Using a CTEC intelligent charger

[Roy124]

2 hours ago, Puglet said:

As mentioned I also got a normal trickle charger, .... which I use on our regularly used cars when feel battery needs a top up, 

 

When I had a flat Battery with a 40 Ahr I would run the charger at 5 Amps for a few hours, ie afternoon to evening, then 2 Amp trickle overnight.  'twere a proper charger, metal case, air vent slots at the back, buzzed,  and great as a hand warmer 😀 

No idea if I did the right thing.

[anchorman]

9 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

@CPN had me the first time I came across it then the penny dropped:

Edited to add and E2A again

That is different from Edited and is a postscript 😀

Muck fee, it’s like the crapton factor 🤔

[Puglet]

2 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

When I had a flat battery with a 40 Ahr I would run the charger at 5 Amps for a few hours, ie afternoon to evening, then 2 Amp trickle overnight.  'twere a proper charger, metal case, air vent slots at the back, buzzed,  and great as a hand warmer 😀 

No idea if I did the right thing.

Know what you mean, I still got my dear old dad's similar one. It still does the job, but showing its age, so I keep that for posterity.

[anchorman]

5 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

When I had a flat battery with a 40 Ahr I would run the charger at 5 Amps for a few hours, ie afternoon to evening, then 2 Amp trickle overnight.  'twere a proper charger, metal case, air vent slots at the back, buzzed,  and great as a hand warmer 😀 

No idea if I did the right thing.

That’s the conventional way.   Works perfectly well but the CTEK will take care of everything.  

[MikeSh]

1 hour ago, Roy124 said:

twere a proper charger, metal case, air vent slots at the back, buzzed,

That sounds a bit like my old charger, though that is plastic. I think the insides are probably just a transformer and rectifier with an ammeter on the front. If Battery volts are low then it pushes what it can (about 4A) and then as the voltage rises the current naturally decreases quite quickly down to a trickle eventually. I don't think there is any active regulation.

It works fine but that 4A and reducing is limiting when you want to get some juice in quickly - it can take a day to get a flat Battery back to 'normal' - and I don't know how well it will work on EFB/AGM batteries, which is why I got a more modern one.

[Chas G]

Out of interest has anyone been brave enough to use the Ctek 5 "recond" mode on their 12 volt lead acid Battery?

[Basil-BarryC]

32 minutes ago, Chas G said:

Out of interest has anyone been brave enough to use the Ctek 5 "recond" mode on their 12 volt lead acid battery?

Tried the recondition mode on an old lead acid Battery in a Nissan Micra with a flat Battery, it didn’t do any harm as the Battery was on the way out anyway and needed to be replaced so although it didn’t seem to do any harm it unfortunately couldn’t save the battery. It does add a gassing step to mix the acid
The original battery was over 10 years old though so I couldn’t complain 😀

[hind]

14 hours ago, anchorman said:

CTEK will take care of everything.  

Will it work with deeply (3-4V)  discharged batteries? 🙂

[anchorman]

24 minutes ago, hind said:

Will it work with deeply (3-4V)  discharged batteries? 🙂

It can work miracles with batteries but unfortunately not humans.  

[Roy124]

54 minutes ago, hind said:

Will it work with deeply (3-4V)  discharged batteries? 🙂

Probably recover from its first heart attack but the next probably inevitable in the not too distant future.

It will probably get you out if immediate problems but serve as a warning 

[Guest]

I do have a 5Amp CTEK charger, but I have found the Maypole device to be just as good, reliable and much cheaper. It's an old U.K. company. However, like most now, they are made in that well known People's Republic.

[Guest]

This old charger lives in the garage as a stand by. Must be 50+ years old now and still works. Nothing "smart" though! Patina evident.

I have to confess, that many years ago, the glass protection fuse blew. Having no spare I did wrap the blown fuse in ciggy packet silver foil which sufficed until a replacement fuse was sourced - yes, I know, don't do it, it's dangerous.

