Has social distancing affected the forum

[marti]

Probably quieter as not alot of us are using our vehicles so no problems occurring

[Leslie]

We shall expect a load of battery issues soon then Marti lol Had to charge mine up this week as clock reset on startup after polishing it for a few hrs and opening/closing doors etc.

[X5Sport]

That’s a good point. One month is the recharge cycle used by Dealers and I do the same. All three of mine have now been recharged at least once.

[marti]

That’s a good point. One month is the recharge cycle used by Dealers and I do the same. All three of mine have now been recharged at least once.

I have the e46 on recharge every month as its in bed at the moment, normally it comes out 1st week in May...think its going to be in hibernation a bit longer this year

[sapphireblack]

I can leave the X6 for up to six months of a year, i leave the CTEK to do its job, when I'm not here there's no option. Should I be setting it to "reconditioning" now ? It reached long term trickle status a while ago, I'm inclined to leave It alone, but would a "recondition" be beneficial?

[X5Sport]

Unless the battery has gone flat, it should be fine to leave it on the long-term charge mode.

Our E46 is out now but is kept on a CTEK from when the frosts start until they end and the days warm up a bit. Being a vert, it’s a bit chilly around the ears if the roof is off too early. My other half is under 5’6” so is behind the screen in all weather, unlike me at 6’4”.

I re-treated the roof with cleaner and proofing to keep the water from getting into the fabric. It works well but has to be done at least once per season.

[Themoog2]

These CTec things - do you just connect it to the under bonnet points and plug it in the wall? Do you disconnect the battery?
I put a slow trickle charger (not ctek) on the Range rover last year without disconnecting the battery and two days later the alternator packed up...

[sapphireblack]

CTEK are effectively fit and forget, BMW recommend and sell them as do other manufacturers and have them branded to their own names..

Fitting is simplicity itself. No need to disconnect the battery. Crocodile clips onto the jump points under the bonnet. Adding a 2.0mtr extension is best imo, then connect and keep the unit indoors, adjacent to the power supply, then you can easily see the status on the display. There are numerous accessories. A wall mounting clip, a rubber 'bump cradle', semi permanent direct to battery connections, some even with a traffic light display. They're extremely good but with a few extras added it will be around £100. The fit and forget aspect is what drew me to them. My now sold E63 could spend a year at a time on one with no problems.

If i dont get to my holiday home this year, my Subaru will go 18 months on one. I dont anticipate any problems as a result. The CTEK model 5 seems the best for most needs.