I'd like to know where people connect their Ctek chargers - under the bonnet on the jump poles, or in the boot on the battery? Reason I ask is that I want to lock the car after leaving it charging and I don't like shutting the boot on the cable, damaging the boot seal. Also, I'm wary about closing the bonnet with crocodile clips on the posts and wires leading out. I can't see an obvious route to lead a wire from the underbonnet posts to outside for easy connection. Any pictures would be a great help!
Thanks in advance

 

Hi. You have to connect it under the bonnet. + from the red port, - from any point with no paint on it. The original cable fits. I route it near the headlights
Sorry, no photo, cause the cat sleeps in the garage

 

I connect mine to the busbar and earth point in the trunk/boot with crocodile clips (I'm lazy and haven't got round to connecting a proper connector) and leave the CTEK itself on the trunk/boot floor. I trail an extension mains lead out of the boot and I shut the lid on the cable - no descernible damage to the rubber seals so far - 3 years and counting! If you have the 10m CTEK extension you can trail that out of the boot, it's very thin so won't cause any damage at all.

 

Hello,
Maybe this can help or give you some ideas. Good Luck
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...ispreloading=1

 

See photos. I connect the charger to the booster terminals under the hood. My CTEK is a 25 amp unit and I leave the hood open when changing or maintaining.

 

 

I had the same questions last year after buying my new F Type R. I attached a pigtail to the busbar under the storage bin in the trunk. Here is a post I made:

The original pigtail cable with the ring lugs that come with my CTEK MXS 5 was too short to extend out with the storage area lid in place. Plus it used M10 sized lugs which were a sloppy fit on the bus bar and grounding stud. I ordered one of their Comfort Indicator pigtails which has three tiny LED's to show the battery state and chose the M8 ring lug size (Part # 56-382). That pigtail was a bit longer but still on the sort side. I ended up boring a hole in the bottom rear left corner of the storage bin that was just big enough for the connector to feed through from underneath. That gave me plenty of slack. I have the 8.2 ft. extension cord on my CTEX (Part # 56-304) which is mounted on the wall by where I park, and now all I have to do is open the hatch, slide the storage bin cover forward a few inches to reach the pigtail, make the connection and close the hatch.

I also had some concerns about closing the hatch on the cord, but after observing the weatherstripping each time I disconnected the CTEK cord I have noticed no damage or permanent marks so the fear appears to be unfounded. I am fortunate to have an electrical outlet on the side wall of the garage next to the car, so I also bought the CTEK mounting bracket and a couple of cleats at the hardware store to wrap the wires when not in use for a tidy installation.

 

Thanks all for the info. Hadn't thought of out near the headlights, but still worried there that the picture showing crocodile clips under the bonnet must be near the underside of the bonnet? Boot sounds better if it doesn't damage the seal. I'll re-look at that. Thanks again

 

This is for an XJ so maybe not the right place to post it?
This is the factory installation of the charger.
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OzXFR uses the underbonner terminals (he's drilled a hole in the positive terminal (carefully to avoid copper bits going everywhere!)) and tucks the lead into the front right wheel well liner when it's not in use, and connects via the wheel well when it is.

 

A permanent connection of the CTEK unit to the battery monitoring system in the trunk is far, far more convenient than clamp/clip connectors anywhere. And there is zero, absolutely no damage to the weather stripping around the trunk area by extending the cable to the outside. No damage. None.
Mine has been connected this way for YEARS without any negatives (bad pun, I agree).

 

I installed mine the way scm described.
The pigtails are permanently connected.
I just connect the unit and drape the wires down the wheel arch to charge. Very easy, and the hood shuts normally.
I did mine at the front rather than the trunk because my wall socket is near the front of the car.
Think both methods asre fine - and both beat a dead battery!!

 

Yep, see this post for some pics of how I did it: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...4/#post1710314
The only difference is I later figured out how to tuck the pigtail up under the edge of the hood/bonnet such that all I need do is flip it out with a single finger then when finished disconnect and poke it back up.
And as I have said elsewhere this is far and away the most convenient way to set up for a CTEK or any other battery tender with a pigtail lead (sorry sov211!).
No need to even unlock the car let alone open a door/trunk/boot/hood/bonnet and it takes 10 seconds max to connect or disconnect.

 

Quite like the wheel arch idea; just requires bonnet popping. Thanks

 

No bonnet popping required, I just reach under the edge of the hood with a fingertip and flip the end of the pigtail out from where it is tucked away.
As I said no need to open anything or even unlock the car.

 

Surely before you set off you have to open the bonnet, and when you return? Understand that when it's just sat there you can charge/disconnect, but to charge in between runs you need to open? Not an issue, just wondering if you can push up to store somewhere for a run without opening the bonnet?

 

I just clip the leads directly to the battery, the charger sits on the concrete floor, and the I can tell you the 12 volt lead cable leaves no indentation on the weather seal.

 

I do route my leads down by the wheel and can shut the hood while charging, but do not fully understand how you can leave the (half) lead in the wheel well while driving.
I would appreciate it if you would post photos. Also, presumably you fit the cable end cap back on but are you concerned at all about water getting to the charging cable?

 

Are you using the crocodile clip leads? The suggestions here use a connector that has eyelets and is connected permanently.

 

Another option is to install the Comfort Connect Indicator Panel on the wall of the interior hatch panel. I thought about that too but it looked like a lot of hassle to cut a hole in the interior panel to inlet the CTEK part and try to fish the wires behind it and down below the storage bin to attach to the busbar and the ground stud. But it certainly would make for a slick installation.