CTEK Charger issue

sofasurfer

Junior Member
Messages
398
I have my GT hooked up to a CTEK MXS 5.0 and up until recently it's been fine keeping the battery in good health. I checked on it last night and all I get is a flashing green light when it's switched on which iirc means there is no connection between the battery and the charger. It's always been plugged into the cigarette lighter in the boot and worked fine before. I've tested the charger on another car and it works as it should. Is it worth buying another comfort connector from CTEK so I can hook it straight up to the battery and ignore trying to charge via the cigarette lighter? And what would cause the boot's cigarette connector to just not want to play ball?
 

rs48635

Member
Messages
3,181
Are you certain it was charging via the socket inside the boot? In my 2006 QP that socket is only live for short period after car is switched off, maybe up to 30 minutes. Could of course be the dodgy electrics in my own car :cool:
 

sofasurfer

Junior Member
Messages
398
Cigarette lighter fuse blown?
Could be, will have to plug something in and check. I've had a look through the manual and I'm assuming it's fuse 10 in the boot, the power socket one if it has gone.

 

sofasurfer

Junior Member
Messages
398
Are you certain it was charging via the socket inside the boot? In my 2006 QP that socket is only live for short period after car is switched off, maybe up to 30 minutes. Could of course be the dodgy electrics in my own car :cool:
It's been working fine during lockdown for me. I thought it might be the charger but have ruled that out. Next stop the fuse.
 

Gazcw

Member
Messages
7,696
Could be, will have to plug something in and check. I've had a look through the manual and I'm assuming it's fuse 10 in the boot, the power socket one if it has gone.

Would be my first check. I prefer mine to go direct to battery than via a load of other systems although using the ciggy outlet, some it works for and some it doesn't.
 

RobinL

Member
Messages
456
Likewise I used the Charge Indicator Panel connector wired direct to the battery.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk
 
Messages
1,117
Few cars have a permanently live cigarette socket (the Porsche 996 does - but I don't connect through that). I think it is always better to connect directly from mains feed direct onto the battery terminals with the smart connects on each terminal.
 

spkennyuk

Member
Messages
5,930
Few cars have a permanently live cigarette socket (the Porsche 996 does - but I don't connect through that). I think it is always better to connect directly from mains feed direct onto the battery terminals with the smart connects on each terminal.

If it has a 12v socket in the boot of a car it is usually always live. 4200, GT and GS are all permanently live 12v sockets in the boot.
 

spkennyuk

Member
Messages
5,930
I have my GT hooked up to a CTEK MXS 5.0 and up until recently it's been fine keeping the battery in good health. I checked on it last night and all I get is a flashing green light when it's switched on which iirc means there is no connection between the battery and the charger. It's always been plugged into the cigarette lighter in the boot and worked fine before. I've tested the charger on another car and it works as it should. Is it worth buying another comfort connector from CTEK so I can hook it straight up to the battery and ignore trying to charge via the cigarette lighter? And what would cause the boot's cigarette connector to just not want to play ball?

Try plugging a something else into the 12v socket. Phone charger or tyre compressor and see if they work.

If they dont try wiggling the 12v plug around in the socket and see if it suddenly springs to life.

Inside the socket is a metal piece that acts as a spring but over time it can move to the extent that it no longer makes contact with the plug. If that is the cause then take the fuse out and use a small screwdriver to bend the springs back out so they make a good contact again.
 

sofasurfer

Junior Member
Messages
398
Try plugging a something else into the 12v socket. Phone charger or tyre compressor and see if they work.

If they dont try wiggling the 12v plug around in the socket and see if it suddenly springs to life.

Inside the socket is a metal piece that acts as a spring but over time it can move to the extent that it no longer makes contact with the plug. If that is the cause then take the fuse out and use a small screwdriver to bend the springs back out so they make a good contact again.
Sounds like a plan, will have a look later.
 

Sam McGoo

Member
Messages
1,745
Could be, will have to plug something in and check. I've had a look through the manual and I'm assuming it's fuse 10 in the boot, the power socket one if it has gone.


As said above, it could be the socket, if its something you use often as they can get weak or damaged. If damaged, it useualy takes out the fuse anyway. so I would start there.

Mine wasn't working when I got the car, and it was that fuse. It's nice and easy, just under the boot floor on the right side of the battery.
 

sofasurfer

Junior Member
Messages
398
As said above, it could be the socket, if its something you use often as they can get weak or damaged. If damaged, it useualy takes out the fuse anyway. so I would start there.

Mine wasn't working when I got the car, and it was that fuse. It's nice and easy, just under the boot floor on the right side of the battery.
Thanks, got some fuses coming from Amazon today so will swap it out. I've also connected the charger directly to the battery and the charger is working as it should. Looks like the culprit is that cigarette lighter socket.
 

azapa

Member
Messages
1,300
I would reccomend a direct battery connection as the voltage taken into account by the charger to adjust it's output will be truer to the batteries real voltage. I'm guessing an alternative boot socket is wired forwards to the fuse box, probably a few meters of cable, which would result in a small voltage drop, greater at higher currents. My old Aldi charger was via the boot lighter plug, and (I suspect) it fried the battery. I now have a buff Ctek with direct connection and things seem better.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,541
I would reccomend a direct battery connection as the voltage taken into account by the charger to adjust it's output will be truer to the batteries real voltage. I'm guessing an alternative boot socket is wired forwards to the fuse box, probably a few meters of cable, which would result in a small voltage drop, greater at higher currents. My old Aldi charger was via the boot lighter plug, and (I suspect) it fried the battery. I now have a buff Ctek with direct connection and things seem better.

I doubt the drop would be at all measurable unless there was a poor connection somewhere. Certainly not enough to upset a charger.

C