitionswitchtothe

OFFposition.

5.Whileobservingpolarity,connectthetesteracrossthebatteryposts:Redto

positive(+),Blacktonegative(-).RefertoFigure 6.

6.Start engine andrun atfast-idle (1200-1500 RPM).Ahealthy 12Vcharging

systemshouldmaintainreadingsbetween13.5V and 15.5V.

Proper Charging System Operation

Within several minutes, the voltage will gradually increase to the regulated

voltagerangeof13.5Vto15.5V.Ina6Vsystem,thevoltageshouldgradually

risetotheregulatedvoltagerangeof6.7Vto7.4V.

Incorrect Charging System Operation

Low Regulated Voltage: Ifafterseveralminutes,thevoltageisbelow13.5V

fora12Vsystem(6.7Vfora6Vsystem),thanaproblemexistswitheitherthe

charging system or battery. Perform the Load Test on the battery and then

repeattheChargingTest.

High Regulated Voltage: Ifthevoltageisabovetheregulatedvoltagelimit

(15.5Vfora12Vsystem,7.4Vfora6Vsystem),thenaproblemexistsinthe

chargingsystem.Damagetothevehicleelectricalsystemmayresultfromthe

excessivelyhighvoltage.

AdecisiontoREPLACEthealternatororotherelectricalsystemcomponents

shouldnotbebasedsolelyonthesetestresults.Refertotheapplicablevehicle

servicemanualforadditionaltestandtroubleshootingprocedures.

80002-000-2407 Rev B

Figure 7 Alternator Test Setup

Alternator Test

Thistestidentiesproblemsassociatedwiththealternator.

1.AsshowninFigure 7,connectthetester’sclampstothevehicle’sbatteryposts:

Redtopositive(+),Blacktonegative(-).Connectthetestleadtothetester

andpositiveterminalonalternator.OnGMalternators,attachthetestleadto

terminalNº1withoutdisconnectingtheplug.

2.Startengineandallowittoidle.

3.IfaGMalternatorisbeingtested,observethetester’sRedLEDanddo not

press the LOAD SWITCH.Otherwise,continuewithStep4.

•IftheLEDashesOnandgoesOFF,ornevercomesON,thentheDiode

Trioisfunctioningproperly.

•IftheLEDstaysON,thentheDiodeTriomightbedefective.Thealternator

needs repair or replacement.

4.Revtheenginetoafastidle(1200-1500RPM).

CAUTION!

• The Battery Load Tester becomes hot when applying the load.

Allow tester to cool between discharges; about 2 minutes. In warm

temperatures, allow more time to cool. If overheating occurs, the LCD

might temporarily become dim. After cooling down, the tester’s LCD

will return to normal.

• Do not activate and hold the load switch for more than 15 seconds.

This will overload the tester resulting in damage and void the warranty.

5.PressandholdLOAD SWITCHontesterfor5secondsandobservethetester’s

RedLED.Whendone,turnengineOFFanddisconnectthetestleads.

•IftheLEDashesONandthengoesOFF,ornevercomesON,thenthe

diodes(rectiers)arefunctioningproperly.

• If the LED stays ON or ashes continuously, then one or more diodes

(rectiers) are defective. Repair or replace the alternator and/or voltage

regulator.

OTC 3182 Operating instructions

OTC 3182 Operating instructions

OTC 3182 Operating instructions

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