Member Since: 04 Jul 2009
Location: Afidnes, Greece
Posts: 570
D4 MY14 Battery conditioning with CTEK
Hi,
I use my D4 once or twice a week so I think it would be a good idea to charge up the battery every now and then, using my CTEK.
My question is since the MY14 has two batteries, main and one more for start stop, what is the procedure to connect my CTEK to keep the battery healthy? Should I charge up the Start Stop battery as well?
Any advice greatly appreciated as always!
19th May 2014 9:46 am
CUCO
Member Since: 27 May 2011
Location: Spain & Oleee!!!
Posts: 609
very very good question.
I guess how we could use the in board split charge system for the start stop system to charge an aux batt...
or we could do it the traditional way of attaching the leads to the main batt and go on?
Maybe drivesafe could put light over this as he is the guru of the Disco charge system. but i have my head going around this when i first saw the system....
answering your question, i think that you need to charge first the main batt, and that the system will charge automatically the second small one batt, or at least dont discharge it, why? i dont have technical details, but i think that the second one (small) is only for keeping all system alive momentarily when stopped in a red light only (for example, that is,when the start stop is doing its function of saving fuel) and the system is keeping the main isolated waiting for the starting power to be requested saving its capacity. So, i think that the main is the primary and more important batt in the system (more over, is the BIG one) and the first to keep spot on for maintainance.
i would connect my CTEK to the main.
anyone have any PDF that could put light over this system to know the system inside? i bet its a clever system to learn a lot about it
19th May 2014 11:09 am
promitheus
Member Since: 04 Jul 2009
Location: Afidnes, Greece
Posts: 570
Thanks for your answer Cuco!
So, do all people agree that I should go ahead and try to top up my battery?
20th May 2014 5:19 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Just connect to the main as normal.
Well I say as normal, but most of us seem to use the Ctek connected to something else such as tow electrics, Anderson, comfort lead, external socket etc etc. Any of these would be fine on an MY14 too.Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 04 Jul 2009
Location: Afidnes, Greece
Posts: 570
Thanks Robbie, prompt answer as usual!
Would this 'normal' also charge the start stop battery then as cuco suggests, or should the start stop battery be charged separately?
20th May 2014 9:12 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
I do not know enough about the construct of the extra battery to comment. Indeed, I've not found a datasheet or specification for the extra battery anywhere. As the big battery does the heavy work conditioning that can only help.
Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 23 Feb 2006
Location: Gold Coast, Australia
Posts: 867
Hi CUCO and thanks for giving me a swelled head.
I’m not really a guru, just like to pass on hands on experience.
To this point, I’m in the same boat as Robbi, and because we don’t have the Stop/Start over here, I can’t get my hands on one to do any testing.
SO!!
Promitheus, can I make a suggestion that may help you see whether you can do the “normal†charger set up and charge both batteries.
I suspect the Stop/Start battery is actually going to be isolated from the cranking battery while the ignition is off.
To test this "THEORY", after your D4 has been sitting unused for at least 12 hours, try measuring the terminal voltage of both batteries.
At this point I suspect you will possibly get two different voltage readings and just a guess, the cranking battery will have the lower reading but not by much.
Take note of the voltage readings.
Next, connect your battery charger to your cranking battery, and if you are set up for it, ( via one of Martins Tow plug connectors if you have on ) and leave the charger on for a few hours.
With the charger still connected and running, again measure the terminal voltage of both batteries.
If they are both higher than the original readings then both batteries are able to be charged at the same time.
BTW, if both batteries are charging, this time, don’t be surprised if the cranking battery is now the higher charged.
If on the other hand, the Stop/Start battery voltage has not changed, and I suspect this may be the case, then the battery is isolated from the cranking battery while the ignition is off.
Let us know how you get on.2008 TDV8 RR Lux + 2009 D4 2.7
20th May 2014 10:04 pm
CUCO
Member Since: 27 May 2011
Location: Spain & Oleee!!!
Posts: 609
if you could wait for the ctek some days to get it charged tops well the main batt, we could test if the system conect the 2 batteries when ignition off and mains voltage go up, as drivesafe says. ( I think too that they will not connect if ignition Off... but who knows! maybe we have great news)
this robbie pic shows a black box that...I think is a VERY big isolator relay? big cables to it, red wires (usual positive pole to joint and isolate...)
seems like a megasplit charge system. it even have a maxi fuse box on top of the battery.
is curiouss to see a vacuum sensor (brown connector up in the pic), that i imagine make the system restart the engine when vacuum is lost below a value because pumping on pedal or a leak (not usual at all) in the system.
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