CTEK 3300 Battery Charger Installation
#41
01-10-2014, 06:50 PM
Veteran Member
Yes, you are correct. Make sure the car is locked even when parked in the garage.
The CTEK when green shows the battery is charged and drops in voltage and is sending a trickle charge to the battery.
When the battery needs power/charging, the middle red light on the top row will light up....thus sending a fuller charge to the battery. If you see this happening, you know that your CTEK is working properly and most surprising you know that your battery needs some charging.
The CTEK is one of the best items that any Jaguar owner of our XK/XKR cars can buy.
You now know that your battery needs the charging, and you really don't have to worry as the CTEK is taking care of that for you.
When the green light is lite, the charger itself is cooler to the touch. When red, it tends to get warmer as it is powering up the battery.
Glad that you see the change from red to green.
Hopefully your happy owning one of these smart chargers.
I don't know how anybody can go without this type of charger. We read so many posts of electrical gremlins mostly caused by weak or exhausted power levels from the battery.
The CTEK when green shows the battery is charged and drops in voltage and is sending a trickle charge to the battery.
When the battery needs power/charging, the middle red light on the top row will light up....thus sending a fuller charge to the battery. If you see this happening, you know that your CTEK is working properly and most surprising you know that your battery needs some charging.
The CTEK is one of the best items that any Jaguar owner of our XK/XKR cars can buy.
You now know that your battery needs the charging, and you really don't have to worry as the CTEK is taking care of that for you.
When the green light is lite, the charger itself is cooler to the touch. When red, it tends to get warmer as it is powering up the battery.
Glad that you see the change from red to green.
Hopefully your happy owning one of these smart chargers.
I don't know how anybody can go without this type of charger. We read so many posts of electrical gremlins mostly caused by weak or exhausted power levels from the battery.
My car is always locked in the garage. I know that trick of slowing down the electrical drain.
Prior to purchasing my XK, an acquaintance had the identical car for close to 6 months. I always asked if there were any electrical issues and never got a response until last week when I was told that the car was towed for a dead battery. These chargers should come as a standard accessory for our cars.
#42
01-10-2014, 07:08 PM
Boca:
Jaguar does sell these CTEK chargers under their own Jaguar name brand with Jaguar logo. Cost is about $50-$70 more than what we paid. They are available from Jaguar dealerships. It appears that many owners are not aware of the potential battery problems that we Jaguar owners face.
Thanks to this forum and to Gregory in Victoria BC for giving the advice to me many months ago about the CTEK chargers. Now I am one of the biggest fans and testimonials for CTEK on these forums.
I even have one for my 2014 Porsche Cayman 981.
These high tech cars use lots of power.
Jaguar does sell these CTEK chargers under their own Jaguar name brand with Jaguar logo. Cost is about $50-$70 more than what we paid. They are available from Jaguar dealerships. It appears that many owners are not aware of the potential battery problems that we Jaguar owners face.
Thanks to this forum and to Gregory in Victoria BC for giving the advice to me many months ago about the CTEK chargers. Now I am one of the biggest fans and testimonials for CTEK on these forums.
I even have one for my 2014 Porsche Cayman 981.
These high tech cars use lots of power.
#43
01-15-2014, 08:19 PM
Veteran Member
Richard:
The very heavy demand for electrical power is by no means confined to modern Jaguars - it happens with virtually every new model of every make. But many Jaguars are considered by their owners to be "special" cars (and they are) and are therefore reserved for "special" use, and not as daily drivers. The result can be the dead battery syndrome. In addition, we have to contend with the fact that 4-5 years is about the maximum life for a modern battery in regular use. But the use of a CTEK or similar unit will extend the life of the battery by YEARS. My record is 12 years on a V12 Series III XJ, always on the maintenance charger when not actually in use. The cost of a CTEK charger is paid for in peace of mind AND in battery replacement cost.
Today my XK had some very good exercise. Read between the lines
. Now it is back on the CTEK.
The very heavy demand for electrical power is by no means confined to modern Jaguars - it happens with virtually every new model of every make. But many Jaguars are considered by their owners to be "special" cars (and they are) and are therefore reserved for "special" use, and not as daily drivers. The result can be the dead battery syndrome. In addition, we have to contend with the fact that 4-5 years is about the maximum life for a modern battery in regular use. But the use of a CTEK or similar unit will extend the life of the battery by YEARS. My record is 12 years on a V12 Series III XJ, always on the maintenance charger when not actually in use. The cost of a CTEK charger is paid for in peace of mind AND in battery replacement cost.
Today my XK had some very good exercise. Read between the lines
. Now it is back on the CTEK.
