I’m a new owner of a 2013 XK NA 5.0 (currently 74000km on ODO) and have also recently purchased a CTEK MXS 5.0 battery maintainer for it.

Question for other owners with a battery maintainer: what is your general rule-of-thumb as to when you put the car on the maintainer?

Currently I’’m connecting the CTEK if I expect the car won’t get used for 3 days or more, but I’m wondering if that is overkill and playing things too safe, as a matter of convenience.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

My Jag has been permanently on the CTEK for the last 25 years apart from when I'm actually driving it or away from home in it. However, it's never been my daily driver so has only ever been used for holidays and suchlike. If it's more convenient for you to use the CTEK for minimum 3 days periods then that is also absolutely fine. You could easily extend that up to a month without any issues but that's as long as I would go without a charger.

Richard

 

Welcome to the Forum! The first thing you need to do is read this "Sticky" thread and create a signature that includes details a.bout your X150 (model year, engine, coupe/convertible, color, etc ) and your general location.
New Members - Must Read ..."

You asked a question about using a battery maintainer. This question has been asked and answered many times, and there's no need to reinvent the wheel. Bottom line: the CTEK you bought is popular here, and there are many other acceptable brands. There are several different ways to hook up a maintainer (alligator clips, bolted on, using the remote battery terminals or not, but ... the important thing to remember is tha on the 5.0L models the negative (-)(black) pigtail from the maintainer MUST be connected to a chassis ground (and NOT the negative battery terminal to which the Battery Monitor System (BMS) Module is attached. Otherwise, damage to that BMS Module can occur.

Here's how to quickly and easily find answers to many of your questions:
How To Find Answers to Your Questions

I hope you enjoy your 2013 XK as much as I enjoy mine!

Stuart

 

Nothing wrong with using it all the time - I've used mine very occasionally when doing very short trips. Generally I don't need it.

Things to consider is age of the battery, standing (quiescent) current draw and long or short drives. Some members seem to have a higher standing current draw so a maintainer keeps the battery topped up.

Last time I checked my standing current it was around 6 milliamps.

 

Welcome to the forums Civuck,

Whichever of my Jaguars is not in use is in the garage and on my CTEK MXS 5.0. It's a battery tender specifically designed to match charging to the condition of the battery.

Please read the guidance for new members ( https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/n...ned-up-241802/ ) which answers many of the most frequent questions about getting started on the forum.

Graham

 

I don't want to be a nit picker, but it's important. The term " battery tender" is the registered trademark of Deltran USA, LLC of Deland, Florida, the manufacturer of the Battery Tender brand of battery maintainers. "Battery tender" is not a generic term that describes all brands of battery maintainers - but it could be - see the Thermos bottle case where they lost their trademark protection. See Thermos As A Trademark:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermos_LLC

My old Amazon review is copied below:

"Warranty a Joke - BT Jr. Housing Melted Less Than 1 Year Old
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2011
I bought my first Battery Tender Jr. about 20 years ago (for an antique car that I drove infrequently) and it worked fine for over 15 years. I included it with that antique car when I sold it, and as far as I know, it still works.

Based on my prior experience, on November 4, 2010, I bought another Battery Tender Jr. from Amazon for another infrequently driven car. It is now less than 1 year later, and that Battery Tender Jr. got so hot that the plastic case buckled and separated at the seam. So, planning to return it under warranty, I read their terms. Not only do I have to pay to ship that defective unit back to Deltran (which I expected), they also charge a fee for "Warranty Evaluation, Shipping & Handling"! That is OUTRAGEOUS! Since I have my receipt, my fee would be only $7.95 (if no receipt, fee is $11.95). It would cost me $18.90 ($7.95 plus $10.95 USPS Flat Rate medium box) to return it (or $22.90 if I didn't have a receipt - which is more than the $21.39 cost of a new one from Amazon delivered!) Why bother with a warranty claim? If that was Deltran's plan from the outset - to discourage warranty claims - their so-called "warranty" is a fraudulent misrepresentation.

No doubt that my first, 20-year old Battery Tender Jr. was made in the USA. Not so with the second one - the label says "Made in China". A piece of Junk!
729 people found this helpful "

I just wanted you to know my experience with that company so you can be an informed consumer. You can make your own decision as to how you spend your money.

 

Stuart,

If nit picker is the worst you've been called, you got off lightly. You should see some of the hate mail I get.

Deltran USA, LLC must be the Rolls Royce of battery tenders. If you think Deltran are protective, just try infringing the Rolls Royce name. They have a whole department dedicated to piling expensive trouble on anyone who dares.

I always called a CTEK a CTEK but all our US members referred to them as battery tenders so I started doing the same. It wasn't too much of a compromise for an Englishman although I will never use trunks or hoods. I wear the first for swimming and avoid the second as extremely dangerous people.

Back to CTEK it is then. I keep mine in the boot. Unfortunately with the F-Pace, the battery is so difficult to access, I have to connect my CTEK under the bonnet.

Graham

 

Graham, your hate mail doesn't come close to mine, which began with the first word - Sturat - (that wasn't a typo).

I noted that Deltran won a $19 million judgment in 2023 against NOCO corporation for calling its products battery tenders.
Deltran Wins Trademark Infringement Against NOCO
​
You enjoy the benefit of The King's English. Us Yanks enjoy not being so proper.

I pity the poor immigrant who comes to America, only to find himself lost by our language. Only in the USA do we drive on the parkway and park in the driveway!

Cheers!

Stuart

 

I've always called them "Battery Maintainers".

Oh, and TACO TUESDAY was a trademark of The Taco John Company.

 

Nope. Taco John abandoned their claim to that trademark last year because they didn't want to pay the legal fees to defend it.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/18/busin...nds/index.html

Taco John - what's in a name? Think about it ... is that what happens when you eat there?

 

........ and the kerbs on the pavements are too high. However, I do like the huge size of the parking bays shown in so many of the photos posted on the forum.

Must go and check on my Battery Maintainer as CeeJay has so diplomatically named it.

Graham

 

I keep my CTEK "battery-charge-keeper-upper-tender-maintainer" connected all the time when not driving. It's hardwired to the battery and the clip connector just stays in the boot. Makes it easy and fast to connect/disconnect. Sometimes my car(s) sit for weeks at a time, and sometimes I get one or two out every day or so. I've kept my cars connected this way for many years, including approx. 6 months of winter storage, and never any starting problems in the Spring. I typically get 7-8 years out of a battery this way and feel cheated if I don't get 7-8 years. The longest I ever got was 12 years on a battery in my 993......12 years. I swear. I checked my maintenance records.
I would agree with the consensus that CTEK is the way to go. I've had several Deltran's over the years and sometimes they last, sometimes they don't.

 

Best practices; no idea, lol.

Hate mail?!? for hosting and contributing to an open forum?? This disgusts me.
Its called manners and this is important. Clearly some were never taught or are so self righteous that they think it doesn’t apply to them.

If the communique starts off with the wrong tone I just ignore it…. unless I’m feeling in a bantering mood.

 

Nice try, @Cee Jay changing "is" to "was" at 10:20 PM, but your original post survived as quoted in my Post #10.

 

Yes I did. You had it quoted already so there was no surreptitiousness on my end. I had also already Liked your rebuttal.
I will now also do you another favor...
Ah, crap... I can't Edit anymore. I was going to add a Reason for Editing. Too late.

 

So it is.





Graham

 

Ah!
No, I was going to edit post #9 where I said Taco Tuesday belongs to Taco John. I did edit once, but I can't edit that one anymore cuz Too Late!