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Battery conditioner use

Tycho

Well-known member
Joined
15 Jul 2012
Messages
382
Preparing for the harsh northern winter I have got a CTEK battery conditioner after checking past recommendations on the forum. The instructions state the negative lead should be clamped to the chassis remote from the fuel pipe and the battery – so where is the best place to clamp it? Or is it best to use the comfort connection eyelets?
 
Mine has always worked faultlessly connected with the eyelets to the batt terminals.
 
My C-Tec conditioner has worked in several cars I have owned conected to directly to the battery :thumb:
 
moe666 said:
My C-Tec conditioner has worked in several cars I have owned conected to directly to the battery :thumb:

+1 ... great little asset !
 
I am sure there is no doubt these things work, the question is will they also blow the car up.

If the boot is ventilated and there is no smell of petrol, I would not worry about following the extra effort of attaching the neg terminal to the chassis etc.

If you want to be extra safe, just connect the clamps (or snap plug to permanent leads) prior to turning on mains (that way there can't be a spark as you have already made the connection).

Obviously turn off in reverse (ie mains off first, allow any residual charge in CTEK to disipate and disconnect).
 
Preparing for the harsh northern winter
Tycho where are you living then, the Shetland Islands :grin:

Connect directly on the battery, switch on at the mains, if the polarity is incorrect the CTEK will flash a light or similar. However, when switching off make sure you do switch off at the mains to negate any effects the battery may have produced like Hydrogen gas. I think this is the safety thing CTEK may well allude to.

If you do smell petrol you do need to get that sorted first. :thumb:
 
I've got the Porsche branded CTEK one, got it a few years ago when I had a 997 so used to connect through the fag lighter.
With the 993 instead of going to the bother of having the fag lighter wired permanently live I bought the crocodile clip adaptor.
At first I too ignored the instruction about not connecting to the neg terminal but the unit didn't seem to like it when I did ??
Anyhow I now whip the boot carpet back a little over the front wheel arch and connnect the neg clip onto the nearest top mount nut, good fit, job done and the unit works perfectly.
As others have said I tend to connect up with the unit turned off then turn it on when everything is in place and to disconnect I turn off the mains first before removing the crocodile clips.
Hope that's of some use.
 
Thanks Chaps,
I am only in Yorkshire but you can never be too careful! No smell of petrol so I should be OK with the eyelets on the terminals. Now off to watch that TV comedy – Classic Car Rescue.
 
I made my cigarette lighter socket live and plug the CTEK in to this when I get out of the car, Saves having to mess around under the bonnet which is a tad difficult in my tiny garage when the cars parked. The other benefit is I can charge mobile phones/sat navs etc without having the ignition on.
It's quite easy to do if you are capable of making up a small fused lead with a male spade at each end.
 

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just a quick tip with plugging the charger into the bonnet... just in case you don't already know this.

When the bonnet is open.. push the latch closed so that the lights switch off, then you can just push the bonnet down so it closes to just the the first click leaving space for the power cord to feed in.
 
cambjones said:
just a quick tip with plugging the charger into the bonnet... just in case you don't already know this.

When the bonnet is open.. push the latch closed so that the lights switch off, then you can just push the bonnet down so it closes to just the the first click leaving space for the power cord to feed in.

I fully close the bonnet.

Even the thick wire on the CTEK makes it past the rubber seal without any problem.

Any reason not to do this?
 
Hey Leo, only that there is a chance it might warp your bonnet a little I guess..
 
Leosayer said:
cambjones said:
just a quick tip with plugging the charger into the bonnet... just in case you don't already know this.

When the bonnet is open.. push the latch closed so that the lights switch off, then you can just push the bonnet down so it closes to just the the first click leaving space for the power cord to feed in.

I fully close the bonnet.

Even the thick wire on the CTEK makes it past the rubber seal without any problem.

Any reason not to do this?

No there isn't. That's why I also do it. :thumb:
 
Why wouldn't you leave the bonnet slightly open if that is an option?
 

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