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Trickle charger - negative connector to battery or bodywork?


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Hello everyone

I've just picked up a CTEK MXS 5 intelligent battery charger and wondered if anyone could clarify something please.

Do I have to connect the negative (black) clamp to the bodywork or can I connect it to the battery terminal?

I ask as in the manual it says when the battery is in installed in the car (ie not sitting on a bench) then you have connect the negative (black) clapm to the chassis remote from the fuel pipe and the battery. But a friend of mine has two of these for his classic cars and doesn't bother to do this,  just connects to the battery terminals. Is the manufacturer being overcautious or am I?

Thanks in advance.

Mike

 

Edited by MikeThomas
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The only reason for doing this that incan think of is to avoid sparks near the fuel tank/battery.

connect the positive first then the negative away from sources of ignitable material.

i connect all my battery chargers to the battery terminals !

steve

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13 minutes ago, Steves_TR6 said:

The only reason for doing this that incan think of is to avoid sparks near the fuel tank/battery.

connect the positive first then the negative away from sources of ignitable material.

i connect all my battery chargers to the battery terminals !

steve

+1 Steve, I think that is the reason: reduce risk of battrery explosion as a spark could ignice the H2/O2 mixture in the battery that develops during charging.

It makes sense especially for those who remove the plugs from the cells, as was conmon with the old batteries. Nowadays maybe less critical.

Waldi

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12 minutes ago, Steves_TR6 said:

The only reason for doing this that incan think of is to avoid sparks near the fuel tank/battery.

connect the positive first then the negative away from sources of ignitable material.

i connect all my battery chargers to the battery terminals !

steve

+1

Yep, got a CTEK too and always connect to the battery terminals;  as Steve says, positive first, then negative. Better still, permanently connect the the 'plug and charge' cable supplied with the kit - saves phaffing about.

If you don't have one then they are available on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CTEK-Comfort-Connect-Eyelet-Fitting-Spare-Flylead-Car-Motorsport-40cm-Cable/141165294286?hash=item20de1b72ce:m:m03E3u9MEx87g39pjpe7MzQ:rk:1:pf:0

Cheers, Andrew

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2 hours ago, MikeThomas said:

Hello everyone

I've just picked up a CTEK MXS 5 intelligent battery charger and wondered if anyone could clarify something please.

Do I have to connect the negative (black) clamp to the bodywork or can I connect it to the battery terminal?

I ask as in the manual it says when the battery is in installed in the car (ie not sitting on a bench) then you have connect the negative (black) clapm to the chassis remote from the fuel pipe and the battery. But a friend of mine has two of these for his classic cars and doesn't bother to do this,  just connects to the battery terminals. Is the manufacturer being overcautious or am I?

Thanks in advance.

Mike

 

Mike

CTEK are correct and with good reason NO matter what battery is fitted

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I have often heard that a swan can break your arm with a flick of its wing.
I also hear that this is a myth, and that no one has ever actually had their arm broken by a swan’s wing.


I have also heard that it is a  “Myth” is that people have been blinded by connecting a battery charger to a battery, and the battery exploding.

Back in the 1970’s I had a customer wearing an eye patch come to my railway arch in Leamington Spa. I asked him why he was wearing an eye patch. He told me that he connected a battery charger to a battery, it exploded, and parts of the battery ended up destroying his eyeball.

Ever since then I’ve always shielded my eyes whenever I’ve connected or
disconnected a car battery.

Over cautious?
I still have 2 eyeballs…

Charlie.

 

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Ive heard all the stories, too, but like many others, I played around with generating hydrogen and hydrogen-oxygen mixes as a kid.  With the largest volume of H2-O2 I can imagine collecting in any concentration around a charging battery, I think the most you'd get is a pop that might scare you, but couldn't cause much damage.

Any injuries would more likely be from a startle response, sort of like unexpected mild electrical shocks.

Ed

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In the snow of a late night winter I started my works Sierra with a flat battery by using our commercial workshops twin slave batteries inadvertently connected up for 24v operation...when I disconnected the clamps from the battery posts it sparked blew the end off the battery ! I ended up throwing handfuls of snow into the engine compartment to water down the acids. 

I realise this is an exaggerated case but ever since I've used the earth connection to the bodywork where possible, otherwise you have to use the battery posts.

Micky 

Edited by Motorsport Mickey
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A mate of mine had a lucky escape a few years ago disconnecting a charger from a tractor battery which exploded in a spectacular fashion. This was a boost charger that had been left on too long and had mostly boiled the battery dry.

