- STATE OF THE ART - SmartAMPs Technology utilizes optimum charge current (from .8 to 3.8 amps) depending on battery's condition and charging stage, providing fast, high quality charges that ensure maximum battery life
- INTELLIGENT - Micro Computer Unit provides state-of-the-art charging to restore sulfated, discharged, and acid stratified batteries to their original capacity without under or overcharging
- SIMPLE - One touch smart charging with automatic voltage detection for easy operation
- AUTOMATIC - Maintenance charging mode automatically switches on when battery drops below 12.8V
- VERSATILE - Suitable for all types of lead-acid batteries - AGM, WET, GEL, open, VRLA and cold - in trucks, cars, motorcycles, lawn tractors, recreational vehicles batteries
- SAFE - Spark, short circuit and reverse polarity protection ensure the safety of the operator and health of the battery
- DURABLE - Dust and water splash resistant
- COMPLETE - Included accessories like hook, charger cable with built in fuse, and two fully insulated charger clamps
Buy Bosch C3 Fully Automatic 4-Mode 6/12V Smart Battery Charger and Maintainer (3.8 Amps) Now
Upon unboxing the Bosch Model C3 6.3/12.6 VDC Battery Charger, it is immediately evident that this is a high quality product characteristic of the Bosch name. The C3 is very compact compared to the old car battery chargers of the past. The charger is constructed of a high impact plastic and therefore not susceptible to rusting as were the old metal box chargers. All mode and status displays are on the front of the charger, as well as the single mode select button. The C3 is equipped with a heavy duty 120 VAC power cord as well as a durable DC charging cable. The DC charging cable is equipped with in inline disconnect, allowing the supplied insulated alligator clips to be left connected to the battery between charges. The DC charging cable is also equipped with an inline 10A automotive type fuse to provide short circuit protection to the C3 charger.The Bosch C3 battery charger is microprocessor controlled and hence should be considered a "smart charger". The C3 is designed to the sense the charge state of the battery, as well as determine the appropriate charge rate. The C3 can provide a pulsed charging current of up to 3.5 A for deeply discharged batteries, as well as provide a low current trickle or maintenance charge. The C3 continuously monitors the battery charge state and automatically reverts from pulse to trickle charging when the battery is fully charged.
The Bosch C3 battery charger was tested on a moderately discharged Delco S2000 115 AH deep cycle battery. As expected, the C3 immediately switched to pulse charging, remaining in the pulse mode for approximately 7 hours before reverting to a trickle charge mode.The Bosch C3 battery charger performed flawlessly.
The 36 page Bosch C3 instruction manual is very well written and printed in 3 languages, English, French and Spanish. Bosch strongly emphasizes operating safety. The manual clearly addresses the potential for charging wet cell batteries to "off gas", thereby creating an explosive atmosphere. Therefore, the charger should never be connected or disconnected from the battery while the battery is charging. Bosch also cautions the user from operating the charger in wet conditions.
Bosch emphasizes that this charger is only designed to charge 6.3 or 12.6 VDC wet cell or gel cell rechargeable batteries. It is not designed to charge dry cell batteries.
The Bosch C3 Automatic Battery Charger is packaged with the C3 automatic charger, a battery charging cable equipped with a disconnect and an inline 10 A automotive fuse, red and black insulated heavy duty alligator clamps, a removable hanger and an operating manual. Bosch provides a generous 2 year limited warranty on parts and workmanship.
The Bosch C3 Automatic Battery Charger is a high quality product that should provide many years of reliable service when used in accordance with the supplied operating instructions. Although the C3 isn't designed for high current vehicle starting applications, it proves to be very versatile for many battery charging applications.
The only shortcoming found with the Bosch C3 charger is that the AC line fuse is internal and not field replaceable. Bosch might consider making the AC line fuse user replaceable in later production runs of this product.I'm very pleased with this Bosch C3 Battery Charger, it's not your basic car battery charger because it's a "Smart Charger" it's computer controlled meaning it adjusts to the needs of the battery that's being charged. You do need to select the type of battery being charged, car, motorcycle or AGM but after that this charger takes control. If the charger senses a 12 volt battery is between 8 and 10.5 volts it automatically switches to pulse charging, this allows the battery to recover the best possible way enhancing the charging process for such a low condition. This is just one of the many computer controlled advantages of this type of battery charger.
I added the optional Bosch C35AC0 Quick Connect Cable Harness for C3 Battery Charger, it's a direct connect harness you can connect to your car or whatever battery that's installed. You simply plug the charger into the end of the harness, I have one in my sports car that's stored Winters, it makes it very simple to just leave the charger connected, once the battery is fully charged the Bosch C3 charger switches over to a trickle, when I want to use the car I just unplug the harness and drive away. I can't say enough about this great charger, buy one and you won't regret it!
