Ctek mxs 5.0

[Wil19]

I have received my ctek mxs 5.0 today and I am going to charge my fiesta St line in the morning. I was wondering which is the best mode setting for charging and how many hours it will take to charge? My battery isn't completely flat but have been having trouble over the lockdown period. 

[stef123]

It’s difficult to say how long it will take as the ctek goes through multiple stages. Left on overnight it would certainly be fit and healthy. The good thing is they can be left on for long periods. My bike has been on ‘charge’ since September. I have a 5 I use for smaller batteries and I have the 25A version for the garage. 

[Frembrit]

I have the same charger and used the RECOND mode last week on the 80AH battery in my car and I left it for 12 hours before number 7 LED lit up. If I had used it on normal mode then it could take 4-6 hours. My battery wasn't flat though, but maybe coming to the end of it's useful life as it doesn't seem to hold a decent charge, but always starts the car.

[Zico]

**Edit** Sorry @Wil19 to hijack the thread.

I have been looking at the Ctek 5 charger as well but for almost the same price I can get a brand new Varta battery (£72 for the charger from amazon or £68 if click and collected through Halfords with forum discount card, and £73 for the battery from Tanya). My ST is just over 5 years old now so the battery is from new but would get a regular charge on my drive to work each day (~19 miles each way). I had the car MOT'd and serviced at the beginning of March and there were no issues (but don't remember seeing any battery check in the paperwork this time).

The only benefit of getting the charger would be that I could charge my father/brother's BMW diesel (2017) which has been SORN'd since the lockdown.

So question for me is new battery for me or charger for both cars?

[williamweb]

Always useful to have a charger lying around,a new battery can run flat.When i first bought my Ctek mxs 5 i also used the recond mode.It recommends using this mode once a year👍                                                         

[Frembrit]

Yaz, do you need a battery? have you been experiencing problems?

As above, it's always handy to have a charger, especially if you don't have one at all, and is probably a good idea if the BMW isn't being driven right now...can you split the cost with father/brother? 

The battery in my car is 5 years old too, it's a genuine Ford battery after the original was replaced under warranty at 4 years old (I reported a "low battery" problem a year earlier after buying the car from a Ford owned dealer, Trust Ford) Personally I think the Ford battery (made by Varta) is rubbish. I kept the Halfords Calcium battery (8 years old now) from my old ST24 and that has been maintained by a motorbike battery charger (0.8 amps max) and a cheap 6 amp dumb charger, and that is still holding it's charge and used it in the car last summer when I decided to take the other one out to charge. It's handy to have the spare battery, used it in my friends Audi once when his failed. Ultimately I'm putting off replacing the battery for now, but I'd be buying a Yuasa (110) battery from Halfords when I do. Currently I'm monitoring the voltages on the existing battery. Anyway, for me, buying the CTEK charger made things a bit easier as the motorbike charger isn't beefy enough for a car battery and the dumb charger is too "stupid"...haha. 🙂

[Wil19]

I've set my ctek charger away this morning, will see how long it takes. Will try recond mode probably at a later day as not sure how long it will take. I thought about  getting a new battery but with my car not being used for now, a charger seemed the best option. 

[Zico]

17 hours ago, Frembrit said:

Yaz, do you need a battery? have you been experiencing problems?

As above, it's always handy to have a charger, especially if you don't have one at all, and is probably a good idea if the BMW isn't being driven right now...can you split the cost with father/brother? 

The battery in my car is 5 years old too, it's a genuine Ford battery after the original was replaced under warranty at 4 years old (I reported a "low battery" problem a year earlier after buying the car from a Ford owned dealer, Trust Ford) Personally I think the Ford battery (made by Varta) is rubbish. I kept the Halfords Calcium battery (8 years old now) from my old ST24 and that has been maintained by a motorbike battery charger (0.8 amps max) and a cheap 6 amp dumb charger, and that is still holding it's charge and used it in the car last summer when I decided to take the other one out to charge. It's handy to have the spare battery, used it in my friends Audi once when his failed. Ultimately I'm putting off replacing the battery for now, but I'd be buying a Yuasa (110) battery from Halfords when I do. Currently I'm monitoring the voltages on the existing battery. Anyway, for me, buying the CTEK charger made things a bit easier as the motorbike charger isn't beefy enough for a car battery and the dumb charger is too "stupid"...haha. 🙂

I don't believe I need a new battery now as I've not had any issues with the car. I've only driven the car 3 times since the 19th of March which would have reasonably charged the battery. I've then started it and left it running on the drive for ~20min's plus on two other occasions (radio, fans etc. turned off so as few as possible things running) just as a precaution. The BMW has been started and left running on the drive for 30+ minutes on at least two occasions since the end of March.

I always thought that Varta were a reputable battery manufacturer. The Ford battery in the ST now is a Varta.

I almost ended up getting the Ctek charger from amazon today as the price had dropped down to £69.95 but I forgot and when I checked the basket again it was no longer in stock by amazon directly and the next price was £80. If it comes back in again then I will likely pick it up.

[williamweb]

5 hours ago, Zico said:

I don't believe I need a new battery now as I've not had any issues with the car. I've only driven the car 3 times since the 19th of March which would have reasonably charged the battery. I've then started it and left it running on the drive for ~20min's plus on two other occasions (radio, fans etc. turned off so as few as possible things running) just as a precaution. The BMW has been started and left running on the drive for 30+ minutes on at least two occasions since the end of March.

I always thought that Varta were a reputable battery manufacturer. The Ford battery in the ST now is a Varta.

I almost ended up getting the Ctek charger from Amazon today as the price had dropped down to £69.95 but I forgot and when I checked the basket again it was no longer in stock by Amazon directly and the next price was £80. If it comes back in again then I will likely pick it up.

