Trickle charging

[diluxe]

[quote="X5Sport"]
I bought a set of CTEK quick release connectors that fit the charging points under the bonnet.  Add one of their extension cables and you're able to put the bonnet down without trapping wires.  The QR lead is fused and has 3 LEDs in it giving a traffic light display so you can instantly see the charge state just by opening the bonnet.

Got them on my X6, E46 and will fit to my Superb B8.  Saves faffing about with croc clips etc. 

Got them all from Amazon.

Comfort Lead

Extension 2.5m

They work on all the current range.
[/quote]

where abouts do you connect the comfort lead and its eye lets in the engine bay?

[jaynana]

[quote="X5Sport"]
I bought a set of CTEK quick release connectors that fit the charging points under the bonnet.  Add one of their extension cables and you're able to put the bonnet down without trapping wires.  The QR lead is fused and has 3 LEDs in it giving a traffic light display so you can instantly see the charge state just by opening the bonnet.

Got them on my X6, E46 and will fit to my Superb B8.  Saves faffing about with croc clips etc. 

Got them all from Amazon.

Comfort Lead

Extension 2.5m

They work on all the current range.
[/quote]

the most unorthodox then 



it's mrs proof!  when the car is driven away the charger gets disconnected, she wouldn't even know it was on the charger!

CTEK in the house, wired to a tow-bar thingy with the locks shaved off and in a smooth sleeve to allow easy pull-out. metal cable tied to a post to pull the thing off the socket as the car pulls away. Wire has a built in weak spot as contingency, in case cable snaps for some reason.

very handy in the winter with aux-heater constantly in use  :-[

[X5Sport]

[quote="diluxe"]
where abouts do you connect the comfort lead and its eye lets in the engine bay?
[/quote]

Undo the hex nuts for the +ve and -ve jump points and put the eyelets onto the posts.  Put the hex nuts back on...

[jaynana]

Thanks x3_30d, pls send reference if u can find, will be interesting.

Of course it's not 'recommended' and what bmw will give is the 'stock' answer. Much like the ciggy lighter port should not be used for charging either - although that too works plus my CTEK itself came with a ciggy adopter as a standard accessory.

Plus I'm pretty sure they're talking a load it trash in that voltage reduction theory (happy to be proven wrong though),  CTEK itself does its own 'pulsating' to condition the battery so any such electronics will get in the way.

i believe it's just a direct fused connection to the battery.

I've done this for one winter without any issue although that's no guarantee 

J

[X5Sport]

Err.....the car's electronics have no effect on the charger!  They certainly don't 'tell the charger when to switch off'.

The two systems do not 'talk' to each other and the connections under the bonnet are directly connected to the battery - they do not go through any other systems on the way.  The user manuals for the cars specifically tell you to ONLY use the under bonnet connections for charging and jump starting.

The main reason for not using the boot connections is that there is a bloody great explosive charge on the +ve cable that if fired cuts the primary line leaving only a small secondary line for emergency telematics.  BMW would rather you didn't go mooching around in the boot and accidentally trigger it.

[jaynana]

[quote="X5Sport"]
The main reason for not using the boot connections is that there is a bloody great explosive charge on the +ve cable that if fired cuts the primary line leaving only a small secondary line for emergency telematics.  BMW would rather you didn't go mooching around in the boot and accidentally trigger it.
[/quote]

the BST Cable.. hasn't exploded so far 

[X5Sport]

That's the beasty.