hey guys I have bought this charger last year.  When I got it the charger worked properly.  It is suppost to be a  automatic charger.  So when the battery if full it should switch it's self too charge complete.  Which stops the connection.  The first one I had did stop at one point but it stopped working correctly.  I kept using it and it would get hot and have a odor so I sent it back.  I just got my new one and it does the same thing.  So I am wouindering does anyone have this charger?  If so do you have this issue?  here is the link below to veiw the charger.

Thanx

    http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7966283

2 in a row bad?  I'd start suspecting the battery at this point.  

Agree, a bad battery will never get up to full voltage so the charger will keep on putting out its maximum current trying to get it up to voltage.  This will create a lot of heat but should not damage the charger.  The smell you detected was probably from the bad battery boiling away.

No I know for sure the odor is coming from the charger b/c I smelled both and the charger was the source.  I bought this battery a year ago. So I don't think it's the battery.  When I hit the on off power switch on the charger it will then switch to charge complete but if I don't do it it will never shut off.

Dude I feel ya. I have had the same problem with my last 3 "new" schumacher chargers I bought on ebay. It is quite annoying when you have to babysit the charger.

lol I just said the same thing to my dad.  Great minds think a like bro.  This charger gets great reveiws when it works

I had a battery do the same thing when it was like 9 months old, I could hear it boiling though.  It was a Minn Kota battery made by Trojan batteries.  Either of them or Dicks wouldn't do anything, they told me every battery has a different life.

A 1 year old battery is no reason to not suspect it.  I've had batteries fail after just a few months.  

Easy enough to diagnose the problem. Get you a hydrometer (something like this http://www.remybattery.com/Products/Standard-Battery-Hydrometer---00199__00199.aspx and check each cell in the battery. They all should be very close to the same and a good fully charged battery is going 1.260 to 1.300, depending on the manufactor and the electrolite they used. Most deep cycles are going to be 1.275 or higher.

If they are not all coming at least into the green and reading within one line of each other, the battery is not reaching full charge and the charger is just going to keep on cooking it trying to get it there.

Do this test 24 hours after the battery has been taken off the charger.  Right after charging can give abnormal high readings, however if it's never getting into the green, then no need to waste the time later on.

I don't get it when I am out on the water the battery hold up.  Isn't this a sign of a good battery?  And if it was bad and won't reach full charge then why is it that when I switch the charger off then back on it will say the charge is complete?  This is why I suspect the charger not the battery.  I could be wrong but I want to let you guys know evrything.

So what do I have to do to check the battery?  Do I put that inside were the plates and water are?  

You place it in the cell, squeze and release the bulb and let if fill with enough water to float the bulb but not too high or it will hit the stopper in the top of the tube.  When you are sure the bulb is floating off the bottom and not up into the top, you read the line that's at water level.

ok thank you I am going to try charging another battery first to see if it is my charger or the battery.   Then I will  let you know how I make out with it.