Quarantine Battery Care
As a result of COVID-19, many of us are in quarantine and cities are in lock-down - naturally, our vehicles are not always on top of our minds.
However, the battery still needs attention to prevent it from going dead. Hooking your vehicle up to a battery charger and maintainer is essential to ensure that your vehicle starts when you return to it. We have been contacted by people from all over the world asking for advice on how to look after their vehicle battery when it’s parked up or in storage.
FAQs
I am stuck at home for some weeks now and will not use my car - how do I know when to charge?
You do not have to wait until you see any signs! You can connect a CTEK charger from the day you first park your car until the day you drive away. CTEK chargers are fully automatic and will keep the battery charged at optimum capacity – you can keep it permanently attached whilst your car is parked up and our dedicated maintenance modes will do the rest.
I have a new Ford and my wife has an old Jaguar and now we will be home for quarantine. Which charger should I choose?
You can use our product selector (see above) to help choose the right charger for you. Both vehicles would suit the CTEK MXS 5.0 charger, perfect long or short-term maintenance of vehicle batteries. It can be permanently attached to the vehicle for long periods of time, keeping the battery fully charged.
Another option is the CTEK Time to Go. It works with all types of lead-acid batteries and it will also tell you how long before your battery is charged and ready to go. It has an indicator to tell you when you can start your vehicle after a dead battery.
I have a start/stop battery - can I charge without disconnecting the battery from the vehicle?
All CTEK chargers, such at the CTEK MXS 5.0 are designed to charge the battery whilst it is still attached to the vehicle. They are spark-proof and reverse polarity protected so it’s completely safe for the battery, the vehicle and the user too. Please make sure however, that you always follow manufacturer guidelines for charging the battery.
It is worth noting that most vehicles have a voltage input limit of 16 V – CTEK chargers don’t exceed this limit. Please check if your car has a lower voltage limit and follow manufacturer guidelines.
I have a lithium battery on my car – can I use any of your chargers?
Lithium batteries need a different approach to charging compared to lead acid batteries. So it’s important you use a charger with a dedicated lithium charging and maintenance program – especially when you are looking after a vehicle in storage. Using a charger designed for lead-acid batteries on a lithium battery can reduce battery life and even worse, result in permanent battery damage.
Our CTEK Lithium US charger has been specially developed to maximize the performance of lithium (12V LiFePO4) batteries.
I just bought a CTEK 12V battery charger. I have a BMW 4 Series Convertible (F33). How should I connect the charger?
Our CTEK Connect system provides two different ways to connect the charger to the vehicle:
- Clamps: connect according to the vehicle manual, or the red clamp to the positive charging point and the black clamp to the vehicle chassis.
- Eyelet – for a more permanent connection. Simply attach the red eyelet to the positive pole and the black eyelet to the negative charge point or vehicle chassis – make sure you follow vehicle manual instructions.
When the charger is not in use, simply unplug the charger from the connector, close the rubber protection cap and tuck the two, short cables down the side of the battery.
Please make sure that you always follow manufacturer guidelines for charging the battery.
Click on each product below to learn more.
