How to connect a c-tek maintainer to a stop-start car?
Discussion
I like to fit a ctek comfort connector to my cars so that I can keep them on a maintainer when not in use.
The latest Jaguars have a two-battery stop-start system.
Someone told me that a maintainer shouldn't be fitted purely across the main battery as it can damage the electrics.
They said that the positive should go to the positive terminal on the main battery and the negative to a car earthing point.
I'm clueless! Does anyone know?
Thanks. 😄
The latest Jaguars have a two-battery stop-start system.
Someone told me that a maintainer shouldn't be fitted purely across the main battery as it can damage the electrics.
They said that the positive should go to the positive terminal on the main battery and the negative to a car earthing point.
I'm clueless! Does anyone know?
Thanks. 😄
Even without the start stop system, the owners manual for my XKR says that connecting a battery charger may damage the cars electrics. I think that the owners manual says this about everything and seems to have been written by someone in the legal department trying to avoid them being help liable for anything that may ever happen.
When my XKR gave me warnings about battery charge I looked in the manual because the actual battery location wasn't obvious and saw these warning, so I called the dealer I bought the car from and they laughed and said half the cars in the showroom were on chargers.
As Jay Leno said in his column in Octane a years or so back, owners manuals have changed. The manual for my XK150 includes instructions on stripping down the head, the manual for my X150 only just stops short of recommending that I get a qualified service personnel to top up the fuel tank.
The plan is to keep owners clueless so as to feed as much work as possible back into the dealer network.
When my XKR gave me warnings about battery charge I looked in the manual because the actual battery location wasn't obvious and saw these warning, so I called the dealer I bought the car from and they laughed and said half the cars in the showroom were on chargers.
As Jay Leno said in his column in Octane a years or so back, owners manuals have changed. The manual for my XK150 includes instructions on stripping down the head, the manual for my X150 only just stops short of recommending that I get a qualified service personnel to top up the fuel tank.
The plan is to keep owners clueless so as to feed as much work as possible back into the dealer network.
I had a chat yesterday with the senior engineer at the local dealership. He said ctek chargers were a great idea an it should be connected to the + main battery terminal and a negative earthing point.
He said connecting across the main battery terminals alone is very unlikely to damage the car but it won't monitor battery status correctly.
You're right. All the cars in the showroom were (quite correctly) on maintainers.
He said connecting across the main battery terminals alone is very unlikely to damage the car but it won't monitor battery status correctly.
You're right. All the cars in the showroom were (quite correctly) on maintainers.
You are correct - The Red end of the comfort connector goes to the Positive + and the black should go to a suitable earth point on the body close by.
The + on the main battery is at the same potential (Voltage point) as the secondary battery (I'm presuming an F-Type or similar age) and it works a treat.
I've traced the wiring through on mine to check that I am not spouting crap and it appears to be following Jag's installation diagram logic.
I have it on condition for 4 weeks at a time - It's as good as gold.
Without it the things would be flat as a pancake as the new Jags draw a lot of current (like power) even when not being used.
The + on the main battery is at the same potential (Voltage point) as the secondary battery (I'm presuming an F-Type or similar age) and it works a treat.
I've traced the wiring through on mine to check that I am not spouting crap and it appears to be following Jag's installation diagram logic.
I have it on condition for 4 weeks at a time - It's as good as gold.
Without it the things would be flat as a pancake as the new Jags draw a lot of current (like power) even when not being used.
Just looked at my F-Type and XFR-S ...
From what I can see there is a thick cable running straight from the negative terminal on the main battery to a body earthing point.
Therefore, it seems to me, connecting the negative lead from the ctek to the negative battery terminal is exactly the same as connecting it directly to an earthing point!
So whichever you do .... it's the same. :-/
From what I can see there is a thick cable running straight from the negative terminal on the main battery to a body earthing point.
Therefore, it seems to me, connecting the negative lead from the ctek to the negative battery terminal is exactly the same as connecting it directly to an earthing point!
So whichever you do .... it's the same. :-/
wilwak said:
Just looked at my F-Type and XFR-S ...
From what I can see there is a thick cable running straight from the negative terminal on the main battery to a body earthing point.
Therefore, it seems to me, connecting the negative lead from the ctek to the negative battery terminal is exactly the same as connecting it directly to an earthing point!
So whichever you do .... it's the same. :-/
Unfortunately not. I was hoping to say that you can connect the -ve directly to the -ve terminal, however you may notice a discrete component (Battery Monitoring System) mounted on the -ve post of the battery, hence why the connection must be made to the chassis/body to include this as per the Jag instructions that they produce for their chargers, which incidentally are re-badged CTEKS!From what I can see there is a thick cable running straight from the negative terminal on the main battery to a body earthing point.
Therefore, it seems to me, connecting the negative lead from the ctek to the negative battery terminal is exactly the same as connecting it directly to an earthing point!
So whichever you do .... it's the same. :-/
Edited by Tel after a bit more research on the Charging monitor component ;-)
Edited by Tel on Monday 8th December 01:43
Thanks. I'll have another look tomorrow but it seemed to me that the think silver cable didn't "pass through" a component between the battery terminal and the earthing point. However there were components attached to the terminal and earthing point.
I'll play it safe and contect to the earthing point but the negative terminal would be easier due to it having a spare thread sticking up. That's the only reason I'd been hoping I could!
I'll play it safe and contect to the earthing point but the negative terminal would be easier due to it having a spare thread sticking up. That's the only reason I'd been hoping I could!
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