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stapldm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2006
Location: Swine Town
Posts: 2330
  
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| CTEK XS 7000 Charger - Which charge mode? |
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Due to an intermittent alternator failure on my Volvo, I had to get a new battery charger so I can keep it on the road whilst waiting for the parts to arrive.
I decided to go for the CTEK XS 7000, as various websites claim that it is suitable for recharging Calcium style batteries and I didn't want to end up with two chargers should I need to bench charge the D3.
My problem is that although the CTEK website discusses the merits of a Calcium battery, it doesn't suggest which mode to use the charger in.
I've copied the following info from their site - Anyone know which charge option the D3 battery should use to get the best charge?
14.4V
Normal setting for wet batteries, MF and for most Gel batteries.
14.7V
This setting is recommended for charging batteries at temperatures lower than -5 degrees C. It is also suitable for many AGM batteries.
13.6V/SUPPLY
In this mode, the charger delivers a constant voltage of 13.6V. This is the best maintenance mode for applications where maximum capacity from the battery is important. The MULTI US 7000 can also be used as a power supply without a battery attached in this mode. No counter voltage is necessary to start the charger in this mode. Note that the spark free function is suppressed in this mode, the reverse polarity protection works but there is no indication.
16V/RECOND
This mode is used to recover severely discharged batteries where you might expect stratified acid (high acid weight at the bottom, low on top). Note that the battery has to be fully charged first. Use this mode with care, as the high voltage may cause some water loss. 16V is normally no problem for electronics in 12V systems, although maximum effect and minimum risk for electronics is achieved by disconnecting the battery.
Thanks! Dr. Ian Malcolm:
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
Transgenic tomato anyone?
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 30th May 2007 4:44 pm |
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stapldm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2006
Location: Swine Town
Posts: 2330
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Bump : Does anyone know what the correct charge voltage is for bench charging a D3 battery? Pretty please? Dr. Ian Malcolm:
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
Transgenic tomato anyone?
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| 31st May 2007 3:40 pm |
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martin4x4
Member Since: 23 May 2005
Location: Norfolk, UK
Posts: 362
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I asked this or a similar question to CTEK some time back but I cannot find the reply now.
Contact them directly at info@ctek.com, I recall they answered me very quickly. Discovery 3 XS Auto, Stornaway, Active rear diff.
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| 31st May 2007 4:27 pm |
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stapldm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2006
Location: Swine Town
Posts: 2330
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Thanks! 
I'll give that a try. Dr. Ian Malcolm:
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
Transgenic tomato anyone?
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| 31st May 2007 4:38 pm |
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drivesafe
Member Since: 23 Feb 2006
Location: Gold Coast, Australia
Posts: 867
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Hi staplm, as it’s summer over your way right now, 14.4 is all you need and it depends on how long you are going to have either battery on the charger.
If you are using the D3 on a daily basis then you shouldn’t need to use the charger at all and just keep it on the Volvo’s battery. Remember, this is not a high current type of charger and will take quite a few hours to days, depending on the size of the battery and how discharged it is, to bring a battery back up to full charge.
DO NOT USE THE 16/RECOND mode on your D3’s battery. This mode is only good for standard wet cell batteries and will damage any form of sealed battery like the D3’s maintenance free battery.
This mode literally boils the battery to force electrolyte to mix properly and to try to desulphate the plates. Boiling any battery means the battery will gas and expel any pressure build-up in the form of steam ( water ) and you can’t replace the water loss in a sealed battery.
With any smart battery charger, the battery’s voltage is raised during the initial charge by a higher voltage and higher current and when the battery is close to a full charged state, the charger switches to a maintenance mode which is both a lower voltage and usually, a lower current, but the battery still needs a long period of time in the maintenance mode to completely charge the battery, so you will need to leave each battery on the charger from three or four days up to a week, again depending on the size of the battery and how discharged it is, to fully charge either battery before starting to charge the other battery.
In either vehicle’s case, in car charging is the best way to go, as pointed out above, you are more likely to cause problems removing and installing the battery than you are just charging the battery in place.
One caution, make sure the D3’s Parking Break light is off before you connect the charger to the D3’s battery. While the Parking Break light is on, after you have removed your ignition key, means the D3’s computers are still in Shutdown mode so don’t connect the charger for a few minutes. It probably won’t cause a problem but better to be safe than expensively sorry.
Cheers 2008 TDV8 RR Lux + 2009 D4 2.7
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| 1st Jun 2007 10:02 pm |
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stapldm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2006
Location: Swine Town
Posts: 2330
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Many thanks Drivesafe for those excellent details.
Sadly, I've not had a response from CTEK as to why their products show that they can charge Calcium cells yet don't give any indication as to which modes to use/avoid so I have no other info to share.
OK, 14.4v it is then - I had my gut feel resting on 14.7.
BTW the LR sealed maintennce free battery I have appears to have the water check/ top-up screws for each cell on the lid; just like my maintenance free Volvo one 
If I'd ever killed the battery far enough to need to try the 16v mode, I'd definitely remove the screws first, but let's face it, it'd only be a stopgap whilst waiting for a new battery to arrive.
If I do use it on the D3, it'll probably only be after multiple short journeys have depleted the charge; good advice on this forum suggests that the battery may not recover full charge potential in the car alone when it drops below a certain charge threshold. I'll only experiment when the situation arises.
The charger claims not to cause much gassing/water loss during chargeing, and I have to say that the totally discharged Volvo battery only showed a handful of bubbles rather than the champane style my normal charger normally evokes from it  Also the battery remained at room temp, rather than warming slightly. On a single use, it looks like a good charger; not fast, but effective.
Thanks again Drivesafe, appreciate it. Dr. Ian Malcolm:
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
Transgenic tomato anyone?
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| 1st Jun 2007 11:06 pm |
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