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My CTEK MUS4.3 is on my XJ and I'm still using my old BatteryMinder on my XKR. I'm using the connector with alligator clips for both positive and negative remote battery terminals. Those leads are short, so I used the closest ground post in the spare tire well. I just took this picture but you can't see it because my spare tire is on top of it.
Here's the remote negative terminal with the alligator clip negative pigtail attached, before putting the spare tire back in the trunk.
The plastic trunk trim design might help you find the ground that I used. I haven't had any problems using the alligator clips.
I have used Ctek's for many years for our two Jags ('07 XK coupe and '00 XK8 conv.); both are hard wired with pig tails. The XK under the hatch and the XK8 under the hood.
Only takes a minute to disconnect them. Both chargers stay on the floor; NOT in the vehicles!
XK battery is now 8 yrs old and XK8 4yrs, both still tests good with load on them!
Stopped using Battery Tender years ago, after reports of them catching fire!!
Hope this helps you decide..................
Cheers, do please wear a mask when out and about to save use old farts. (combined age 176 years!)
Adrian,
I plead guilty of warning the Forum of the Battery Tender Jr. fire hazard after mine overheated and melted the plastic case. A POS made in China. I'm fortunate that my house didn't burn down. Note that "Battery Tender" is a registered trademark of Deltran USA, LLC, a family business headquartered in Deland Florida. Their customer service was the worst I ever experienced and their warranty was worthless, as the shipping cost and processing fee exceeded the cost of a new one. Because they advertise heavily, everyone knows their name. But I'll never buy another Deltran product.
Even an N95 face mask isn't enough to adequately protect us vulnerable geezers from COVID-19 because the virus can enter the body through the eyes. For that reason, I recommend wearing a full face shield together with a face mask. They're available on Amazon and I prefer the style that clips onto the visor of your baseball cap.
My wife and I are staying safe by staying home. We listen to Herman's Hermits and watch Groundhog Day.
I put on the permanent connections yesterday. Seems to work out well. I ended up using the remote positive terminal in the trunk and a threaded post by the left side of the spare tire in the 2010 XKR.
...as a matter of interest - how long can one leave an XKR standing without battery drain - 10/14 days ok?
Sorry to hi-jack the thread, it just seemed related to my query a bit.
I believe that it varies within a range depending on the health of the battery. A new good battery, longer. An old weak battery, not as long.
Keep a trickle charger on the battery and you won't have to worry, and the battery will last longer.
Terminology matters. A "trickle charger" is not a "battery maintainer". And "Battery Tender" is not a generic term for a battery maintainer; it's the brand name of a heavily advertised, battery maintainer that is made in China. So, what's the difference? It's the difference between life and death; being smart or being dumb.
A trickle charger is dumb. It has no electronic circuitry to control the rate of charge and automatically shut itself off. It's like the Energizer Bunny that keeps going and going and going ... until it causes the electrolyte to evaporate and damage the battery if you forget to unplug it.
You're better off to buy a quality Battery Maintainer that has electronic circuits to measure, test, and control the charge patterns and automatically shut itself off and on when needed. A battery maintainer is designed to not overcharge a battery. There are many brands of battery maintainers to choose from, as discussed in this thread.
Long layup? Just disconnect the battery negative lead. During covid I couldn't travel to my summer place, and the car, with disconnected battery, started right up after 18 months in storage through two New England winters. Not a new battery, either.
Pulling the lead has never failed me. Just reset the clock and windows, and all's good
Panthera999, I'm not sure that removing the battery lead in modern cars is safe advice anymore. When I took my 2010 in for a new battery I was told that there was a battery swapping process that allowed for no loss of power to the car's electrical system. I don't remember what the gizmo was called, but it wasn't a simple battery. The reason I was told is that the car could lose a lot of programmed parameters and possibly not even start. I've no idea how accurate that this info is, but I have read that on battery loss many newer cars have to relearn operational parameters. So, I'd say if possible (electric socket available) use a battery maintainer.
Panthera999, I'm not sure that removing the battery lead in modern cars is safe advice anymore. When I took my 2010 in for a new battery I was told that there was a battery swapping process that allowed for no loss of power to the car's electrical system. I don't remember what the gizmo was called, but it wasn't a simple battery. The reason I was told is that the car could lose a lot of programmed parameters and possibly not even start. I've no idea how accurate that this info is, but I have read that on battery loss many newer cars have to relearn operational parameters. So, I'd say if possible (electric socket available) use a battery maintainer.
Thanks, AV. I can't speak for later generations, but for the '07 era of my Jag (4.2 engine) and two BMW's (N52 3.0 engines) there isn't any significant issue with disconnecting the battery.
Earlier generation cars used to lose radio presets in some cases, and sometimes HVAC settings. Almost all later ones dont. Can't speak for the 5.0 Jag because I haven't worked on one.
In the '07 Jag Coupe, the window stop points need to be reset (about 30 seconds) and the time reset (also about 30 seconds). A disconnect may result in the emissions system needing to relearn basic parameters upon startup (a few minutes after the engine restarts). And, I suppose, over a long period the system may do what Jag calls a hard reset, requiring systems to relearn parameters when restarted; but it's designed to do that and is a painless process.
BMW is the same, except the only reset is the clock. I can't speak for other cars, but I've disconnected the batteries dozens of time for maintenance, repair and storage without problems. For many repairs, the battery must be disconnected to avoid electical problems or dangers of sparking around fuel occurring when active devices are worked on.
Again, thanks -- your source may be right with certain cars, but I can only speak for my own.
Cheers, Panthera
Last edited by panthera999; Mar 25, 2022 at 10:33 AM.
Mountaincat, we recommend that exact battery tender for our customers who don't drive their Jaguars all the time and it works great! I tell my older customers to trade cars with their kids once a month so their Jaguar can get driven and some mileage on it, nobody puts baby in the corner!
How did this post wind up in this thread? Where is Mountaincat's post that Sabrina replied to?
I suspect that Sabrina is a victim of the Forum's "infinite scroll" feature. According to his Public Profile, Mountaincat owns the previous X100 model. My guess is that she read Mountaincat's question in the X100 Forum, scrolled down and saw the title of this thread, clicked on it and replied here, in the X150 Forum.