Update: I found that chargers made by NOCO use the same plug and make many options for connecting to different application at a lower price. I'm guessing NOCO makes chargers for Bosch and use the same quick plugs. For the same price as Bosch's C35ACO quick connect harness the NOCO harness includes a battery monitor NOCO Genius GC015 12V Eyelet Battery Indicator
Want Bosch C3 Fully Automatic 4-Mode 6/12V Smart Battery Charger and Maintainer (3.8 Amps) Discount?
I generally liked this product. I loved its being so much smaller and lighter than traditional battery chargers. However, there was a big issue and a variety of small annoyances.The big issue I encountered was that the charger never transitioned to Maintenance mode (trickle-charge). I had used the car in a way that didn't recharge the battery (series of very short trips on a cold night with a passenger that insisted on using the electric seat heater). I could hear the weaker rev'ing of the starter. When I got home, I connected up this charger, but 8 hours later, the status lights indicated normal charging mode, when I would have expected it to have long been in trickle charge. However, the battery seemed to have been fully recharged (from healthy sound from the starter motor).
Related to this is the absence of a finer-grained charging status, for example a 3or 4-element bar. On traditional battery chargers there is a gauge showing the voltage difference between the battery and what the charger is supplying. As the battery charges, the needle on this gauge drops. This lets you know when you are close to charged, or that the battery isn't taking a charge. And when you are initially connecting the clips, it helps confirm that you have a good connection. For example, I know from prior experience with these traditional chargers that there are several bolts on my engine block that would seem to be excellent grounding points, but aren't (insulated by thread-lock glue?). When I experimented by attempting to use these bolts, this charger gave me no indication of this problem -the status lights were the same as when I connected to a good ground. Consequently you don't get an indication of one of the most common problems using a charger -an inadequate connection of the clips.
The hanging hook is a very useful feature. Unfortunately it seems to be made of a very brittle plastic. While it may be adequate for hanging the charger on a wall, it is grossly inadequate for the pictured use of hanging from the hood latch -a situation when you are likely to be frazzled and may inadvertently stress the hook. When I encounter features that apparently compromise quality for trivial cost-savings, I always wonder if there are hidden ones critical to the functioning of the device.
The product is better than what is pictured. Instead of a cord ending in battery clips, it has the Bosch C35AC0 Quick Connect Cable Harness for C3 Battery Charger with Built-in Cable Fuse to which the battery clips are then connected. This harness provides the option -which I didn't test -of being left attached to a battery to provide a simpler and surer connection of the charger, and is especially useful for infrequently used batteries that are maintained on trickle charge (for example, boats, classic cars). Also, if the charger is to be used by someone who just can't understand the concept of where to connect the clips, this is an excellent accommodation. If you use the charger with multiple batteries, you might consider getting some/all of them their own harnesses. Additionally, my experience is that this is the part of a charger most likely to be damaged, and it is an advantage that it is easily replaceable.
Although the manual is very short, it could be much better organized and laid out. Before you get to the two pages of operating instructions, it has four pages of warnings that should be obvious to almost anyone likely to be using this charger. I know that these are required to be there, but the way they are presented may well cause impatient or easily frustrated people to just stop reading. The big annoyance involves a very nice feature: The cover folds out so you can see a keyed picture of the charger while you are reading the instructions. Unfortunately, the legend for the keys (numbers) is not provided until after those names are being used (in the "Warnings"). And the basic instructions for operating the charger, including turning it to Standby before unplugging, is not in the "Operating Instructions" but part of a long individual "Warning" at the end of the "Warnings" section, and consequently easily to miss.
DEFICIENCY: The manual for this product is available only as hardcopy. Because so many of my product manuals are available in electronic form, my "bookshelf" is on my computer and portable devices. This had the advantage of not only having manuals readily available and easily searchable, but it is easy for me to add annotations and bookmarks (I use the free FoxIt Reader as alternatives to Adobe Acrobat as well as Nitro PDF Professional V6 that is much cheaper than Acrobat, especially during its frequent sales and rebate offers).
DEFICIENCY: No registration for this product. In the old days of mail-in registration cards, processing them was often an expense that wasn't worth it. But on-line registration is very inexpensive and something I would think well worth it for notifying customers in case a problem/defect is discovered in this product.
What were they thinking?: The manual suggests using the packaging for storage, but that packaging is probably too fragile for anything but infrequent use where you are very careful taking it out and putting it back in: The cover is very thin plastic (reinforce-able or mend-able with normal packaging tape), and the base is a little more substantial. The packaging is closer to what you want to minimize the amount going into the waste stream.
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Advice for purchasers:
The manual tells you to cycle the charger into standby mode (blue ring) before unplugging it (but doesn't say whether that is to protect the device or you). I found this to be non-obvious and thus hard to remember. I used my label maker to put this reminder on the charger (but Bosch, it would be nice if you had this on the next version).
-Douglas B. Moran
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