Dear Forum,

Please can anyone advise me whether or not this battery maintainer is suitable for X350?

https://www.aceuae.com/en/ace-uae/bl...b%29-663503--1

BM3B - I didn't see any voltage or amperage spec even on the Black&Decker website. It just says AGM GEL & WET.

I use this for trickle charging:
https://www.banggood.com/AUDEW-6V12V...r_warehouse=CN

or this: (same thing, ad shows voltage specs)
https://us.banggood.com/Wholesale-Wa...&rmmds=myorder

Plus this:
https://www.banggood.com/Dual-Red-Bl...r_warehouse=CN

My own readings are 14.6v switching back to 13.6v for the above.

Many different types out there though many I have seen use the CTEK maintainers. Plug them in and forget about them. Worth a look.

Yep, a lot of people on this forum, and the UK Jag forum use CTEK charger/maintainers. They are 'intelligent' chargers and reduce the charging current right back to zero when the battery is fully charged and then just operate a periodic check the voltage and charge-if-necessary. I use the 3.8A model and it keeps the battery fully charged nae prob.

Jaguar actually sell the CTEK as an Jaguar accessory but at about double the price ... with 'Jaguar' printed on the case.

I wouldn't get anything rated under 2 or 3 amps. I learned the hard way that if something goes wrong with the electrical system that causes a drain, like a solenoid that stays powered up or something, the drain could be more than a feeble maintainer can maintain and will drain the battery anyway. Trying to charge a lead-acid battery at a rate less than it is being depleted is actually dangerous as it can boil off the water in the battery, build up gasses inside the case and/or erode the plates and cause shorts. To that point too, you want a "smart" charger that will recognize such a condition and shut itself off. I have four cars plugged into CTEKs at the moment. They can be frustrating when they shut themselves off due to error detection, but that's what you want them to do.

Also rarely been a fan of Black & Decker branded products, but that's subjective as the tool brand is aimed at budget-level consumers and not professionals. I do have a couple of small kitchen appliances from them, but I'd be just as likely to ruin dinner with Breville appliances.

I have used a CTEK for years. This morning for the first time ever I did forget!

I reversed out and immediately realized what I was doing wrong when I heard the wires snap!

My excuse is that I had to take making sheets off where I have been respraying the hood and that sidetracked me.

Thanks pdupler. You echo what everyone has been saying. CTEK the way to go!

Regarding B&D, I was just hoping (against all odds) that I could buy something locally here that would suffice, but (as usual) I will have to have it shipped in at great expense and delay!

Battery tender, as well as Schumacher, are in my garage, works well on my bikes, as well as cars.

Indeed, I've gotten to where I don't ever go shopping anymore. Its amazing there's millions of square feet of retail space all around me and nobody ever carries the product that I want, especially tools. I can run around all day looking for something, wasting a lot of time and gasoline and not find it, then wind up back at home on the internet placing the order. So now I don't even bother. No matter what it is, Amazon will generally have it on my front porch in one or two days.

Takes much longer and costs quite a bit more when Amazon have to ship it here from the States!

How long are you going to be in the uk?

If it's less than 6/8 weeks the battery should be ok.

Leave the boot open as insurance and buy a charger in the UK.

If it's flat when you get back-whip it out,zoom up to your apartment

and put it on charge with your new device.

lol

My ctech maintains @ 10 below F outside. Pay a little more for the one that has supply function if you can. Its worth it if you have to remove or complete work a long time with the elec's on. Something like CTEK Multi US 7002. You may not think you'll use it, but that time will come when you say "why didn't I spend a little more to get the supply mode on this maintainer" Trust me, I've said it a few times.
Mark

You guys are right that a trickle charger is just that.

I also have a PowerTrain 40A 8-Stage, but I'm leery of anything which has an automatic Boost stage with car electronics connected. For example, the PowerTrain can boost to 16.2v (and some CTek's with boost can go to 15.8v).

Don has posted above (edit:related thread) a max alternator output of 15.3v, so the car electronics is safe to that. I doubt we'll find a max car electronics voltage spec... until someone involuntarily provides a test car...

Anyway, I chose a trickle charger specifically which doesn't boost, which also appears to be the case with the CTek 3.8

"If you blow your car up with a Charger, who you gonna call? Toast Busters?"

P.S. I also have a PowerTrain 16A charger, but that thing pulse-charges the whole time and without an oscilloscope who knows what the pulsed voltage is...though it's good for unconnected batteries.

Meirion1: How long are you going to be in the uk?

If it's less than 6/8 weeks the battery should be ok.


Thanks Meirion1; I was not sure how long is too long?
Now that you have clarified the above point for me, yours is a good idea!
Buy my CTEK in the UK without shipping costs!

What is a Supply Function, please?

It supplies uninterrupted power to the car while you change batteries. This may not seem important now, but it will some day. It's not a deal breaker on the NAS x350, but on a Range Rover it is. The Jag's don't loose a lot of settings when the battery is disconnected on NAS models, but ROW cars do. It just takes the hassle out of resetting things that don't have a flash memory. Many ROW models require a radio code, which can be a pain.

NAS - North American Spec
ROW - Rest Of the World

Don't know if it works on the cars but on motorcycles.
The 9 volt type of transistor radio battery.
With some wires & small clips, hooked on to the wires.
Kept the time, as well as radio stations settings, from being lost.
That may not be enough power for our cars, but it just might work.

No issue at all on my 2013 Range Rover when battery is disconnected at least for under an hour.

I have to reset the clock thats all.