battery tender for storage

I still prefer the CTEK over all others I've used (including Battery Tender). I have the 3300 and the 7000, and have been using them for several years. The 7000 is now the 7002, and it's the one I'd recommend. Amazon had them on sale earlier this week for $90. Given the features, that's a steal. Has a recondition cycle, separate profile for deep-cycle batteries, etc. Made in Sweden, very high quality. CTEK was the supplier for the Porsche battery charger (a CTEK 3300 relabelled). My CTEK 7000 is about to finish its 4th stint of being on the roadster for the whole winter (right now my battery is an Odyssey PC925).

Originally Posted by dwm

I still prefer the CTEK over all others I've used (including Battery Tender). I have the 3300 and the 7000, and have been using them for several years. The 7000 is now the 7002, and it's the one I'd recommend. Amazon had them on sale earlier this week for $90. Given the features, that's a steal. Has a recondition cycle, separate profile for deep-cycle batteries, etc. Made in Sweden, very high quality. CTEK was the supplier for the Porsche battery charger (a CTEK 3300 relabelled). My CTEK 7000 is about to finish its 4th stint of being on the roadster for the whole winter (right now my battery is an Odyssey PC925).

I guess it's time to buy.
Does it work with AGM?

7002 ordered.
It works with AGM.
Let me know if you get the GT1.
Thanks,

http://www.ctek.com/EN-US/eLearningUS/Default.aspx

Originally Posted by Ron Stygar

7002 ordered.
It works with AGM.
Let me know if you get the GT1.
Thanks,

http://www.ctek.com/EN-US/eLearningUS/Default.aspx

I'll let you know if I pick up a GT1. It was just coincidence that I was looking at them again recently; at the moment I'm not ready to buy, just looking around at what's available. I have several things in front of a GT1 on the 'must buy' list.

http://www.ctek.com/EN-US/eLearningUS/Default.aspx

http://www.ctek.com/Manuals/new_US7002_EN.pdf

When charged in normal it draws .03 ampere.
Battery Tender draws .06 ampere.

Last week we visited a friend with several old and exotic cars hooked up to various brands and vintages of battery tenders. Her non-technical view was that they all worked. But the new CTEK 7002 at Amazon looks like a good deal, so I just ordered one for the M. Do you get a commission?

Originally Posted by b-y

Do you get a commission?

Not yet. Daniel is the guy that started this years ago.

Another nice thing (7 ampere output), I don't have to replace the tender with a charger when I'm playing with the AutoEnginuity.

Originally Posted by Ron Stygar

Not yet. Daniel is the guy that started this years ago.

Another nice thing (7 ampere output), I don't have to replace the tender with a charger when I'm playing with the AutoEnginuity.

Yes, just don't crank up the audio in the car. It will get quite warm if asked to deliver 7A for a long period (say 8+ hours). The only consequence I've seen is that the paint on the bottom of the enclosure will lose its adhesion. Of course mine is always on the floor which contributed to the paint loss (dragging it around on concrete).

The 7A capability combined with its splash-proof enclosure is one of the reasons I prefer it. I just leave it connected almost all of the time, whether I'm working on the car or not. If I spill something on it (I spilled coolant on mine), I just wipe it off; I can't say that about my Battery Tender Plus. Deltran makes a waterproof Battery Tender, but it's 5A.

Originally Posted by dwm

Yes, just don't crank up the audio in the car. It will get quite warm if asked to deliver 7A for a long period (say 8+ hours). The only consequence I've seen is that the paint on the bottom of the enclosure will lose its adhesion. Of course mine is always on the floor which contributed to the paint loss (dragging it around on concrete).

The 7A capability combined with its splash-proof enclosure is one of the reasons I prefer it. I just leave it connected almost all of the time, whether I'm working on the car or not. If I spill something on it (I spilled coolant on mine), I just wipe it off; I can't say that about my Battery Tender Plus. Deltran makes a waterproof Battery Tender, but it's 5A.

Mines on the floor too. It drags on the floor when I'm backing out and it reminds me to undo the connection.

On ignition position two with the AE it was drawing 1.7 ampere if I remember right. ~200 watts.

When I had a stock battery, I also found that float charging with the Battery Tender appeared to be contributing to water loss when I left it connected for a whole winter. I assume the pulse-mode maintenance of the CTEK (after 10 days of float) is better on that front, but I am not sure since I haven't had a wet battery in the roadster in quite some time.

The Odyssey batteries seem to like the 'snowflake' mode, and I suspect that's true of the BMW AGM batteries also.

Originally Posted by dwm

When I had a stock battery, I also found that float charging with the Battery Tender appeared to be contributing to water loss when I left it connected for a whole winter. I assume the pulse-mode maintenance of the CTEK (after 10 days of float) is better on that front, but I am not sure since I haven't had a wet battery in the roadster in quite some time.

The Odyssey batteries seem to like the 'snowflake' mode, and I suspect that's true of the BMW AGM batteries also.