#44
01-15-2014, 11:21 PM
Richard:
The very heavy demand for electrical power is by no means confined to modern Jaguars - it happens with virtually every new model of every make. But many Jaguars are considered by their owners to be "special" cars (and they are) and are therefore reserved for "special" use, and not as daily drivers. The result can be the dead battery syndrome. In addition, we have to contend with the fact that 4-5 years is about the maximum life for a modern battery in regular use. But the use of a CTEK or similar unit will extend the life of the battery by YEARS. My record is 12 years on a V12 Series III XJ, always on the maintenance charger when not actually in use. The cost of a CTEK charger is paid for in peace of mind AND in battery replacement cost.
Today my XK had some very good exercise. Read between the lines. Now it is back on the CTEK.
The very heavy demand for electrical power is by no means confined to modern Jaguars - it happens with virtually every new model of every make. But many Jaguars are considered by their owners to be "special" cars (and they are) and are therefore reserved for "special" use, and not as daily drivers. The result can be the dead battery syndrome. In addition, we have to contend with the fact that 4-5 years is about the maximum life for a modern battery in regular use. But the use of a CTEK or similar unit will extend the life of the battery by YEARS. My record is 12 years on a V12 Series III XJ, always on the maintenance charger when not actually in use. The cost of a CTEK charger is paid for in peace of mind AND in battery replacement cost.
Today my XK had some very good exercise. Read between the lines
. Now it is back on the CTEK.I am so glad I have them.....thanks to you, Gregory.
#45
02-09-2014, 01:16 PM
Member
Just received my CTEK in the mail. One question: are there already nuts on the extra posts of the battery terminal, or do we need to pickup a pair? If so, do you know the nut size, so I can just run over to Home Depot and pick them up without first having to go the trial-and-error route? Thanks, and thanks for the excellent write-up!
#46
02-09-2014, 01:57 PM
Just received my CTEK in the mail. One question: are there already nuts on the extra posts of the battery terminal, or do we need to pickup a pair? If so, do you know the nut size, so I can just run over to Home Depot and pick them up without first having to go the trial-and-error route? Thanks, and thanks for the excellent write-up!
Nuts at HomeDepot are about .06 cents each. So buy a few of 3 different sizes.
Your total cost is less than .70 cents. Then you don't have to drive back and forth.
Or just open the back of the trunk, remove the panel and take a measurement.
Sometimes we have to do a little work to achieve results.
I just can't remember the exact size. Also if you noticed from my photos the nuts used were lock nuts that have the small piece of nylon in the nut. You will need a 5/16 or 3/8" wrench for tightening.
#47
02-09-2014, 03:01 PM
Veteran Member
There are NO nuts on the extra battery posts. I don't recall what size they are but would try 3/16 or 1/4".
Nuts at HomeDepot are about .06 cents each. So buy a few of 3 different sizes.
Your total cost is less than .70 cents. Then you don't have to drive back and forth.
Or just open the back of the trunk, remove the panel and take a measurement.
Sometimes we have to do a little work to achieve results.
I just can't remember the exact size. Also if you noticed from my photos the nuts used were lock nuts that have the small piece of nylon in the nut. You will need a 5/16 or 3/8" wrench for tightening.
Nuts at HomeDepot are about .06 cents each. So buy a few of 3 different sizes.
Your total cost is less than .70 cents. Then you don't have to drive back and forth.
Or just open the back of the trunk, remove the panel and take a measurement.
Sometimes we have to do a little work to achieve results.
I just can't remember the exact size. Also if you noticed from my photos the nuts used were lock nuts that have the small piece of nylon in the nut. You will need a 5/16 or 3/8" wrench for tightening.
Is anyone yet able to report the exact size of lock nuts to be used on the XK battery terminals??
Loth
#48
02-09-2014, 03:02 PM
#49
02-09-2014, 03:13 PM
Veteran Member
I have been reading these post with interest as I had to use a battery maintainer with my previous car. I had used a Sear unit which is pretty much the same in function as the CTEK. I was just curious as to whether it would be necessary to buy a unit when the present one I have should do the trick. With my Fcar I would use the cigarette lighter adapter but I still have the direct battery attach pigtail and the 2 alligator clip pigtail. It works pretty good and has the 3 levels of battery condition and it is the floating type charger. Just asking.
#50
02-09-2014, 03:27 PM
Veteran Member
#51
02-09-2014, 03:29 PM
Veteran Member
This is the first time I have done something like this... The car will need turned off and the trunk opened. Then lock the car with the trunk lid up. Rich does it matter which terminal I bolt down first? red or black??? Sorry for my stupidity in this manner.
