Using the Precision Charger Lithium (PCL) (2023-present)

Longer run times. Shorter charge times. That's the precision difference that keeps anglers on the water longer and puts more fish in the boat. Now, the next generation of this legendary line of chargers has been optimized for 12 volt lithium (LiFePO4) batteries. Precision chargers feature battery-type selection by bank, which now includes charge curves specially formulated for the high demands of lithium batteries, and can even wake these battery types from standby.

• Select a Charger Location
• Mount the Charger
• Output Cable Lengths
• AC Power Cord
• Connect the Batteries
• Inline Fuse
• Extension Cord AWG for Plugging in the Charger
• General Operation
• Temperature Compensation
• LED Patterns
• Battery Type Selection
• Determine Selected Battery Type
• Charging Profile
• Equalization Mode for Flooded Lead-Acid Batteries
• AC Power Lost or Unplugged during Deep Equalization mode
• Charge with a Portable Generator
• Serial Number Location
• Dimensions
• Manuals
  • Precision On-Board Chargers - 6 & 10 amp PCL models
    MK 106PCL, MK 110PCL, MK 112PCL, MK 220PCL, MK 318PCL, MK 330PCL, MK 440PCL, MK 550PCL
  • Precision On-Board Chargers - 15 amp PCL models
    Models MK 230PCL, MK 345PCL, MK 460PCL

Select a Charger Location

• Never place charger above battery being charged; gases from battery will corrode and damage charger.
• Never allow battery acid to drip on charger when reading electrolyte specific gravity or filling battery.
• Do not operate charger in a closed-in area or restrict ventilation in any way.
• Do not set a battery on top of charger.
• Do not mount the charger below the waterline of the boat or directly adjacent to fuel tanks.
• Each DC output cord is six feet long. Make sure that all DC output cords can reach the batteries and that the AC power cord can reach a power source. When using an extension cord, make the AC connection to the charger outside of the battery compartment as far away as practical to reduce the risk of a spark igniting gases in the compartment.
• Do not shorten the DC output cords, as this can affect charger output. If the DC output cords are not long enough, they may be lengthened by splicing and soldering 12 AWG (minimum) wire. Each splice should be covered with dual wall adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing to protect the joint from corroding. The splice should be made between the fork in the output cable and the fuse holder. The fuse holder should always remain within 7” of the battery terminals. The maximum extension length is 15 feet. You may contact the Minn Kota Service Department with any questions.
• Even though the Minn Kota charger is capable of operating in a high ambient temperature environment, a minimum of six inches of unobstructed area should be allowed on all sides of the unit for proper air circulation and cooling. Proper cooling and circulation will allow the charger to operate at peak efficiency.

Mount the Charger

Due to the weight of the charger and the impact that boats routinely endure, take the time to securely mount the charger to prevent damage. Mounting with nuts, bolts and washers is preferable to mounting with screws.

1. Use the largest diameter bolts possible and use all four mounting holes.
2. After marking the locations, set the charger aside and drill the holes.
3. Apply a marine grade silicone sealant in each of the drilled holes to create a waterproof seal.
4. Then secure the charger in place using the mounting hardware.

Output Cable Lengths

Each DC output cord is six feet long. Do not shorten the DC output cords, as this can affect charger output. If the DC output cords are not long enough, they may be lengthened. The maximum extension length is 15 feet. To lengthen the DC output cords:

• Use the Battery Charger Extension Cable MK-EC-15. The cable features WAGO® Wall-Nut™ quick connectors (UL listed), and fused (30 amp) positive and negative leads. You will need 1 extension cable per bank that needs a longer output cord to reach the battery(ies)
  Click here for purchase options for the Battery Charger Extension Cable MK-EC-15, item number 1820089
• Splice and solder 12 AWG (minimum) wire. Each splice should be covered with dual wall adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing to protect the joint from corroding. The splice should be made between the fork in the output cable and the fuse holder. The fuse holder should always remain within 7” of the battery terminals.

AC Power Cord

The power cord from the charger to the AC power, which plugs into your wall outlet, is six feet long.

Connect the Batteries

Each Output Bank is independent and isolated from one another and the AC Input. The Minn Kota charger can charge independent batteries or combinations of batteries hooked in series or parallel without disconnecting the batteries from any switches or Jump Wires joining the batteries.

Inline Fuse

Each output cord has inline fuses on the RED and BLACK leads located near the ring terminals. These fuses serve as protection from surges and short circuits caused by a damaged charger output cable. If a fuse blows, replace it with a 30 amp ATC 32V automotive fuse. Improper battery connections will normally not cause a fuse to blow since this is handled by the internal circuitry of the charger.

