Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: shyboy on 01 February 2021, 19:20:54
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I have a standard C-tek MXS 5.0 battery charger which does a good job on the Omega lead acid battery. I've always been in the practice of disconnecting both pos. and neg leads and leaving the battery in the car for convenience.
I want to do the same with my Mazda stop/start battery, but wonder whether disconnecting it will require re-setting things other than possibly the radio and one touch windows. C-tek state that this charger can be used without disconnecting the battery, but the Mazda manual doesn't make things clear. I'm assuming a dedicated stop/start charger isn't really necessary.
Can anyone offer an expert opinion, please?
Cheers.
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I don't know, Bill. Have a read of this:
https://www.countybattery.co.uk/the-battery-experts/do-you-have-a-car-with-stop-start-technology-can-you-use-any-battery-charger/
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The audi has a stop/start battery .. so is AGM .. I simply set the CTEK to AGM and connect it to the car, via the jump start lugs under the bonnett (battery is in the load compartment), and let it do its thing ... car has only moved twice since early december, but the battery is in excellent condition.
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I have a standard C-tek MXS 5.0 battery charger ..........
I recently asked on here what people's thoughts were on a good battery charger for an AGM battery fitted to my stop/start vehicle (Audi A6) and was pointed in the direction of the Ctek MXS 5.0 charger that you already have. Admittedly I haven't had a chance to use it yet as my car hasn't sat idle for long enough to justify using it yet. It was purchased specifically for my AGM battery with stop/start. :-\
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The basic recommendation I believe is that batteries can be charged on a car with a smart charger without disconnecting the terminals, but connecting the negative lead to a good earth point as far away from the battery as possible rather than directly on the terminal. If the car has a seperate positive lug use that rather than the positive terminal.
I have a Ctek MXS 7.0 charger with the AGM setting which also is for cold temperature charging.
I also have a Ring Smart charger which has a dedicated Stop / Start battery charging button rather than being labelled AGM, but it amounts to the same charging procedure for both.
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Thanks for the replies, and the useful link.
I always turn stop/start off when driving, because I find it a nuisance, so I suppose battery drain can be considered to fall in the 'normal' range.
As I expected, there doesn't seem to be one absolutely definitive answer to the question, so I'm going to chance my arm and charge it on AGM setting with the leads still connected, which is basically what Nige does, and hope that C-tek's info. is OK.
Thanks for your interest.
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Any low current charger can be simply connected without disconnecting and forgot about as long as its to the points defined in the owners manual (as some cars have coulomb counting).
It doesn't need anything as over priced as a Ctek either (they are good, but no longer worth the price premium as they do nothing more than other smart chargers, they were just first to market). :y
Now if we were talking fast chargers it would be a very different discussion.
Also, there is no need for a 'special' AGM mode with smart chargers either, the only real difference is that the battery will not quite hit 100% charged.........but for a stop start system you never charge to 100% anyway and neither does the car!