Trickle charger on the M - options/advice?

[Bing]

I use the 3.8 on my Z any time it will be sitting for more than a couple of days. PVR always kept it on charge as well. The battery is now almost 10 years old !

Good to know Bing - thanks - how have you got your trickle charge set up?

Can't show you a pic right now, but the most convenient power outlet is at the front of the car in the garage. The Ctek is attached to the charging points in the engine bay, and the wire routed down between the intake & airbox then tucked down the inside edge of the headlight so I can shut the bonnet and lock the car.

 

[Argenta]

Std CTEK one works well on my M, I'd just make sure the power cable into the car is a grounded one since it's outdoors.

 

[AndyBeech]

I use the 3.8 on my Z any time it will be sitting for more than a couple of days. PVR always kept it on charge as well. The battery is now almost 10 years old !

Good to know Bing - thanks - how have you got your trickle charge set up?

Can't show you a pic right now, but the most convenient power outlet is at the front of the car in the garage. The Ctek is attached to the charging points in the engine bay, and the wire routed down between the intake & airbox then tucked down the inside edge of the headlight so I can shut the bonnet and lock the car.

Was going to say the same, the easiest way is in the engine bay. There's a little cap covering a positive connection (near the bulkhead passenger side I believe) which you should be able use so shouldn't have to mess about in the boot and with the battery itself.

 

[paulgs1000]

I use the 3.8 on my Z any time it will be sitting for more than a couple of days. PVR always kept it on charge as well. The battery is now almost 10 years old !

Good to know Bing - thanks - how have you got your trickle charge set up?

Can't show you a pic right now, but the most convenient power outlet is at the front of the car in the garage. The Ctek is attached to the charging points in the engine bay, and the wire routed down between the intake & airbox then tucked down the inside edge of the headlight so I can shut the bonnet and lock the car.

Of course - that's an option I hadn't thought about - using the connections under the bonnet leaves me free to route the wire and connector to one of the lower air intakes perhaps or somewhere else accessible - I'll take a look and have a think.
Thanks again.

 

[afennell]

Be interesting to know where you place it in the end, as soon as I sell my old weekend car the Z will be pride of place in the garage on the Ctek during the week.

I take it if using the + jump point in the engine bay you will still need to earth to the shell?

 

[VRSteve]

Be interesting to know where you place it in the end, as soon as I sell my old weekend car the Z will be pride of place in the garage on the Ctek during the week.

I take it if using the + jump point in the engine bay you will still need to earth to the shell?

Yep

 

[Bing]

Good to know Bing - thanks - how have you got your trickle charge set up?

Can't show you a pic right now, but the most convenient power outlet is at the front of the car in the garage. The Ctek is attached to the charging points in the engine bay, and the wire routed down between the intake & airbox then tucked down the inside edge of the headlight so I can shut the bonnet and lock the car.

Of course - that's an option I hadn't thought about - using the connections under the bonnet leaves me free to route the wire and connector to one of the lower air intakes perhaps or somewhere else accessible - I'll take a look and have a think.
Thanks again.

Just tuck it down the gap between the light and the front bumper, where the bumper meets the wing. Sorry, will try to remember to get a pic tomorrow.

 

[Havard]

I will have to post up some pics but I used to keep my Ctek in a tupperware box under the car but the lead from the power plug to the Ctek was a good 1500mm at the time.

The one I bought recently for my 330Ci track car had much shorter leads on both ends. I think once you know the length of the power cable to the Ctek and then the length of the leads to the battery terminals, you can look at the position of the car. I can measure mine if that helps.

You can place the Ctek under the bonnet too. I have done this for years without issue but I like to see how it is doing without having to unlock the car etc.

H.

 

[Bing]

Here is how mine is routed, staying clear of pinch points and the bonnet catch :

 

[paulgs1000]

Right, thanks Bing, thanks Harvard. . . .really helpful.

I was hoping to leave a connection fitted on the M which would be routed to a connector I could access from outside the car. That way I could park the M up and cover it but reach for the connector (say in the lower air intake or behind the kidney grills) using this to connect power and the battery charger/conditioner . . . .

