Smart Charger Issue

[Lambo FirstBlood]

I've just bought a new CTEK MXS 10 to keep the cars topped up whilst they are getting so little use. Its a great bit of kit showing all the stages of the charge but I cannot get it to work on my LP640!

I've tested it on others cars and it work fine. On the Lambo, it lights up, shows no error lights "looks" for the battery for 2 mins then goes in to standby without testing or charging the battery. I'm certain it's something to do with the car.

I've tried with the battery isolated both on and off and still nothing.

Any suggestions welcome

Thanks.

[davek_964]

How are you connecting it? If it's via a lighter socket, maybe it's not live with ignition off?

[Lambo FirstBlood]

I'm connecting straight to the battery with the main clips it comes with as per the owners manual.

I'm pretty sure its a quirk rather than a fault as the charger would pick a fault up

[Lambo FirstBlood]

OK, problem solved! If I put the black negative clip where the manual tells me to, it doesn't work. If I clip it somewhere else in the engine bay, then it works!

Classic Lamborghini!

[Ferruccio]

It also doesn’t charge if the battery cut off switch is off.

[Lambo FirstBlood]

Ferruccio said:

It also doesn’t charge if the battery cut off switch is off.

Thanks. I did wonder that.

Out of interest, do you use a smart charger or just use the cut off switch when you’re leaving the car for a few weeks?

[av185]

The black negative lead should always be connected to the cars earthing point not the negative battery terminal.

[Lambo FirstBlood]

av185 said:

The black negative lead should always be connected to the cars earthing point not the negative battery terminal.

Thanks, I've worked that out now, although there is no specific earthing point and the owners manuals says to use the negative battery terminal!!

[Ferruccio]

Lambo FirstBlood said:

Ferruccio said:

It also doesn’t charge if the battery cut off switch is off.

Thanks. I did wonder that.

Out of interest, do you use a smart charger or just use the cut off switch when you’re leaving the car for a few weeks?

When not using the car, I always turn the battery cut off switch to off.
The manual says that that gives you a month.
I’ve never tested it, given that it’s such a pain to change the battery.
So I charge it every week or two and then the battery lasts for ages.

[cgt2]

I use the same model, if yours is the MXS 10 Test & Charge that's a very good feature, it allows you to check the health of the battery before plugging in. When you connect with the clips the lights scroll through and it then runs a test programme indicating health.

Great piece of kit, I bought two.

[Lambo FirstBlood]

cgt2 said:

I use the same model, if yours is the MXS 10 Test & Charge that's a very good feature, it allows you to check the health of the battery before plugging in. When you connect with the clips the lights scroll through and it then runs a test programme indicating health.

Great piece of kit, I bought two.

Thats the one. It is very good. I used it on the old M5 yesterday and overnight and now its working its magic on the Lambo. I went for that one as it also does stop/start systems too so I will get to work on the others later on.