 

[Roy124]

43 minutes ago, Slartybartfast said:

I do have a 5Amp CTEK charger, but I have found the Maypole device to be just as good, reliable and much cheaper. It's an old U.K. company. However, like most now, they are made in that well known People's Republic.

One hopes that the European branded product is made to its original specifications.

Some Chinese knock off stuff is excellent.  I am slowly converting my Dyson vacuum to Chinese.   The Battery pack was hugely less expensive and came with a filter set too.

Just replaced the rotor brush.  Again an identical look a like. 

OTOH the Gillette knock offs were no better than used originals.

 

 

 

[jthspace]

7 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

One hopes that the European branded product is made to its original specifications.

Some Chinese knock off stuff is excellent.  I am slowly converting my Dyson vacuum to Chinese.   The battery pack was hugely less expensive and came with a filter set too.

Just replaced the rotor brush.  Again an identical look a like. 

OTOH the Gillette knock offs were no better than used originals.

Ah, Girrette blades, rip a layer of skin off at the same time.

Sounds like you have a Trigger vacuum - like his brush that had 3 new heads and 5 handles but was still his original!

[Knorton]

A bit late to this topic. I have had a Ctec for a few years now (winter m/cycle tp up) not had to charge the Yaris X as only 7 months old and has regular use. But I use it on the Avensis and have found if you connect to the Battery with it still conected to the car it will start fine then stop after a little while, disconnect the Battery earth and will charge fine. I assume because the bonnet isnt fully shut it wakes up the electrical system so the charger pics up on it and shuts off for safety?

Kev.

[Guest]

My CTEK unit is "Assembled in China". One would hope, like Roy, the Maypole jobby, it is made to proper standards?

Both have functioned perfectly for years without any obvious issues with either them or the batteries connected to.

[Roy124]

2 hours ago, Knorton said:

..... have found if you connect to the battery with it still conected to the car it will start fine then stop after a little while, disconnect the battery earth and will charge fine. 

When you say "stop after a little while" did you mean the CTEK LEDs went out?

I used my CTEK on my Corolla 1.8 while it was hard wired to the Battery and the bonnet open.

Also on my Yaris Cross where the plug was under the back seat.

No problem in either case.

 

[Dezzer21]

I fitted the tails of my CTek charger to the Battery terminal’s yesterday 10 minute job, saves having to leave the bonnet open.

[MikeSh]

6 hours ago, Dezzer21 said:

I fitted the tails of my CTek charger to the battery terminal’s yesterday 10 minute job, saves having to leave the bonnet open.

But the door or window presumably?

[anchorman]

44 minutes ago, MikeSh said:

But the door or window presumably?

They trap it in the door seal.  I prefer to feed it out from the bonnet. 

[MikeSh]

1 minute ago, anchorman said:

They trap it in the door seal.

Ugh.

2 minutes ago, anchorman said:

I prefer to feed it out from the bonnet. 

Still ugh! 😁

[anchorman]

10 hours ago, MikeSh said:

Ugh.

Still ugh! 😁

Nobody's got you at gunpoint.  You do what you want if you’ve got a better idea.

[hind]

10 hours ago, MikeSh said:

Still ugh! 😁

IV is never pretty 😛

[Guest]

Back in 2020, when we were under house arrest, I used the CTEK charger and usd this https://www.amazon.co.uk/CTE-56260-Direct-Connector-Adaptor-6-3mm/dp/B002MT72YE/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2BG5KBJYFGBT2&keywords=ctek%2Bbattery%2Bcharger%2Baccessories&qid=1707218391&quartzVehicle=29-10519&replacementKeywords=ctek%2Bbattery%2Baccessories&sprefix=ctek%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-5&th=1

One eyelet connected to the +ve terminal and the -ve behind a bolt head on the Battery tray support. The CTEK extension was plugged in to it and routed from underneath to enable the bonnet being closed. I think it is the M8 eyelet version.

I had to use a mains extention with the socket end wrapped in a plastic bag to ward off the elements.

[Roy124]

12 hours ago, anchorman said:

 

Those photos illustrate exactly why I go for the fit and forget tail to Battery option.