Battery chargers - what to look for

**Flipper Dog** · 26-08-2021, 07:47 PM

You will be safe to charge in under the "Normal Battery Program" mode, that is the one with the image of a car.
Just connect it up and turn it on, the charger will do it's thing.
If you do find your battery is an AGM type, it will be written on the battery, than you can switch over to AGM mode.

**Hillbilly** · 26-08-2021, 08:04 PM

REPLY TO WAI
Could also be an EFB which is also charged on normal wet cell program.

Charger in a modern car should really have Negative to the post on the body rather than the neg terminal as well.

Look in the cars manual for how to charge its battery

CTEK charger: battery types and charging modes explained

Manual for MX5.0

https://www.ctek.com/storage/884E466...-low-AU-EN.pdf

Product sheet

https://www.ctek.com/storage/216D8BE...-low-AU-EN.pdf

**wai** · 27-08-2021, 07:24 PM

Thanks for all the help. I managed to get a link to download the user guide. Yes, it is a calcium technology battery, so just the normal charging mode.

One thing that has me confused is the grounding.

I am aware that you do not use the negative post on the battery when you use the clamps as it is likely to spark and you get hydrogen bubbling off the battery. Not a good mixture.

What I am not sure of is that although the user guide shows the leads mounted on the post connector for a more permanent installation, everything else says use a grounding point on the body. Simply connecting the eyelets to the terminal clamp is not going to generate a spark as the other ends are safe in the end boot that you have to uncover to use.

Is there some other reason to connect the cables to the the chassis earth point and not the battery, and anyone have an idea as to where this is on a VW Caddy?

Thanks.

**Hillbilly** · 27-08-2021, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by wai

Thanks for all the help. I managed to get a link to download the user guide. Yes, it is a calcium technology battery, so just the normal charging mode.

One thing that has me confused is the grounding.

I am aware that you do not use the negative post on the battery when you use the clamps as it is likely to spark and you get hydrogen bubbling off the battery. Not a good mixture.

What I am not sure of is that although the user guide shows the leads mounted on the post connector for a more permanent installation, everything else says use a grounding point on the body. Simply connecting the eyelets to the terminal clamp is not going to generate a spark as the other ends are safe in the end boot that you have to uncover to use.

Is there some other reason to connect the cables to the the chassis earth point and not the battery, and anyone have an idea as to where this is on a VW Caddy?

Thanks.

Yes . because of the electronics in the car it is best to smooth out the charging throughout the car. At least thats what the experts and the cars manual says to do so is good enough for most of us.

I dont know about the Caddy but in my Polo, Passat, Tiguan and Kamiq I removed the book in the cellophane and read it and they all had pictures with the point on the body of each one to hook onto. Perhaps its also in yours.

**Transporter** · 27-08-2021, 09:16 PM

I’ve used Ctek chargers for a very long time. Recommend and sold them to many customers, though I had a few that have failed, some within the warranty, some after the warranty. Now days I use Century Batteries chargers, they aren’t waterproof but are very reliable and can be left connected indefinitely.

**Amalgam** · 28-08-2021, 07:56 PM

+1 for CTEK.

Make sure the charger is set for the correct battery type. The car logo for normal lead acid battery and calcium type.

Red connector to the positive terminal and the black connector to any bare metal ( ground ). The charger is smart and won't charge if the connections are wrong or inverted. Come back later to see if it is fully charged ( green 7 should be lit ). You can leave it trickle charging indefinitely without overcharging the battery.

**wai** · 30-08-2021, 10:42 PM

Thanks everyone.

**Thunder** · 01-02-2022, 06:07 PM

Hi Everyone, new owner of a B7 Passat 3.6 wagon here. Have had the car since the weekend and loving it. I have a C-Tek MX5.0 and would like to give the battery a charge. I am reading all these comments about connecting to a vehicle earth to eliminate sparking near the battery. On the 3.6 wagon the battery is in the boot, is it best to still connect to it or charge from the jump start connection under the bonnet (Which I assume would have too much resistance going back to the battery). Just don't want to make any rookie errors.

Thanks for the tonne of good info I have already found on here!

**Lucas_R** · 01-02-2022, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by Thunder

Hi Everyone, new owner of a B7 Passat 3.6 wagon here. Have had the car since the weekend and loving it. I have a C-Tek MX5.0 and would like to give the battery a charge. I am reading all these comments about connecting to a vehicle earth to eliminate sparking near the battery. On the 3.6 wagon the battery is in the boot, is it best to still connect to it or charge from the jump start connection under the bonnet (Which I assume would have too much resistance going back to the battery). Just don't want to make any rookie errors.

Thanks for the tonne of good info I have already found on here!

Yes just connect it up to the + and - points under the bonnet. I do this with my wifes Audi SQ5 when i hook the Ctek up to it and it works just fine (battery is under the spare wheel in the boot).