Loth
#52
02-09-2014, 03:30 PM
I have been reading these post with interest as I had to use a battery maintainer with my previous car. I had used a Sear unit which is pretty much the same in function as the CTEK. I was just curious as to whether it would be necessary to buy a unit when the present one I have should do the trick. With my Fcar I would use the cigarette lighter adapter but I still have the direct battery attach pigtail and the 2 alligator clip pigtail. It works pretty good and has the 3 levels of battery condition and it is the floating type charger. Just asking.
As an avid user of the CTEK products on my Jaguar and Porsche, I have confidence in the way they work. The unit sends a higher voltage charge when needed to the battery. When the battery is charged, the voltage to the battery is dropped considerably. Thus you have a smart charger that constantly reads the voltage of the battery and always maintains the voltage of the battery at proper levels. If your current charger does not fit the bill, then I would make the $70.00 investment and buy the CTEK. There are several vendors via the web and I have seen them being sold for about $60.00.
Amazon sells them.
Bottom line it does what it is supposed to.
Many Jaguar XK/XKR owners have purchased them on my specific recommendation, and so far no one has complained to me for spending the money for something that doesn't work.
#53
02-09-2014, 05:12 PM
Member
I just removed the trunk liner and my battery setup is different than the OP's picture.
Has anyone connected their charger to a battery setup like mine?
The 'extra' post on the pos side is connected to what I believe is a lead to my GPS DVD unit, and the neg side doesn't have an extra post.
Thanks
Has anyone connected their charger to a battery setup like mine?
The 'extra' post on the pos side is connected to what I believe is a lead to my GPS DVD unit, and the neg side doesn't have an extra post.
Thanks
The following users liked this post:
Lothar52 (02-09-2014)
#54
02-09-2014, 05:19 PM
Veteran Member
I just removed the trunk liner and my battery setup is different than the OP's picture.
Has anyone connected their charger to a battery setup like mine?
The 'extra' post on the pos side is connected to what I believe is a lead to my GPS DVD unit, and the neg side doesn't have an extra post.
Thanks
Has anyone connected their charger to a battery setup like mine?
The 'extra' post on the pos side is connected to what I believe is a lead to my GPS DVD unit, and the neg side doesn't have an extra post.
Thanks
#55
02-09-2014, 05:57 PM
Veteran Member
Come on people...has anyone placed one of these chargers on a 5.0L SC XK before??? It looks as if our battery setup is different? I believe if we take the spare tire liner out there is a area to bolt the black lead down there... I thought I recall this from talking to a Jag tech at my dealership. They were very vague however and showed little interest in helping me. Do we put the black one on where the car is grounded and add the red one on top where it is in the 4.2L???????
Last edited by Lothar52; 02-09-2014 at 06:12 PM.
#56
02-09-2014, 06:09 PM
I just removed the trunk liner and my battery setup is different than the OP's picture.
Has anyone connected their charger to a battery setup like mine?
The 'extra' post on the pos side is connected to what I believe is a lead to my GPS DVD unit, and the neg side doesn't have an extra post.
Thanks
Has anyone connected their charger to a battery setup like mine?
The 'extra' post on the pos side is connected to what I believe is a lead to my GPS DVD unit, and the neg side doesn't have an extra post.
Thanks
After looking closely at your battery setup (photo), you have plenty or room on the threaded post attached to the main battery terminal on both sides (Right-red-Positive)...and the left side main post ( Left-Black-negative).
The CTEK comes with an eyelet harness that will simply slip over the extended threaded post, then just add another nut over that.
You have an easy setup after viewing your photo, you just don't have the extra threaded posts on each side ( red & black...Positive/Negative) like some of the older models have.
Your existing setup, would NOT stop me from buying and setting up the CTEK 3300 charger.
All you need is 2 nuts and 5 minutes to install.
I also suggest that you order the CTEK Comfort 8' extension as it will be needed.
Here's what I am suggesting...
Here's the unit.....$54.00 from Amazon is a GREAT price.
Hope this helps.
The following users liked this post:
Lothar52 (02-09-2014)
#57
02-09-2014, 07:55 PM
Veteran Member
Looks like after reading the 3300 manual this will be the course of actions for the 5.0. I do have questions if anyone can answer. Please correct me if I am wrong!!
1- The car will be off and with the trunk open try to lock the doors to inactivate the electronics as best possible.
2- Make sure there is nothing that can cause a spark anywhere...the manual keeps harping about this
3- Connect the red eyelet to the red positive with a 3/16 or 1/4 lock nut using appropriate wrench. I am not sure here exactly how it is supposed to look ????
4- Connect the black eyelet to the ground area. I am not sure but I think this is away from the battery unlike Rich's setup. Again I am not sure how exactly the eyelet and nut fit together in this situation.