Fortunately the battery was under the bonnet of the tractor and this caught all the shrapnel though he was covered with a good dose of acid all over his clothing and hands

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2 hours ago, ed_h said:

Ive heard all the stories, too, but like many others, I played around with generating hydrogen and hydrogen-oxygen mixes as a kid.  With the largest volume of H2-O2 I can imagine collecting in any concentration around a charging battery, I think the most you'd get is a pop that might scare you, but couldn't cause much damage.

Any injuries would more likely be from a startle response, sort of like unexpected mild electrical shocks.

Ed

A bit more than a "Pop"    I was once angle grinding some steel in the workshop of my local farm, un be known to me a 12V battery was on charge at the end of the bench.

a stray spark from the grinder caused the battery to explode, acid hit the roof, as did the top of the battery, & most of that end of the bench got an acid spray.

I got away with it unscathed, but quite shaken !!

Bob.

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More bad...

I was once involved in an exploded large industrial battery from a 5T electric fork lift truck. The charger, as was discovered after the incident, had overcharged the battery and this was a large battery, around 500-1000 kg.

With safety aspects, you often hear “I never had that”, and then the assumption it cannot happen.  Google it:

Regards,

Waldi

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18 hours ago, Andrew Smith said:

+1

Yep, got a CTEK too and always connect to the battery terminals;  as Steve says, positive first, then negative. Better still, permanently connect the the 'plug and charge' cable supplied with the kit - saves phaffing about.

If you don't have one then they are available on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CTEK-Comfort-Connect-Eyelet-Fitting-Spare-Flylead-Car-Motorsport-40cm-Cable/141165294286?hash=item20de1b72ce:m:m03E3u9MEx87g39pjpe7MzQ:rk:1:pf:0

Cheers, Andrew

Thanks Andrew, that bit of kit came with it. Cheers

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17 hours ago, North London Mike said:

Battery terminals for the trickle/ condition charge.......... unlike a 'JUMP START' where you would connect the negative to the frame or engine block 

Thanks Mike,

Useful to know, hope I never need to get a jump start though.

Cheers Mike

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15 hours ago, Charlie D said:

I have often heard that a swan can break your arm with a flick of its wing.
I also hear that this is a myth, and that no one has ever actually had their arm broken by a swan’s wing.


I have also heard that it is a  “Myth” is that people have been blinded by connecting a battery charger to a battery, and the battery exploding.

Back in the 1970’s I had a customer wearing an eye patch come to my railway arch in Leamington Spa. I asked him why he was wearing an eye patch. He told me that he connected a battery charger to a battery, it exploded, and parts of the battery ended up destroying his eyeball.

Ever since then I’ve always shielded my eyes whenever I’ve connected or
disconnected a car battery.

Over cautious?
I still have 2 eyeballs…

Charlie.

 

Crikey Charlie

Thanks for sharing your story, understand why you are always cautions. I do have protective glasses for when strimming the lawn, perhaps I'II use them from now on.

Best wishes,

Mike

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Many of the turbine gen sets I worked on were designed for black start, so had a large 24V battery system to maintain all the turbine control systems. The point we always stressed to the client's operators was to switch off the power and vent the cabinet before working on the battery unit.

The same applies to car batteries SWITCH OFF any charger and wait a short while , just to be on the safe side.

They only time I remember a battery exploding was at 2.00 am while returning from a call out at Worksop. Pulled in for diesel at Markham Moor services whent to start the car and bang the battery exploded. That was a very long day/night. Being a year old lease vehicle it was taken to the main dealers for inspection , they never found the cause .

Brian

Edited by brian -r
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1 hour ago, Waldi said:

More bad...

I was once involved in an exploded large industrial battery from a 5T electric fork lift truck. The charger, as was discovered after the incident, had overcharged the battery and this was a large battery, around 500-1000 kg.

With safety aspects, you often hear “I never had that”, and then the assumption it cannot happen.  Google it:

Regards,

Waldi

Thanks for the clip Waldi, I've been learning rather a lot by this thread.

Best wishes

Mike

Edited by MikeThomas
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Thanks everyone that contributed to this thread. It's been very helpful and informative.

Taking on board what several of you have said I will err on the side of caution and use the chassis instead of the battery terminal for the negative clamp.

Have a great Sunday.

Best wishes to you all and thanks. ;)

Mike

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1 hour ago, roger murray-evans said:

All the above assumes that the car is negative earth of course?

More than a few TRs have positive earth systems

Roger M-E

 

Thanks Roger, any ideas on how I go about finding out which mine is?

Mike

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I’m with Andrew.

I have a CTek and have permanently wired the connector that came with the charger into the glovebox. As and when I want to put the battery on charge it’s a simple matter to plug it in to the extension inside the car. 

Rgds Ian

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