Ctek 5 battery charger

[auldreekie]

 

2019 fiesta active. 

Considering purchasing a ctek 5 battery charger as my battery charge is not getting much of a charge due to lock down and my city's stupid 20mph speed limit everywhere, also low mileage and stop/start never working. 

Do I have to disconnect battery terminals before connecting charger or can I leave terminals connected while charging? 

[LesPes]

I have one of these, the start stop variant and i did take my battery off only because i wasn't sure how long it would take to charge but i'm sure you can actually have it connected full time as mine had a ring terminals as part of the kit along with the usual croc-clips. so i would say that you would be ok to leave it connected if it's easier. Found this,

Unlike traditional car battery chargers which pour power into a battery at a constant (and usually rather high) rate until the moment you disconnect it, CTEK Car Battery Chargers feature “intelligent” computer-chip technology which means you can leave them connected indefinitely to your battery – without having to disconnect the battery from your vehicle. No spanners, no grease and no mess in the kitchen.

[Nismex]

I have a ctek 5 charger, it’s been fine just attaching to my battery in the car.

[auldreekie]

53 minutes ago, Nismex said:

I have a ctek 5 charger, it’s been fine just attaching to my battery in the car.

Leaving the battery terminals connected? 

I read somewhere that the ctek 5 charger earth clip should be connected somewhere else other than on the battery's earth terminal, any truth in that?

[Eric Bloodaxe]

48 minutes ago, auldreekie said:

Leaving the battery terminals connected? 

I read somewhere that the ctek 5 charger earth clip should be connected somewhere else other than on the battery's earth terminal, any truth in that?

I have the equivalent Noco charger - the instructions say you can connect directly to the battery. I have looked at the Ctek instruction manual which is available on line, and that does suggest connecting the negative to an earth point.

Neither suggest you need disconnect the battery when charging.

[pragmatix]

41 minutes ago, auldreekie said:

Leaving the battery terminals connected? 

I read somewhere that the ctek 5 charger earth clip should be connected somewhere else other than on the battery's earth terminal, any truth in that?

All battery chargers should be connected to the earth point and not the battery earth, the earth point is normally near the battery and will have a heavy cable attached to it.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

16 minutes ago, pragmatix said:

the earth point is normally near the battery and will have a heavy cable attached to it.

Yes, it's easy to spot and attach to on the Fiesta Mk 8. On my Mrs 's SEAT Mii the earth point is impossible to get to with the battery in place so I have connected direct to the battery on that with no issues.

[auldreekie]

Thanks for the help folks, mind is made up, I'm going to get the ctek mxs 5.0.

I'll just need to wait and keep my eyes open, everywhere seems out of stock, amazon/Halfords etc unless I want to pay through the nose. I guess lock down is the problem. 

 

[Nismex]

2 hours ago, auldreekie said:

Leaving the battery terminals connected? 

I read somewhere that the ctek 5 charger earth clip should be connected somewhere else other than on the battery's earth terminal, any truth in that?

I should have been clearer, sorry was in a rush to take the dogs out. I leave the battery connected, Positive lead to positive terminal, then negative clamp to ground point.

[auldreekie]

Thanks for all the help folks, new ctek mxs 5 arriving this afternoon. 

1 last question if I can. If charging while battery is in situ and connected what is the best way to have the mains cable coming out of the car and keeping the bonnet closed? I can't see a gap in the engine bay to drop mains cable to the ground. Car will be parked in driveway. 

Coming straight out the front between bonnet & grill would pinch the mains cable. 

[Comares2001]

There must be a gap somewhere around  the track rods and the inner wheel arch where you can drop a mains cable down.

[Nismex]

I use one of my rubber wheel chocks on its side next to the bonnet latch, it looks like the bonnet is closed from a distance and prevents the cable getting caught.