5- plug the 3300 into the wall and set to the "car" on mode
6- plug the eyelet cord into the 3300 and it should start to charge.
Please correct me if I am wrong here with my steps. Thanks!
Loth
1- The car will be off and with the trunk open try to lock the doors to inactivate the electronics as best possible.
2- Make sure there is nothing that can cause a spark anywhere...the manual keeps harping about this
3- Connect the red eyelet to the red positive with a 3/16 or 1/4 lock nut using appropriate wrench. I am not sure here exactly how it is supposed to look ????
4- Connect the black eyelet to the ground area. I am not sure but I think this is away from the battery unlike Rich's setup. Again I am not sure how exactly the eyelet and nut fit together in this situation.
5- plug the 3300 into the wall and set to the "car" on mode
6- plug the eyelet cord into the 3300 and it should start to charge.
Please correct me if I am wrong here with my steps. Thanks!
Loth
#58
02-09-2014, 09:02 PM
Looks like after reading the 3300 manual this will be the course of actions for the 5.0. I do have questions if anyone can answer. Please correct me if I am wrong!!
1- The car will be off and with the trunk open try to lock the doors to inactivate the electronics as best possible.
2- Make sure there is nothing that can cause a spark anywhere...the manual keeps harping about this
3- Connect the red eyelet to the red positive with a 3/16 or 1/4 lock nut using appropriate wrench. I am not sure here exactly how it is supposed to look ????
4- Connect the black eyelet to the ground area. I am not sure but I think this is away from the battery unlike Rich's setup. Again I am not sure how exactly the eyelet and nut fit together in this situation.
5- plug the 3300 into the wall and set to the "car" on mode
6- plug the eyelet cord into the 3300 and it should start to charge.
Please correct me if I am wrong here with my steps. Thanks!
Loth
1- The car will be off and with the trunk open try to lock the doors to inactivate the electronics as best possible.
2- Make sure there is nothing that can cause a spark anywhere...the manual keeps harping about this
3- Connect the red eyelet to the red positive with a 3/16 or 1/4 lock nut using appropriate wrench. I am not sure here exactly how it is supposed to look ????
4- Connect the black eyelet to the ground area. I am not sure but I think this is away from the battery unlike Rich's setup. Again I am not sure how exactly the eyelet and nut fit together in this situation.
5- plug the 3300 into the wall and set to the "car" on mode
6- plug the eyelet cord into the 3300 and it should start to charge.
Please correct me if I am wrong here with my steps. Thanks!
Loth
Just take your time and connect the ground first (black eyelet) which simply slips over the threaded post as seen in ITdiamonds photo. Screw lock nut over eyelet on negative ground post.
Slip red wire with eyelet over exisiting positive (red) post. Secure with nut.
Make sure that the CTEK is NOT plugged in until eyelets are connected and secure.
It's easy. Bocatrip a forum member bought the CTEK 3300 was abit hesitant to install it, but after seeing the installation on post #1, he did it himself in about 10 minutes. I believe he owns a 2010 XK.
Just take your time, find the exposed posts first, then go to it.
I have attached a photo of the CTEK harness with eyelets. This comes with the CTEK 3300 charger.
I have also modified the photo from itdiamond to show where the eyelets can go.
Last edited by richzak; 02-09-2014 at 10:04 PM.
#59
02-10-2014, 07:27 AM
Veteran Member
I have been reading these post with interest as I had to use a battery maintainer with my previous car. I had used a Sear unit which is pretty much the same in function as the CTEK. I was just curious as to whether it would be necessary to buy a unit when the present one I have should do the trick. With my Fcar I would use the cigarette lighter adapter but I still have the direct battery attach pigtail and the 2 alligator clip pigtail. It works pretty good and has the 3 levels of battery condition and it is the floating type charger. Just asking.
It will do however the cigarette lighter outlet is not hot when the car is turned off so you cannot use that. It may be hot for a little bit after you close the door but then turn off. I also kept all my Pcars charged through the cigarette lighter as they are hot on most German cars even with ignition off.
Just get an eye let pigtail and connect it to the battery permanently as explained in other posts. Mine has indicator LEDs and peeks out under the cover. One look in the trunk tells me whether to charge or not.
I have that installed in both my XF and XKR-S. I rotate the charger once a week from one car to the other.
Last edited by Schwabe; 02-10-2014 at 07:32 AM.
#60
02-10-2014, 09:10 AM
I've ordered one of these Comfort Connects and plan to mount it somewhere in my truck. I assume this part is included with the Jag branded kit as they picture a cigarette plug in there accessory guide. Does anyone here have the Jag version and able to confirm this? If so, I'd be curious where they are mounting the Comfort Connect. Thanks.