The West Marine BC25BWM charger beeps and displays a caution/fault symbol when its internal safety protections trigger to prevent damage to the battery or charger. Common Causes • Reverse Polarity / Incorrect Connections: If the positive (+) and negative (-) clamps are hooked up to the wrong battery terminals, the unit will flash the fault/caution icon, sound a warning beep, and refuse to charge Smart chargers have a minimum voltage threshold (often below 7.5V–9.5V). If the battery is deeply discharged or "dead," the charger cannot recognize it and triggers a fault.