Extension Cord AWG for Plugging in the Charger

An extension cord should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Use of improper extension cord could result in a risk of fire and electric shock. If an extension cord must be used, make sure:

• That pins on plug of extension cord are the same number, size and shape as those of plug on charger.
• That extension cord is properly wired and in good electrical condition.
• That wire size is large enough for ac ampere rating of charger as specified in table.

Extension cord ratings vary by the Minn Kota Charger model. Please refer to the chart below to find the extension cord that will work best with your model charger.

General Operation

After the AC cord on the charger is plugged in and a battery is connected to the output cable correctly, the 25% charging LED will turn on. After 2 seconds, the charger will begin charging the battery. The YELLOW LEDs will indicate how far the charger is in the charging process. Once the 100% GREEN LED is blinking, the charger is holding the float voltage. The charger will hold the batteries float voltage for 24 hours. After 24 hours, the charger output will turn off and the 100% blinking GREEN LED will switch to steady GREEN. For specifics on Lithium Batteries, please see the "LED Patterns."

Lithium batteries can shut themselves off after extensive use under certain conditions. This protective condition is referred to as Standby Mode. Refer to your Lithium Battery Owner's Manual to learn more about conditions that could activate Standby Mode. Your Minn Kota charger has an Auto Start system set up to automatically restart the battery a set number of times to take the Lithium Battery out of Standby Mode so that is can be charged.

Temperature Compensation

Temperature Compensation is only applied to Lead-Acid Batteries (Flooded, AGM and HP AGM) and not required for Lithium Batteries. To optimally charge a Lead-Acid Battery, the charging voltages need to be adjusted as the temperature of the battery changes. As the temperature of the battery increases, the charging voltage should be decreased to prevent the battery from being over charged. As the temperature of the battery decreases, the charging voltage should be increased to prevent under-charging of the battery. Only the “End of Bulk” voltage is adjusted with temperature. For every degree C the temperature changes, the voltages are adjusted by 0.024 Volts.

Multi-Stage Charging

Minn Kota’s Multi-Stage Charging delivers a fast, precise charge profile by automatically controlling current and voltage without overcharging your batteries.

• Bulk Mode
  During this stage, the charger delivers full current until the battery reaches ~75% charge. When charging Lithium batteries, the charger will stay in Bulk Mode until the process is complete.
• Absorption Mode
  The charging current tapers down while the battery voltage is held constant. See the "Charging Profile" information for more details.
• Mild Equalize Mode
  Mild Equalize Mode is for Flooded Lead-Acid batteries only. The voltage is automatically increased with each charging cycle for a maximum of 1.5 hours to desulfate and mix fluids in each battery.
• Equalize Mode
  Equalize Mode is for Flooded Lead-Acid batteries only. The Equalize mode must be manually selected for each bank that is to be equalized. The voltage is increased for a maximum of 4 hours to desulfate and mix fluids in each battery.
• Float Mode
  When the battery reaches full charge, the charger voltage is reduced. See the "Charging Profile" table in the General Operation section of this Manual for voltages. A flashing 100% GREEN LED is lit for each bank to indicate the battery is charged and in Long Term mode and ready to use. After 24 hours, the charger outputs automatically turn off and a steady 100% GREEN LED is lit for each bank to indicate the battery is ready to use. The charger will automatically resume charging when the battery voltage drops below 12.6V.

LED Patterns

Each bank has the following LEDs:

• Lead Batteries (Flooded / AGM HP AGM):
  
  • 25%, 50%, 75% (YELLOW) - These LEDs indicate the progress of charging.
  • 100% (GREEN) - Blinking GREEN LED indicates battery is fully charged in Float Mode and ready to use.
  • Solid (GREEN) - indicates battery is fully charged in long term Float Mode and ready to use.
  • Solid (RED) - A solid RED LED indicates there is an issue with a connection. A blinking RED LED indicates an error.
• Lithium Batteries:
  
  • The 100% GREEN LED will blink indicating the charging process is under way and will continue until the charging process is complete.
  • When the 100% GREEN LED is solid the charging process has completed and the battery is ready to go

Battery Type Selection

The charger can be manually switched between 4 different modes, Gel Cell, Flooded Lead Acid, AGM/High Performance AGM, and Equalize. In order to optimize the performance of your batteries or to prevent damage, you will need to properly set each charger bank for the correct battery type (each battery can be independently set). The factory default settings is Flooded Lead Acid. Once a battery type is selected it will be stored until a new battery type is selected by the user.