I'll take a look at what comes with the CteK and see how much wire I have - if it's not possible to do it the way I'd hoped then I'll go for your answer Bing.

Cheers all a big help

 

[pvr]

Not with you Paul, why would you not just park, connect the CTEK, then put the cover over it? The CTEK remains connected as long as you have the cover on it so when you do want to disconnect it, you have to remove the cover first anyway.

 

[Bing]

The only way of doing what you want is to put a connection in the boot like others have. You can't leave the ctek wires in the engine bay when it's running, they'll melt. By the way, the length of wire you get on the ctek is pretty short. I got the extension cable, think it's 2m, mor Ethan enough for my needs.

 

[paulgs1000]

Not with you Paul, why would you not just park, connect the CTEK, then put the cover over it? The CTEK remains connected as long as you have the cover on it so when you do want to disconnect it, you have to remove the cover first anyway.

Just convenience Paul - I used to have my motorcycles set up so that once parked, a permanently connected set of wires came from the battery to a convenient place easily accessible (such as behind a piece of the plastic fairing) and could be connected up to the Optimate and the condition of the battery could be monitored by the LCDs. It was possible to buy the permanent battery connectors separately and so both my bikes were set up this way and then I could easily connect the optimate to whichever bike I felt needed it.

The only way of doing what you want is to put a connection in the boot like others have. You can't leave the ctek wires in the engine bay when it's running, they'll melt. By the way, the length of wire you get on the ctek is pretty short. I got the extension cable, think it's 2m, mor Ethan enough for my needs.

Damn that's a pity. I'll take a look at the engine compartment (and the means of connexion). If the wires were long enough I might be able to find a route that avoids high temperatures (hopefully) to an outside accessible place to connect up the CteK (or even try my Optimate) at that point. As you say, and looking at your photo, that looks like it's not going to be possible with a CteK unit as the wires to the unit are too short. Looks like I'm going to have to lift the bonnet every time I use either system . . . . I'll take another look in the boot

 

[markeg]

Mine is boot connected. I bought a second hand battery shelf and added the ctek battery monitor & connectors (link)- they are wired directly to the battery and the plug monitor piece is held in a slot I cut into the shelf



The ctek can then quickly plug in, and the lead is placed across the rubber and out to the socket.



Bonus is that the display meter shows the battery health

 

[paulgs1000]

A neat job markeg

 

[mr wilks]

Would a charger that connected to cigarette lighter socket be more suited Paul ?

 

[VRSteve]

You can't leave the ctek wires in the engine bay when it's running, they'll melt.

Is this from experience or an assumption??

Mine have been in the engine bay for 3 years and haven't even begun to melt, so I suspect you're just assuming.

On my Blackbird and my Aprillia the plugs sit just above the exhaust. They haven't melted either.

 

[Havard]

You can just bolt the eyelets that come with the unit to the battery and then run a wire into the boot.

Something handy from Halfrauds.

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/bulbs-blades-batteries/battery-chargers-jump-starters/ctek-2-5m-extension-cable?cm_mmc=Google+PLA-_-Bulbs,+Blades+and+Batteries-_-Battery+Chargers+&+Jump+Starters-_-549800&_$ja=tsid:60494%7Ccgn:GoogleShopping%7Ckw:549800&istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istItemId=xixqqwlmm&istBid=tztt&_$ja=tsid:35522|cid:344535484|agid:24344213644|tidla-273308113368|crid:83789257324|nw:g|rnd:13735936833633852811|dvc:c|adp:1o1&gclid=COeE7vH4g9ECFc0W0wodEW8KSw

After looking on the Ctek website, these units are now IP65 which should be weather proof and they also have in built temperature compensation against frost. I would still make a box to protect it like I did and slide it under the car if possible. Problem will come from getting the power to the unit as I am sure the cable is only one metre to the plug.

H.

 

[goon]

I use a Halfords fully automatic charger on my car and bikes, works great had it for years good machine.

 

[afennell]

Would the wires really melt if you left the plug perminantly wires to the jump point under sonnet, and secured it by the bulk head? There are other wires and rubber hoses under the bonnet