Set the output voltage to 13.8V using a multimeter, before connecting it to the battery.
Try setting the current limit pot to about mid position?
With power off, turn it one way until it starts clicking, then count the turns the other way until it clicks again - then back again, half that number of turns.
A normal lead-acid battery can be left on float charge at 13.8V continuously. If it's going to be regularly run down and recharged (cyclic use), the voltage can safely be set to 14.8V, but it should not be left charging for more than a few hours once full.
Note that car "starter" type batteries cannot stand being run down significantly without degrading; they can be wrecked by just a few full discharges.
A "Deep cycle" type, aka a Leisure battery, can be run down and recharged many times, but cannot deliver the current to start a car.