26 / 5.000 Question about Ctek maintainer

[Davidcv]

I have a question about which option is correct for a Ctek brand battery maintainer.
Can anyone tell me which option is correct for an Emira i4?
1- car option
2- car + AGM option
Thanks

 

[Nick Sticks]

I've been using it on the Car setting for my V6.
The battery should be the same for the i4.
The Emira manual says it's a Platinum AGM096E.
In the CTEK manual the Car Normal Battery Program (14.4V/5A) is for "....and many AGM batteries".
The AGM Option (14.7V/5A) is for charging most AGM batteries like Optima and Odyssey.
Looking at the CTEK website FAQ section, and more specifically the orange FAQ side tab, the list of questions and answers gives the following:
I have an AGM battery. Do I charge it in snowflake mode?
Yes. For AGM batteries, CTEK recommends snowflake- or AGM- mode that gives a little higher voltage; 14.7V. Different battery brands may have different recommendations, so check with your battery manufacturer what applies to your battery.
AGM / * Snowflake (ID=387)
Because the AGM battery has a low internal resistance some can accept a higher charge voltage, in this mode the Bulk charge rate is 14.7v which is the optimum charge rate for the AGM type battery. In cold weather the internal battery chemistry slows considerably, this leads to the battery being reluctant to accept charge at a normal rate. By raising the charge rate to 14.7 (15v on the Polar) the battery accepts charge more readily.
Can I charge a AGM battery using my charger?
Yes. If the AGM battery benefits from the higher voltage, use the AGM or 'SNOWFLAKE' mode throughout the year to charge a AGM battery. If in doubt use the Normal mode it will just take a few minutes more to reach full charge.

So from this I take it that either mode is ok but you would get better charging rates in cold weather using the specific AGM mode.
If you look at the CTEK manual chart showing how it charges the only difference between the two modes is the voltage.

I am by no means an expert on this and this is the first car that I've had to have a charger like this on when not using the car for a while, I'm just reading the information and interpreting it. There may be people out there that have more practical experience.

FAQ

www.ctek.com

 

[Davidcv]

I've been using it on the Car setting for my V6.
The battery should be the same for the i4.
The Emira manual says it's a Platinum AGM096E.
In the CTEK manual the Car Normal Battery Program (14.4V/5A) is for "....and many AGM batteries".
The AGM Option (14.7V/5A) is for charging most AGM batteries like Optima and Odyssey.
Looking at the CTEK website FAQ section, and more specifically the orange FAQ side tab, the list of questions and answers gives the following:
I have an AGM battery. Do I charge it in snowflake mode?
Yes. For AGM batteries, CTEK recommends snowflake- or AGM- mode that gives a little higher voltage; 14.7V. Different battery brands may have different recommendations, so check with your battery manufacturer what applies to your battery.
AGM / * Snowflake (ID=387)
Because the AGM battery has a low internal resistance some can accept a higher charge voltage, in this mode the Bulk charge rate is 14.7v which is the optimum charge rate for the AGM type battery. In cold weather the internal battery chemistry slows considerably, this leads to the battery being reluctant to accept charge at a normal rate. By raising the charge rate to 14.7 (15v on the Polar) the battery accepts charge more readily.
Can I charge a AGM battery using my charger?
Yes. If the AGM battery benefits from the higher voltage, use the AGM or 'SNOWFLAKE' mode throughout the year to charge a AGM battery. If in doubt use the Normal mode it will just take a few minutes more to reach full charge.

So from this I take it that either mode is ok but you would get better charging rates in cold weather using the specific AGM mode.
If you look at the CTEK manual chart showing how it charges the only difference between the two modes is the voltage.

I am by no means an expert on this and this is the first car that I've had to have a charger like this on when not using the car for a while, I'm just reading the information and interpreting it. There may be people out there that have more practical experience.

FAQ

www.ctek.com

Thank you very much Nick !!