cheers lads, back to you Kev.

its all a bit confusing i am reading advice on here that i trust ,this ctek monitor / charger but then go on you tube and there is guys on there saying do not put one of these things on your car lol

cheers kev

2 hours ago, Kevgem said:

its all a bit confusing i am reading advice on here that i trust ,this ctek monitor / charger but then go on you tube and there is guys on there saying do not put one of these things on your car lol

cheers kev

There are also non start/stop version for sale which did not have the AGM battery program.  It is possible that some of the negative comments were using the older non compatible version, or the non automatic version (which doesn’t stop so could over-charge).   The CT5 version (which does both AGM and standard batteries) should be ok.  I have the time to go version and found it very easy to use, as green LEDs light up as stages done.   There are full instructions on which way to connect it. There were also alternative leads to permanently connect a plug in socket rather than use the croc clips.   
 

To @Kevgem - Share the link from www . youtube . com "Ctek" is supplier for "OEM" battery chargers for Car brands like "Mercedes Benz", "BMW", "Audi", "Porsche", "Ferrari", "Lamborghini", "Bentley", "Rolls Royce" and may be a lot more. It is pretty good for "Skoda"

sorry dont know how to put link up put this in the search on you tube !

 Don't EVER Use The CTEK Charger On Your Car !!!

hope this helps kev

Very limited applicability that video. It's not saying don't ever use those chargers, it's saying don't try to use them up as a voltage maintainer whilst trying to re-program stuff on the car (judging by a few of the comments, CBA to watch it all). 99.9% of people buy battery chargers simply to charge batteries , I would have thought.

Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6fEAYWBTXQ

 

 

 

is it me thats got it wrong ? he dose say BMW but he also says ctek rubbish so you can see how it comes across!

CTEK chargers are widely recommended on this forum, and I don't recall ever seeing a negative comment about them?

   

I haven't been here forever and haven't read everything posted, but I think on the balance of probabilities I would be happy to use one.  I have something cheaper and pretty much unbranded and have no trouble with that either, as a battery charger.

 

I'm sure someone else will have the patience to watch the whole video, and then be in a more informed position to comment on it to us. Did you watch it right through?

 

 

must admit did get a bit bored of the waffle he seemed to be more concerned with the people doing him out of some business than anything else lol

so could you recommend the a ctek monitor and charger that would do the job of looking after a new battery ?

cheers kev  

p.s thanks for taking the time to point me back on to the right path again lol

cheers kev

Edited 5 January, 20215 yr by Kevgem

I’ve run a CTEK MXS 3.8 for a few years ( at least 5) on my Porsche when it’s in my garage over winter. No issues with it, reliable and well built. If I was buying again now I would probably go for an MXS 5.0 which has the automatic low temperature setting. Also better for Gel stop/start capable batteries, I believe.

thanks very much for all the input lads much appreciated !

kev 

update! yesterday i put that little jump starter on it and it started strait away the day before i tried a good set of jump leads on to my daughters car and nothing just clicking any way took the little jump starter off soon as car started left to tick over for 5/10 mins turned it off and tried to start it again on its own and fired up strait away left the car until about 7pm or so tried it again started strait away 1st crank but got the feeling  it may not of had another crank in it, so took it for a 30min drive on the motoway then parked up today i tried to start it around 10am or so.it had sat though the cold all last knight and it started first crank again so i have left it sat there just ticking over for about 40 mins just until it got to running temp! and that is where i am upto now.

please correct me if wrong but it looks like the battery may not be a dud if it was no good it wouldn't of held charge like it did would it?

do you think i would be better off holding off on the new battery for now and get one of these ctek chargers so i can try and bring this battery up to scratch again?

cheers kev

To @Kevgem - To have Your own battery charger is very good idea. It will help You many years. Buy one and charge Your battery. I think that, if You can go through this Winter, You can use the battery till the next Winter without any Problems. The low temperature reflects very bad to the car batteries (and any other batteries by the way).

 

thanks!

My charger (details above) has arrived. Plugged in and off we go. It’s in AGM mode as opposed to repair mode.  Battery was showing at 40% so let’s see how we get on. 
 

stats:

 

14.6v

3.0A

5’C

winter mode.

My charger (details above) has arrived. Plugged in and off we go. It’s in AGM mode as opposed to repair mode.  Battery was showing at 40% so let’s see how we get on. 
 

stats:

 

14.6v

3.0A

5’C

winter mode.

Any clever / "smart" battery charger will do. I have used older, non automatic chargers and a smart one. Both charged the Superb battery and neither destroyed it. My battery is 7 years old and ticking over o.k.

When you charge a start / stop battery or jump start - as mentioned in the video very dramatically - connect the positive to the positive battery terminal and the negative lead to a metal part in the engine bay or the body somewhere, NOT straight to the battery negative as you might "confuse" the battery controller.

 

In the video the guy was talking about coding or programming a car's controller. When doing this your car's ignition is switched on, the car is draining a high current and you need to maintain the battery and if the battery went flat during a programming procedure you could "brick" the controller. This requires a much higher amperage in the region of 25A not 3 - 5A a "standard" battery charger can provide.

 

thanks very much for clearing that up!

i have just sent for a ctek 5.0 and it is on its way as we speak lol

cheers kev

thanks for all the input lads think i may have sorted my problem now, i think it may have just been a case of 2 things me not using the car that often it is summer when i do a lot of miles and the really cold snap we are having.

started it up this morning, and started up strait away and it was  -3 here? 

so with a bit of luck i will plug it up to a ctek 5.0 and let it give the battery a good charge and keep a better eye on the condition of my battery it may save me having to buy a battery well this year anyway lol

thanks again and hope this thread is of some help to any other members,

atb kev

 

can anyone tell me what readings the battery should be giving ?

in the morning before i start the car ?

and when the car is running ?

dose the reading on the battery change if you pick the revs up a bit?

cheers kev

car started ok today as i had took it for 30mins drive on motorway yesterday, anyway took it on the motorway again and decided to call into a indy garage see if they could check the battery for me and with the engine not running the guy checked the battery with a multi meter and the battery was giving (12.2v) started the car and under load i.e starting it went to (11.0v) put head lights on with the car ticking over and the battery gave a reading of (14.8) nearly (15.00v) so he went and got another tester and put that on, a red light came on meaning there is a problem with the alternator so he recons the alternator is cooking the battery by over charging it.

he has told me to take it home get the charger on it so it is fully charged and take it back to him tomorrow and he will re test it, 

so as it stands now i may have to get the alternator fixed + maybe a new battery if the alternator has cooked it.

this is one of the reasons i didn't want to rush out and replace the battery in the first place trial by pocket i call it lol 

any advice would be appreciated kev 

p.s at no time has a warning light come on the dash to tell me i have a battery problem!

Edited 3 February, 20215 yr by Kevgem

if the car starts and you hot swap whilst engine is running it do u still need to program the car?

Edited 5 February, 20215 yr by lichfielddriver