Fitting a battery conditioner... Do's and Don'ts

[Quasimoto]

I recall seeing a post from someone that had installed a bulkhead connector under the car rather than in the boot.
Of course, I failed to bookmark it...can someone point me in the right direction?
Thank You!

 

[silent cilantro]

That was prob me. Here are some old pictures. I’ve since redesigned the bracket with a screw-on top so that the internals are sealed.

This is the kit I used

 

[Quasimoto]

That was prob me. Here are some old pictures. I’ve since redesigned the bracket with a screw-on top so that the internals are sealed

That’s it, thanks!

 

[Medic518]

That was prob me. Here are some old pictures. I’ve since redesigned the bracket with a screw-on top so that the internals are sealed.

This is the kit I used

View attachment 55476

View attachment 55477

Glad to see you jumped on this @silent cilantro. I was looking at this solution a couple of weeks ago, because I am not fond of the idea of rigging the lock to "trick' the car into thinking the back deck was fully closed. Any chance of a write-up on par with the one I received from you with my wireless phone charging tray? (he says with both sets fingers crossed at a white knuckle level )

 

[silent cilantro]

Haha I can write something up when I get the car back. It’s at the dealer for service. It’s pretty simple.

 

[robrmon]

That was prob me. Here are some old pictures. I’ve since redesigned the bracket with a screw-on top so that the internals are sealed.

This is the kit I used

View attachment 55476

View attachment 55477

Just warning, I went through two of these kits with my lotus evora, and they both failed due to corrosion, same location, even though the car rarely saw rain. Ended up stranded on the highway in limp mode, so be sure to check it is charging properly. I gave up.

 

[Rudolph]

Just warning, I went through two of these kits with my lotus evora, and they both failed due to corrosion, same location, even though the car rarely saw rain. Ended up stranded on the highway in limp mode, so be sure to check it is charging properly. I gave up.

* * * * *
Never had any problem........

 

[robrmon]

* * * * *
Never had any problem........

View attachment 55557

View attachment 55558

I think having it on the underside makes a difference

 

[silent cilantro]

I did experience corrosion, I had to open the magnetic connector and clean it out to get it to work again.

That’s why I changed the design of the bracket to a screw-on top. It has a hole on the top for the cables which I then sealed with silicone. No issues since.

 

[Orchardbike]

Any thoughts on this:

I picked my car up on Friday from the dealer. I don’t know what state the battery was in. I drove it 130 miles. On Saturday I started the car without issue and moved it on the drive. I then cleaned it for a good 4-5 hours. The doors and boot were open for a good couple of hours. I got in the car Sunday and the dash said low battery, system switching off. I then rigged up a temporary charging cable to the battery and the charger stated that the battery was between 25% and 50% charged. It was on charge for about 20 minutes. I then Decided I might as well put a permanent connector on the battery so I can just plug it in. It was still reading 25% to 50% charged. I fitted the permanent connections to the battery (positive on terminal, negative on battery tray clamp). As soon as I plugged it in, the charger showed 100% charged. I’ve checked the wiring and it’s correct.

So a few questions! 1. After the long drive I’m amazed the car said ‘low battery’ as a couple of hours with the interior lights on surely wouldn’t make that much difference? 2. Did my charger also give me a poor reading at first (but seems too much of a coincidence that the car and charger showed low battery charge)? 3. Is there a way you can tell if the charger is actually charging the battery?

Thanks

 

[AdrianL]

This is how I fitted mine just now. Used the ground on the battery mount and just attached another 10mm nut on top of the existing exposed positive. No battery disconnect required.

 

[djprov431]

The simple solution to this is running the battery charger cable under the rear deck lid (glass) where it vents for the engine hot air (you know, where the water goes when you wash the car) -- then you can close your trunk without worry.

 

[allenyao09]

Just hooked up the Lotus supplied battery tender. I connected the eyelets to the battery nuts, and Dremelled a little cutout on the battery cover to run the wire. I didn't fully close the trunk just to be easy on the trunk rubber seal.

 

[Rapture]

I also wanted to install the CTEK Comfort Indicator Panel for a nice flush look with some added functionality, but I currently use an Optimum battery charger which has the same SAE connections as the Lotus supplied Battery Tender. I decided to use my rusty soldering skills to Frankenstein an adapter cable to connect the Optimum (or Battery Tender) charger to the CTEK Comfort Indicator. I purchased a CTEK extension cable to make the new adapter cable which also allows me not to have to use an extension cord to plug the whole thing in. There are two versions of the CTEK Comfort Indicator Panel, one has a 3-foot fused lead and the other has no leads and spades used to attach this to your own custom harness. I ordered both and decided to add an SAE quick disconnect to the model that has leads. Either model would work but you do need to take into consideration where the wires would exit each version based on where you want to place the panel.

I really like how it turned out; it does appear OEM and I’m hoping the Comfort Indicator adds some real function. Much batter than that dongle laying in the trunk before.

@Pdl2thmdl, this may answer your question as this works but will require an adapter cable.

 

[RoyKinch]

Pics of the battery charger connections for reference if anyone needs to know how there’s will fit…

View attachment 20999

Just about to fit exactly the same to my battery, took the covers off and thought I best check the forum to see the best way to fit and boom there you are with all I need to know. Thank you

 

[Nova]

Added a voltmeter to my battery cover. Now I can obsess over the voltage level of the battery using real data.

 

[Orchardbike]

Added a voltmeter to my battery cover. Now I can obsess over the voltage level of the battery using real data.

View attachment 56880
View attachment 56879

Have you got a link for that?

 

[Nova]

Have you got a link for that?

Blue Sea Systems 1733 Mini OLED DC Voltmeter - Yellow

Mini 1733 yellow OLED DC voltmeter from Blue Sea Systems with daylight readable display Compact & waterproof for internal or external use. 12V or 24V systems.

www.12voltplanet.co.uk

This just has spades on the back. I soldered the wires on and tapped into the pigtail for the NOCO battery charger I installed.

I really like 1) the precision of this voltmeter, 2) the low current draw due to the OLED display, and 3) the readability of the display in all light conditions.

 

[Orchardbike]

Blue Sea Systems 1733 Mini OLED DC Voltmeter - Yellow

Mini 1733 yellow OLED DC voltmeter from Blue Sea Systems with daylight readable display Compact & waterproof for internal or external use. 12V or 24V systems.

www.12voltplanet.co.uk

This just has spades on the back. I soldered the wires on and tapped into the pigtail for the NOCO battery charger I installed.

I really like 1) the precision of this voltmeter, 2) the low current draw due to the OLED display, and 3) the readability of the display in all light conditions.

Thanks Nova!

 

[AA27]

Hi all

I have the CTEK MXS 5.0 with M8 eyelet indicator + extension. So I think I know how to connect it all up using the pictures and info from this thread (thanks all). I do have a few questions:

A) I will be away for 4-6 weeks, can I select the AGM option on the charger and leave it switched on for the duration? It's parked at a relatives garage, so I could ask them to switch the charger on/off if needed. But I would rather just keep it on if that that is ok?

B) The garage isn't heated and it is a bit cold at the moment in the UK. Is it ok to leave the charger exposed on the ground in the garage, as I plan to route the cables/charger out of the boot. Or is it better to keep the charger on the engine cover like some of the pictures in the post, then route the cables out to the power socket in the garage?

Apologies for the basic questions, I don't really know a lot about how to use these chargers. Thank you.