Ctek use question
Racer
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 483
Likes: 60
I'm pretty sure you can do whatever you like with the CTEK connected.
The load is coming off your battery. I would expect the the charging power from the CTEK is fixed. As long as your battery has enough juice to power what you're doing you're fine. If the battery is so low that you'll have to depend on the charger then you probably should wait until the battery is fully charged.
The load is coming off your battery. I would expect the the charging power from the CTEK is fixed. As long as your battery has enough juice to power what you're doing you're fine. If the battery is so low that you'll have to depend on the charger then you probably should wait until the battery is fully charged.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 8,729
Likes: 1,508
From: Redmond WA
Yes, you can open doors, turn on the ignition, and do pretty much everything else. You can probably start and run the car but I would avoid that.
Can you really just connect up and then forget the charger?
Always check that the charger has switched to maintenance charging mode before leaving the charger unattended and connected for long periods of time. Chargers must be disconnected from batteries where the charger does not switch to maintenance charging within three days. If the charger has switched over to maintenance charging, then everything is as it should be, the battery is probably healthy and will function for a long period of time together with your CTEK charger. If the charger has not switched over to maintenance charging (green lamp lit) within a couple of days, then this is a sign that something is wrong. Possible causes:
A large older type of battery, antimony batteries, behave differently.
Charging takes longer and the battery can be overcharged if large consumers are connected to the battery.
The battery is sulphated from start. Charging will then take longer, as the battery's higher inner resistance limits how much current it can receive.
The battery is spent and needs to be replaced.
Can you really just connect up and then forget the charger?
Always check that the charger has switched to maintenance charging mode before leaving the charger unattended and connected for long periods of time. Chargers must be disconnected from batteries where the charger does not switch to maintenance charging within three days. If the charger has switched over to maintenance charging, then everything is as it should be, the battery is probably healthy and will function for a long period of time together with your CTEK charger. If the charger has not switched over to maintenance charging (green lamp lit) within a couple of days, then this is a sign that something is wrong. Possible causes:
A large older type of battery, antimony batteries, behave differently.
Charging takes longer and the battery can be overcharged if large consumers are connected to the battery.
The battery is sulphated from start. Charging will then take longer, as the battery's higher inner resistance limits how much current it can receive.
The battery is spent and needs to be replaced.