On one of my tractors, I left the lights on and it killed the battery a couple of weeks ago.
Regular charger didn't do anything and I ended up with jumpers.
I was going to pick up a battery Monday.
Yesterday I tried the CTEK charging and recondition.
Tried it this afternoon and it started right up. Hard to believe.

Originally Posted by Ron Stygar

On one of my tractors, I left the lights on and it killed the battery a couple of weeks agp.
Regular charger didn't do anything and I ended up with jumpers.
I was going to pick up a battery Monday.
Yesterday I tried the CTEK charging and recondition.
Tried it this afternoon and it started right up. Hard to believe.

I had exactly the same experience with the battery in the MINI. My big charger wouldn't charge it (at 2A or 15A settings). The CTEK recovered it, and at the time it felt like magic.

Originally Posted by jman1975

I get mine out of storage in a week...we'll see if the tender worked for the last 6 months

put me into the epic FAIL category. Battery was completely dead. Jumpstarting didn't work so I had to buy a new battery...and that did the trick

Some nice features on the CTEK!

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

Some nice features on the CTEK!

BMW says not to go over 14.8 vots on the AGM battery so you can't do the recondition.
I'll call Exide and see what they say.

http://www.ctek.com/Manuals/new_US7002_EN.pdf

I use the Battery Tender plus and keep it plugged in whenever the M is going to sit for more than a couple of days; I can operate the top/windows/stereo without worrying about draining the battery.

Dang! Amazon now wants $115 for the CTEK 7002.

Originally Posted by phrider

Dang! Amazon now wants $115 for the CTEK 7002.

http://www.etoolnet.com/product.asp?...FclM5Qodml9txg

Thank you, Ron!

Originally Posted by dwm

Yes, just don't crank up the audio in the car. It will get quite warm if asked to deliver 7A for a long period (say 8+ hours). The only consequence I've seen is that the paint on the bottom of the enclosure will lose its adhesion. Of course mine is always on the floor which contributed to the paint loss (dragging it around on concrete).

The 7A capability combined with its splash-proof enclosure is one of the reasons I prefer it. I just leave it connected almost all of the time, whether I'm working on the car or not. If I spill something on it (I spilled coolant on mine), I just wipe it off; I can't say that about my Battery Tender Plus. Deltran makes a waterproof Battery Tender, but it's 5A.

I added a aluminum plate on the bottom of the CTEK with 1/2" height spacers.
Was going to match the bottom of the CTEK, but too much time doing it by hand.

1 each Plate 4" x 8" x 1/8" aluminum. (polished with 220 wet paper)
2 each Spacer 3/8" hex, 1/2" height w/ 8-32 male / female.
2 each Nut nylon lock stainless.
2 each Screw 8-32 1/2" counter sink stainless.



Back on the garage floor doing its thing.

Anyone using the cigarette lighter adapter for the CTEK? Also, I found a cool wall/window mount for the 7002 that looks promising:

Have used a Sears battery tender(regularly on sale for around $20), on my 2003 Z4, 2.5. Prior to buying the Sears unit, I checked out the BMW one and was told by the BMW sales manager to just buy the Sear product at 1/4th the price of the BMW one.

Prior to moving to Florida this past winter, the car was in residence in Upstate New York, parked in my cold garage, with the Sears battery tender on it for 4-5 months at a time. In the Spring, it always started up at first turn of the key. Now that I can drive the car daily, I will charge the battery, through the cigarette lighter plug, once a week.

I've had my now 7 year old battery checked regularly and informed it's still as good as new.

I believe the Sears Battery Tender is engineered and produced my Schmacher(not Michael).

Gor for it...it's cheap insurance that your battery won't let you down.

Zuzax, I don't use the cigarette adaptor in my coupe, instead I went with the Comfort Indicator Panel and mounted it in the rear panel next to the battery. It provides a quick connect/disconnect and I just crack the passenger window slightly and run the cable through the window and over the seatbelt to plug it in. Pictures below....

I like the wall mount. I've got slat wall in the garage and have just been using a little wire shelf to do the same thing, but this is cleaner and I can then go back to using the shelf as a shelf.

Originally Posted by hartwick

Have used a Sears battery tender(regularly on sale for around $20), on my 2003 Z4, 2.5. Prior to buying the Sears unit, I checked out the BMW one and was told by the BMW sales manager to just buy the Sear product at 1/4th the price of the BMW one.

Prior to moving to Florida this past winter, the car was in residence in Upstate New York, parked in my cold garage, with the Sears battery tender on it for 4-5 months at a time. In the Spring, it always started up at first turn of the key. Now that I can drive the car daily, I will charge the battery, through the cigarette lighter plug, once a week.

I've had my now 7 year old battery checked regularly and informed it's still as good as new.

I believe the Sears Battery Tender is engineered and produced my Schmacher(not Michael).

Gor for it...it's cheap insurance that your battery won't let you down.

The Shumacher that runs the company is Don Schumacher. Owner of a whole fleet of NHRA top fuel and funny car teams. His son is none other than Tony Schumacher. He is the reining top Fuel champ and I believe six time champ as well as all time TF wins.

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

+1 for Battery Tender
I wouldn't use anything else.

+2...that's what I use.