# CTEK MXS5 charger



## boswells (Nov 20, 2008)

After having trouble with the car battery after the last two trips away in the Motorhome, and in order to condition the motor home batteries, I have bought the above charger.
As a simple soul I find the instructions tell me about half of what I need to know and that is often the wrong half.
The problems are :
With all of the various modes how long should I give each mode with a. a new battery and b. two five year old batteries in the motorhome.
Finally will the CTEK charge and then condition both the batteries at the same time on the motorhome
All information very gratefully received
Boswells


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## TR5 (Jun 6, 2007)

The charger is fully automatic, just set the charge amperage to 5A and start the cycle, and it will move through each stage automatically.
It is suitable for up to 110Ah battery power, so if yours exceeds that, then I would seperate them, and charge individually.


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## boswells (Nov 20, 2008)

*Ctek MXS5*

Thanks TR5 for that information. As the Van battery and the Leisure battery together add up to more than 110Ah do you mean that I should separate them?
Boswells


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## Phil42 (Apr 4, 2006)

I have bought this charger and am having it permanently fitted to my van next week. I'm certainly no expert but I've learnt a little bit recently - since my charger packed up. I don't think that teh charger actually charges both batteries simultaneously - it switches from one to the other as required. I may be wrong and if I am someone will certainly correct me - a great feature of this site. You would surely need a much more powerful charger to charge both at the same time.

Phil


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## TR5 (Jun 6, 2007)

Unless you have an unconventional set-up, there is no association between the leisure battery(s) and the vehicle battery, except when the vehicle engine is running, when a split-charge relay diverts some of the alternator current to the leisures.

I refer just to the leisure battery. If you only have one, then ignore the comment. If you have more than one leisure battery, linked together, then these would be better off conditioned seperately, as the recommended max. Ah battery for the charging rate is 110Ah. Two batteries linked together will most certainly exceed this.

You mention "two five year old batteries in the motorhome" - if these are both leisure batteries, then disconnect the link and conditin seperately. If this is one each of vehicle battery and leisure battery, no need to disconnect anything, just condition them each in turn.

If a new battery, the charger will recognise this fairly quickly, and move on through the sequence to a trickle charge.

HTH


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## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

TR5 said:


> Unless you have an unconventional set-up, there is no association between the leisure battery(s) and the vehicle battery/quote]
> 
> That must be me then  - mine certainly charge together, although there is a relay which disconnects them if the engine battery drops to 12.7V when being used.
> 
> ...


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## TR5 (Jun 6, 2007)

So does mine, but only because I have a Battery Master fitted, which transfers some charge to the vehicle battery if it falls .5v or more below the leisure batteries.

This is not original equipment though.

I can also manually switch to charging the vehicle battery on the control panel. However, if you are using a CTEK charger to condition the batteries, you would not have the built-in charging system on as well, would you?, and as the CTEK would be connected direct to the battery being charged, it would be post this switch in any case.

So if you are charging the leisure battery, connected with crocodile clips to the terminals, with the built-in charger turned off, and the vehicle engine off, it is unlikely there is any connection between the leisure battery and the vehicle battery, unless you have something like the battery Master fitted.

Of course, there are many electrical installation variations from many different manufacturers, and many users have had supplementary equipment fitted.


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## boswells (Nov 20, 2008)

*CTEK MX5*

Many thanks all. I have one leisure and one Engine battery so will do them individually. Big help.
Boswells


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## mikkistash (Mar 27, 2010)

I have permanently put one set of the 2 that came with it to the aux battery and the other set to the cranking battery of my transit based van, I plug it into which ever is in need of a top up. Works a treat for me.


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