Set the Battery Type:

1. Plug the charger AC cord into an AC outlet.
2. During power up all LEDSs will turn on, then 1 YELLOW LED will temporarily remain in. This YELLOW LED will indicate the current battery type.
3. To change the battery type, press and hold the Battery Selection button until the YELLOW LED indicates the desired battery type, the release the button. The battery type will be saved even if the AC Cord or DC output cords are disconnected.

Flooded Lead Acid batteries should be equalized per the battery manufacturers' recommendations. Only Flooded Lead Acid batteries should be equalized. The charger will only allow selection of the Equalize Mode if the previous selection was Flooded Lead Acid. To set Equalize Mode, press and hold the Battery Selection button until all 3 YELLOW LEDs are lit, then release the button. Once in Equalize mode, the equalize process will only be performed one time. Once this cycle is completed or if the cycle is interrupted (by unplugging the AC or a DC cord) the charger will revert back to the Flooded Lead Acid battery type.

Determine Selected Battery Type

To determine which battery type is selected, press and release the “BATTERY SELECTION” button. The yellow LED located next to the corresponding battery type selected will illuminate for 2 seconds.

Charging Profile for PCL Chargers

When doing research on lithium batteries and trying to determine their compatibility with a Minn Kota PCL Charger there are two important battery specifications to consider Charge Current and Charge Voltage.

• Charge Current- This is the amp output of each bank is on the charger you select. Example MK 330PCL is 3 banks of 10 amps per bank, so the charge current is 10 amps.
• Charge Voltage- This is listed differently depending on the battery manufacturer. Some common terms used include Charge Voltage, Max Charge Voltage, Absorption Voltage. It important to ensure our Max voltage of 14.5V meets the specifications of the Battery Manufacturer.
• Note: When choosing Lithium Batteries we recommend always checking with the battery manufacture to verify the charging profile is compatible with their requirements.

Click here to learn more about Charging Lithium Batteries

Equalization Mode for Flooded Lead-Acid Batteries

Equalization Mode is only available on Minn Kota PC and PCL Chargers. Minn Kota Precision Chargers feature Automatic Equalization Technology that cleans and conditions batteries with each charge cycle. Only Flooded lead-acid batteries should be equalized. The charger must have the Flooded battery type selected. If a different battery type was previously selected, the charger will not allow Equalize Mode to be selected. When the Flooded battery type is selected, press and hold the "BATTERY SELECTION" buttons until all 3 battery type LEDs are illuminated. When the button is released, Equalize Mode is selected. For more information watch the video below:

AC Power Lost or Unplugged during Deep Equalization mode

If the Precision Charger loses AC Power or is unplugged during the Deep Cycle Mode, the Deep Cycle mode is cancelled and the charger will restart the charging cycle in normal Flooded Lead Acid battery mode.

Charge with a Portable Generator

Careful selection should be used when deciding on a portable generator for electronics. There are 2 important factors that must be considered:

• Output power:
  Generators are marketed in output wattage. This wattage must be higher than the power required by the battery charger.
• Output type:
  Minn Kota chargers require clean output power from the generator to prevent permanent damage. The generator must replicate the power from a standard AC outlet in your home (clean sine wave output).
• Safe for use with electrical equipment:
  The generator must be safe to use with electrical equipment to prevent damage.

Below are the wattage requirements in order to power each charger type:

Serial Number Location

The serial number on your Precision Charger is located on the bottom of the charger and on the Warning Decal on the AC Power Cord.

Dimensions

MK 106PCL and MK 110PCL Charger Weight and Footprint

Weight-

• MK 106PCL - 4
• MK 110PCL - 4.5

MK 212PCL and MK 220PCL Charger Weight and Footprint

Weight-

• MK 212PCL - 6.4 lbs.
• MK 220PCL - 6.4 lbs.

MK 230PCL Charger Weight and Footprint

Weight-

• MK 230PCL - 11.2 lbs.

  

  MK 318PCL and MK 330PCL Charger Weight and Footprint.

  Weight-

  • MK 318PCL - 4 lbs.
  • MK 330PCL - 8.4 lbs.

  
  

  MK 345PCL and MK 345PCLS Charger Footprint

  Weight-

  • MK 345PCL - 15.7 lbs.

  

  MK 460PCL and MK 460PCLS Charger Footprint

  Weight-

  • MK 460PCL - 20.1 lbs.

  

  MK 550PCL Charger Weight and Footprint

  Weight- 12 lbs.
  
  

Manuals

• Precision On-Board Chargers - 6 & 10 amp PCL models
  MK 106PCL, MK 110PCL, MK 112PCL, MK 220PCL, MK 318PCL, MK 330PCL, MK 440PCL, MK 550PCL
• Precision On-Board Chargers - 15 amp PCL models
  Models MK 230PCL, MK 345PCL, MK 460PCL