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Battery conditioner fitment

38K views 96 replies 26 participants last post by  capese21 
#1 ·
Has anybody fitted a CTEC or equivalent battery charger/conditioner to their XE ?
I have fitted mine to all of my cars in the past few years and connected to the mains as soon as the car is put away in the garage.This has maintained the batteries in tip top condition throughout all of the time I have owned them.
On the XE ,the boost connections are under the bonnet with the battery in the boot.Previously I have connected the CTEC cables to the Live battery terminal and the Earth to a chassis bolt nearby,as per CTEC instructions and the proper connecting cable can then be channelled to a convenient place to connect up to the mains.However, the handbook is worded strongly that no charging or boosting should be done directly to the battery whilst it is in the car.
There has been much talk on this forum of flat batteries and I want to avoid that especially as I have the perfect conditioner already.
Any thoughts?

Thanks.

A J.
 
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#53 ·
Thank you so much for that . I must admit I was getting a bit fed up with the clips and this is a great alternative. I assume these are the £20+ leads and not the shorter leads on the other available CTek leads I did get a powerpoint lead then found that the centre console point is dead after around 3 mins of engine shutdown. Thanks for your help with this method of plugging it in.
 
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#54 ·
I have sussed out all the connection points and have, I think, found the ideal place for the socket end. I have ordered the lead today. It will just make connection that bit easier plus it will show the charge state at a glance.
 
#55 ·
Vespa said:
I have sussed out all the connection points and have, I think, found the ideal place for the socket end. I have ordered the lead today. It will just make connection that bit easier plus it will show the charge state at a glance.
I just got my cable and will be attempting to fit this weekend if the weather isn't too horrible - just need to work out how to route the cable under the trim so that I can install the socket where the 12V boot socket would go.
 
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#56 ·
I think that It may be easy to push a hard piece of wire (old coathanger type) carefully through the opening and then attach a piece of string to the end, pulling it back up to the opening. Connet the comfort port wires to that and gently pull them down into the boot space. That is one idea. The actual panel may be aesily unclipped though I haven't looked at that yet as I was considering going to the opposite side near the small hard plastic pocket. I will let you know when I see how bulky the small plastic part fixed to the red wire is.
 
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#58 ·
I have just this minute had a look at the black plastic part in the trim and tried to get my hand behind it. There was little room for manouvere and it seemed that it was solid behind it continuous with the rest of the trim. The whole trim panel is one piece on each side and looks a sod to remove. I think I may be going to plan A with velcro on the passenger side somewhere in the recess.. It needs more looking at once I have the part.
 
#60 ·
147daytona said:
I have mine fitted above the extra power socket in the boot.

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Yes yours was the reason I bought the comfort connector as I liked the neat installation - I would be grateful details as to how you routed the cable? I going to look at Vespa's suggestion at poking a coathanger (albeit I would use a cable rod) to shove the cables under the boot trim - I haven't had a chance to poke about yet and the workshop manual isn't terribly helpful.
 
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#61 ·
I have wondered as the trim is so near the edge of the rubber boot trim, whether just releasing the rubber may give easier access to the point. I had a look at that plastic cover yesterday and I don't have the extra power point but the cover seems hard to remove. I had my hand behind it as far as I could reach and it seems that the trim is over the area and inaccessable to the plastic blanking. Possibly I need to attack it from the front.
 
#62 ·
I did pull the trim off that side to make things easier. If I recall, the 2 hanger clips are held in by a push in plug that sits across each clip, these can be prised out and the clips removed.
The trim is just clipped into position so is just carefully pulled off. I don't think there are any screws holding the trim at all.
 
#64 ·
Vespa said:
The plastic item unclips at the top and sides and unhooks at the bottom. The back of it reveals a boxed area that I assume is for the CTek unit to fit into once the area is cut out.20190110_102823.jpg
20190110_102836.jpg
I have removed the cover from the XF to test dremeling out the hole required - the parts are the same and will save me grief from SWMBO if it all goes horribly wrong.
 
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#65 ·
I have the part number off the part and am going to see the dealer to see if there is a part with the aperture already there or to get another incase I make a mistake. Being a keen railway modeller I don't anticipate any problems as hack, chop and stick is quite well practised but you never know.
 
#66 ·
VESPA, :eek:

One does not 'hack, chop and stick', one tweaks a Jaguar to perfection. :lol:
 
#69 ·
Vespa said:
I have the part number off the part and am going to see the dealer to see if there is a part with the aperture already there or to get another incase I make a mistake. Being a keen railway modeller I don't anticipate any problems as hack, chop and stick is quite well practised but you never know.
Let us know if easily available Vespa, I am going same route, and was going to try and buy one to replace it if I move car on.
 
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#70 ·
Repairman said:
Vespa said:
I have the part number off the part and am going to see the dealer to see if there is a part with the aperture already there or to get another incase I make a mistake. Being a keen railway modeller I don't anticipate any problems as hack, chop and stick is quite well practised but you never know.
Let us know if easily available Vespa, I am going same route, and was going to try and buy one to replace it if I move car on.
I am not a lot furthur on with the part but may know Monday as the item comes from Poland. The dealer thinks it's not a seperate item for sale anyway but will investigate.
 
#71 ·
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#72 ·
Thanks Bob but I am not splashing out £38 for a side panel when all I want is the plastic bit. My CTek comfort connector arrived since I last replied and it comes with a template to get the correct sizing. I am not sure what to do just yet and may just make a part from my many pieces of model railway odds and sods. Those "I'll keep that, it may come in handy" bits. Or I may just cut the opening in the part fitted and sell it all with the car if I sell it. I was going to make this my last car as I may pack up driving at 75 and I am 67 this year.
 
#73 ·
Vespa said:
Thanks Bob but I am not splashing out £38 for a side panel when all I want is the plastic bit. My CTek comfort connector arrived since I last replied and it comes with a template to get the correct sizing. I am not sure what to do just yet and may just make a part from my many pieces of model railway odds and sods. Those "I'll keep that, it may come in handy" bits. Or I may just cut the opening in the part fitted and sell it all with the car if I sell it. I was going to make this my last car as I may pack up driving at 75 and I am 67 this year.
Have you the part no for plastic bit Vespa, I still don't have car back yet, Christine playing dealer up now :)
 
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#76 ·
An update on the plastic part. Yes it is available as a seperate item BUT the price is just over £18. That is a no no for me. The centre box at the back of it is a very tight fit according to the CTek template and one of the CTek catches may not latch correctly. I know that it has been done but this was in a extra power point fitting and it may have a slightly different back design. I went to Halfords today for an M8 nut only to find that they didn't have stock as a small pack, only nut/bolt packs or a locking nut pack. Daft prices again at nearly £7 for just a few of what technically I only wanted one of. Well back to the drawing board and I found 2 earth points in the boot floor that took M6 nuts which I had. So that problem solved. I am now looking at making a holder that will fit in the space from of all things an old cork/plastic coaster from a set we no longer use. I intend constructing a box behind the front part that will be big enough and tight enough to hold it in the space ie friction fit. If it doesn't work out neatly I will rethink it all with plastic modelling sheet. I will post photos when I have done it.
 
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