Battery Charging

[Scouser51]

Hi everyone, I want to buy a trickle charger for my 2018 E Class 220d because I don’t use the car every day, can anyone recommend the CTEK model I need? Is there anyone else that isn’t using theor Mercedes every day and if so how does the battery stand up to not being charged daily. Is there a way to monitor the battery charge from the car menu?
Sorry for all the questions!

 

[ShaunB]

I use a CTEK MXS 5.0 Battery Charger on my car.
What model of car you have?

 

[daveenty]

Morning and welcome.

I, and several others, use the CTEK MXS 5.0 which is probably the mid range model. It does what I want from it and isn't too badly priced, especially if you shop around.

There's one on AMAZON at the moment, same seller I bought one of mine from as it happens, though there may be others elsewhere for a couple of quid cheaper...

I don't use my car every day, not used it for a couple of months in fact. The current one isn't too bad for battery drain, every 4 - 6 weeks I tend to give it a quick boost, though my previoius E Class (2017 E63s) was lucky to go 3 weeks without reminding me it wanted charging. Mercedes ME should let you know the state of charge though I don't know if it's available on your car?

 

[barian]

Hi everyone, I want to buy a trickle charger for my 2018 E Class 220d because I don’t use the car every day, can anyone recommend the CTEK model I need? Is there anyone else that isn’t using theor Mercedes every day and if so how does the battery stand up to not being charged daily. Is there a way to monitor the battery charge from the car menu?
Sorry for all the questions!

CTEK MXS 5.0 (use AGM mode) or CT5 Stop/start. If parked and left untouched it should be good for a couple of weeks, possibly longer. However, if you frequently unlock it without driving that wakes a number of high current draw systems that take time to shut down, so that can pull the battery down quicker. The Mercedes Me app reports the battery status, although I find it a bit sensitive and very often shows a "partially charged" state when that doesn't make sense. If you are giving it a decent run once a week that should be plenty, but if it was going to be left for a couple of weeks or more I would be inclined to leave it on the CTEK if you can, or at least fully charge it beforehand.

 

[Chrishazle]

Every once in a while Lidl sell a battery conditioner and a battery condition monitor. I use the conditioner on the SLK whenever she's in her garage (which is a lot of the time) connected to the emergency +ve under the bonnet and the suspension top mount nut, works fine, only downside is that in the event of a power cut you have to manually re-set it. I also have the condition monitor hooked up to the battery of the S204 (which lives on the driveway) and hung in a way that I can see it through the tailgate. It has 3 indicator lights, green, amber and red, and from experience as long as the amber light is on the car will start OK. However, on the odd occasion it goes red I run an extension cable out and connect up my SIP Chargestar Smart 18 Automatic battery charger, which among other tricks switches itself off when it has fully charged the battery.

The Lidl kit when they have it costs a lot less than any CTEK, some find the Lidl conditioner quits within 3 years but many have used them for years without problem - I've been using mine for over a year now - but still have my 1999 original (not CTEK, but at the time of purchase was the only one approved by a major car manufacturer - sadly BMW) as back-up!

 

[Diesel Benz]

The car does not need to be driven daily. My car stays in the garage for a week frequently and I never charge the battery.

What is more important is how long the trips are and if the battery gets properly charged during the trip. Very short trips daily, specifically at cold weather are worse than a long trip once a week. Parking the car for more than a month or even a couple of weeks starts to ask for a charger.

A good maintenance charger never hurts the car though.

 

[Scouser51]

Brilliant replies everyone, very informative, what a fantastic club this is for all manners advice. It’s great to be a Mercedes owner again. The model I have is a March registered E Class 220d with AMG trim. It’s got every conceivable safety device on it. Had to check one warning light that came up, only to find it indicates I was too close to the car in front!

 

[BTB 500]

Had to check one warning light that came up, only to find it indicates I was too close to the car in front!

Haha, if it's like our 2019 C Class the next stage is that it will beep at you, and finally (if it thinks you're going to collide) it will slam the brakes on!

 

[Gazwould]

The CTEK doesn't have a display and is 2/3 more expensive , the Ultimate speed Lidl does have a display but doesn't have a last mode memory setting if power is interrupted .

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maypole-7423A-Battery-Charger-Electronic/dp/B009A83P1E/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=3LOBXBHNO5IF8&keywords=maypole+mp7428&qid=1643978252&sprefix=Maypol%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-2#

 

[190]

The car does not need to be driven daily. My car stays in the garage for a week frequently and I never charge the battery.

What is more important is how long the trips are and if the battery gets properly charged during the trip. Very short trips daily, specifically at cold weather are worse than a long trip once a week. Parking the car for more than a month or even a couple of weeks starts to ask for a charger.

I agree. When my car is in the garage with the alarm off the battery depletion over a week is negligible and irrelevant compared to the fact that modern cars with smart alternators are designed not to complete a journey with a 100% fully charged battery because once they reach 80% charge they spend so much time with the charge voltage as low as 12.5 volts instead of the normal 14 volts. The only time mine completes a journey anywhere near fully charged is after a long trip of 100 miles or more when the lower charging voltage has time to replenish the battery.

I charge mine once per week but I do it for the most part to bring the 80% charge back up to 100%.





Smart alternators were