Battery charging

[jagdaveh]

Hi

Please can anyone tell me where I need to connect my CTEK battery conditioner to keep the battery from going flat with lots of short, lockdown journeys? The handbook says the battery should be removed for charging but I don't fancy resetting everything that entails and anyway the handbook says it should only be removed by an authorised dealer!! If I do have to remove the battery will the radio need a code as I don't seem to have one and there are no instructions on how to enter it - only authorised dealers again??!!

Hopefully someone out there can help me - I've not been let down before!

Thanks in advance.

Dave

[mike020150]

My XE S has hardly moved on more than 12 months now so being connected to a battery conditioner has been vital. Using crocodile clips on a Ctek fly lead under the bonnet has made life suitably tolerable. Connect the positive lead via its crocodile clip to the terminal covered by the oblong red cover and the smaller red cover beneath. There is a convenient earthing stud nearby for the negative lead and clip. The Ctek can rest under the bonnet and its mains wire can be routed carefully between the front wing and headlamp to enable the bonnet to be closed and the car locked. Just don't forget to take the Ctek out from under the bonnet before starting the car! Mike.

[jagdaveh]

Thanks Mike - a lot simpler than taking the battery out!!

[MyQuest]

When I bought my XE-S new, I hard-wired the CTEK leads to the battery via a 10A in-line fuse and the boot/trunk floor, passed the cable through a convenient grommet and let it dangle down about 6 inches. (This female end has a rubber push on water seal, so no water ingress problems).
It’s simple to hook up the CTEK’s male connector with no need to open bonnet or boot.

[jeff1954]

Very interesting comments there Mike. I've often wondered if you could use the under bonnet jump start connectors to charge the battery.

Jeff