Mccormick Tools  in stock now £65.20 various delivery charges.I think you need to do an account sign up, you can always delete later if you want.I've only had good experiences from them so can recommend 👍

[Frembrit]

Yaz, I also think the Varta /Bosch batteries are very good but I wonder if they're made to a different spec for Ford. Speculation though. 

The Halfords Calcium battery that I still have is made by Yuasa, as too is the one in my motorbike. The Ford (Varta) battery in my car keeps losing its charge, even after a good charge up,  and then I get a 'low battery' message on the speedo cluster after a few days, though it has never failed to start. Just annoying that I can only have the stereo on for about 5-10 mins (with engine off) before it switches it off. I don't think the smart charge system helps either.

Sounds like you'll be fine really. I expect amazon will have the charger back in stock soon.

[Zico]

16 hours ago, williamweb said:

Mccormick Tools  in stock now £65.20 various delivery charges.I think you need to do an account sign up, you can always delete later if you want.I've only had good experiences from them so can recommend 👍

I know I am a little late in replying to this post but the cost of it now is £91.80inc Vat.

[williamweb]

7 hours ago, Zico said:

I know I am a little late in replying to this post but the cost of it now is £91.80inc Vat.

They must of sold out shortly after i posted to you🙄The £91.80 has the alternator test mode added so more expensive👍

[Frembrit]

back in stock on amazon, £71.50

[Zico]

Picked one up Friday morning and supposed to be here by Thursday next week (yes I am a peasant and don't have Prime ). Also picked up the extension cables as depending on where I would need to park the car during charging I might need the extra 2.5m.

[tef89]

2 hours ago, Zico said:

Picked one up Friday morning and supposed to be here by Thursday next week (yes I am a peasant and don't have Prime ). Also picked up the extension cables as depending on where I would need to park the car during charging I might need the extra 2.5m.

Nice work Yaz 🙂

I'd love to get one but I feel pedestrians would trip over the cable running across the pavement 😄

[Eric Bloodaxe]

50 minutes ago, tef89 said:

I'd love to get one but I feel pedestrians would trip over the cable running across the pavement 😄

Didn't want to shuffle our cars around at the moment - the Mrs's is sat in our garage near a socket but mine is outside and not in reach. Worked out I could do it by putting an extension lead through the flap of the letterbox on the front door, then hoping it doesn't rain while it's charging. Might cause the postie a problem, though!😀 

I have seen a guy whose car was parked at the roadside who had run a cable (using several extension leads connected together) out of his window, across his front yard and the pavement, to a charger sat on his front seat. From there the charger leads ran out through the car side window then under the bonnet which was left slightly open!

[tef89]

Now that's a commitment to keep the battery charged lol. 

[Zico]

18 hours ago, tef89 said:

Nice work Yaz 🙂

I'd love to get one but I feel pedestrians would trip over the cable running across the pavement 😄

Don't worry, now I've got one coming it will pee it down with rain for a week and lockdown will be over the day it arrives .

If you've got space outside your house but are on-road parking could you not get those rubber cable mats that you can place on the footway OR use a couple of extendable washing lines to lift it up and over 2m above the footway so people can walk under?

[tef89]

9 hours ago, Zico said:

Don't worry, now I've got one coming it will pee it down with rain for a week and lockdown will be over the day it arrives .

If you've got space outside your house but are on-road parking could you not get those rubber cable mats that you can place on the footway OR use a couple of extendable washing lines to lift it up and over 2m above the footway so people can walk under?

I did think about it, but no, someone would nick the rubber cover or the poles 😁

[Zico]

Hmm well the amazon order status has confused me slightly. The Ctek charger is reporting that is set to arrive tomorrow yet hasn't been shipped yet. The extension cable was shipped from Garbsen, Hannover on Monday reaching the Rochester (Medway) depot on Wednesday and last update said it left that depot at 5pm last night on course to be delivered tomorrow by 9pm.

Ordered another few items Monday of which one part of the order shipped from Dormagen, Cologne on Tuesday. That item then mirrors arriving and leaving Rochester on Wednesday and set to be delivered Saturday. The rest of the order reports arriving Saturday but hasn't shipped.

First world problems .

[Eric Bloodaxe]

22 hours ago, Zico said:

Hmm well the Amazon order status has confused me slightly. 

Tipped off a mate after David's post above. It was delivered in 2 days from order, and he (like me) is also a non-Prime peasant!😀

[jace1969]

I have one of these had the full kit so i can charge off the cigi lighter (if yours is on 24/7) mine is being 2011 Titanium.

Its one of the best bit of kits i have brought and had it a year or so off amazon in a deal,use the recon once a year and the charger when needed as do very little miles in a week.

Also had the longer charge lead and the traffic light thing that connects to the battery and gives you a 3 light reading red/amber/green but tried this and fine but i go off cigi lighter.

 

[Zico]

My two orders all turned up on Thursday with the tracking stating the other parts were shipped late the night before.

Already charged my ST on Friday afternoon (only started charging around 3pm and it was on stage 7 sometime after midnight when I last checked it.

Got it hooked up to my father's BMW 520d at the moment (in AGM mode as it's start/stop) and guess this may take a little longer to get to stage 7 (started charging around 1pm).

The extension cable is a bit of a con to be honest. If the cable on the charger unit was able to be extended then the extra 2.5m should just be part of the original charger. End to end the charger and cables give you just enough reach if you were in a small garage and the plug was the opposite side of the wall to where you needed to hook things up. The additional 2.5m would give you that extra reach and likely mean that you could lay the cables on the floor than stretching waste height from the wall to the car.

I did almost go for the 12v plug charger but I believe that the ST's sockets only stay on for a maximum of 10 minutes after turning the car off so it wouldn't be any good for me (and would mean another £££ for the extra).