I have owned three Vector 1097A chargers over the last eight years and they have all developed the same.... failure? Trait? They give false F03 errors. One I returned under warranty, one I threw away and the last one I still have. Is there something that I'm doing wrong (abusing or misusing) with these chargers. Is it coincidence, just bad luck or what?I can charge my riding mower battery with my old HF 10amp charger and it will charge okay, but if I then attach the 1097A it will read the battery voltage okay, and I can initiate a charge cycle, but it will run for a couple of seconds, step the charge rate down to zero and display the F03. It does this with any battery (in any state of charge) that I try.Can these beasts be repaired, or do I just throw it away?

I get F03 sometimes when the charger thinks the battery is full or even if there is another charger with a higher voltage than the Vector on the battery. In that case, I must start the Vector first and get it running and then start the higher voltage charger.Try knocking the battery voltage down a bit and then start the charger.

Please do not toss them in the trash Yes they can very easily be repairedOpen it up and take a look close look at the large Capacitors If any signs of anything abnormal replace the part Parts available at DigiKey and typically less than $5.00

BFL13 wrote:I get F03 sometimes when the charger thinks the battery is full or even if there is another charger with a higher voltage than the Vector on the battery. In that case, I must start the Vector first and get it running and then start the higher voltage charger.Try knocking the battery voltage down a bit and then start the charger.Like I said, I've tried various batteries, at various charge levels, and always get the same thing. I just now hooked it to a battery that reads 12.0vdc, it displayed the F03. It does know when it has been hooked to a battery, because it doesn't display the F02 that it does if started when not hooked to anything.

I don't have a lessor charged battery to test with right now, but will crank the mower a few times (with the kill switch on) and see if I can get the battery down a few tenths.EDIT - I just cranked the mower starter until the battery read 10.4V, and started the 1097. It did it's F03 thing......

Could try and fool it back to being normal. Start it and then clamp on? When on and showing F03, change amp settings up and down and turn on and off, change battery type.Sometimes with the old 27DCs after they were FUL and I wanted to do more, I would get an F03 but not if I just used the 2 amp setting and not the higher settings. Once it started ok in 2 I could then ramp it up. Seems like F03 is for almost anything, not just for what it is listed for. Weird.

B&D - Vector Battery Charger False F03 error codes.

BFL13
Explorer II
Feb 23, 2014
I get F03 sometimes when the charger thinks the battery is full or even if there is another charger with a higher voltage than the Vector on the battery. In that case, I must start the Vector first and get it running and then start the higher voltage charger.

Try knocking the battery voltage down a bit and then start the charger.
KJINTF
Explorer
Feb 23, 2014
Please do not toss them in the trash

Yes they can very easily be repaired
Open it up and take a look close look at the large Capacitors
If any signs of anything abnormal replace the part
Parts available at DigiKey and typically less than $5.00
OnaQuest
Explorer
Feb 23, 2014
BFL13 wrote:
I get F03 sometimes when the charger thinks the battery is full or even if there is another charger with a higher voltage than the Vector on the battery. In that case, I must start the Vector first and get it running and then start the higher voltage charger.

Try knocking the battery voltage down a bit and then start the charger.

Like I said, I've tried various batteries, at various charge levels, and always get the same thing. I just now hooked it to a battery that reads 12.0vdc, it displayed the F03. It does know when it has been hooked to a battery, because it doesn't display the F02 that it does if started when not hooked to anything.
OnaQuest
Explorer
Feb 23, 2014
I don't have a lessor charged battery to test with right now, but will crank the mower a few times (with the kill switch on) and see if I can get the battery down a few tenths.

EDIT - I just cranked the mower starter until the battery read 10.4V, and started the 1097. It did it's F03 thing......
BFL13
Explorer II
Feb 23, 2014
Could try and fool it back to being normal. Start it and then clamp on? When on and showing F03, change amp settings up and down and turn on and off, change battery type.

Sometimes with the old 27DCs after they were FUL and I wanted to do more, I would get an F03 but not if I just used the 2 amp setting and not the higher settings. Once it started ok in 2 I could then ramp it up. Seems like F03 is for almost anything, not just for what it is listed for. Weird.
OnaQuest
Explorer
Feb 23, 2014
BFL13 wrote:
Could try and fool it back to being normal. Start it and then clamp on? When on and showing F03, change amp settings up and down and turn on and off, change battery type.

Sometimes with the old 27DCs after they were FUL and I wanted to do more, I would get an F03 but not if I just used the 2 amp setting and not the higher settings. Once it started ok in 2 I could then ramp it up. Seems like F03 is for almost anything, not just for what it is listed for. Weird.

I had to chuckle at that, because that's exactly what I just did (and felt kinda silly doing it) with no good results.

I wish I had all the other old 1097s here to see if they all still would act exactly the same way under all tests, but I don't. I think I remember some (one) of the others as being intermittent in the beginning, before failing solid.

I was just hoping someone here had a ready answer on a repair or mod that would make this charger useful again.

Thanks for the replies anyway.
OnaQuest
Explorer
Feb 23, 2014
KJINTF wrote:
Please do not toss them in the trash

Yes they can very easily be repaired
Open it up and take a look close look at the large Capacitors
If any signs of anything abnormal replace the part
Parts available at DigiKey and typically less than $5.00

Just saw your reply. I've never tried to take one apart, but it sounds like a good project for these last few weeks of winter.
BFL13
Explorer II
Feb 23, 2014
It FO3 means the charger is looking at voltage being too high, perhaps it would with a bad clamp or wire connection making R high? So I wonder if a clamp is loose or its wire part broken inside the insulation or whatever, if it would do that? Can you get a voltage across the clamps with the charger on not connected? Don't think I have tried that, so not sure.

EDIT- No joy across clamps. Got FO2 when just on the meter's leads, voltage was 0.6v
tvman44
Explorer
Feb 23, 2014
I think F03 is "open cell or sulfated", mine does that occasionally on my lawn mower battery and I just start the charge cycle over and at a higher charge rate and everything is fine. I have 2 of these chargers and they both do that. Must be a characteristic of them. :)
OnaQuest
Explorer
Feb 23, 2014
tvman44 wrote:
I think F03 is "open cell or sulfated", mine does that occasionally on my lawn mower battery and I just start the charge cycle over and at a higher charge rate and everything is fine. I have 2 of these chargers and they both do that. Must be a characteristic of them. :)

Papa Bob, I wouldn't have even posted if my failure was intermittent. It is a solid failure that happens EVERY time, on many different batteries.

You are correct on what the error is supposed to indicate. I just don't know why it does it consistently on a perfectly good battery.

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B&D - Vector Battery Charger False F03 error codes.

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