Stop Start Query

[RChiv]

Well I had my A1+ service today at MB Bromley (first of a 2 year plan) and was surprised when they waived the cost of the courtesy car (£30). It was a new C200 AMG Petrol Estate and to be honest it was not as comfortable or as smooth as my E220 Diesel.
Within a few minutes the Stop[/Start was working again. so either they were able to put enough of a charge into the battery when doing their checks or was enabled when they reset the service indicator. It was too dark to check on the battery when I got home so will check tomorrow weather permitting.
I know the main battery was a bit low (just under 12v) but as my normal charger is not suitable for AGM batteries I will invest in a Ctek or similar.
They also carried out a SMPC789 engine update ,whatever that is, but I think it may have something to do with emissions.
The funny thing is they say my alarm siren has suffered water damage and it would cost £782.59 to replace it. What a joke. I told them to forget it as I was an Auto Electrician and would sort it out myself. How they know it has suffered water damage without removing the wheel arch liner I do not know. Also I thought I would have had a message on the Service Menu but there were none. The technician messaged me to say they had picked up a stored fault code for it so will test the system as it may have been an old code that was not cleared.
Apart from that I am well pleased with the customer service ?(shame could not talk directly to the mechanics due to the Covid problem) and would recommend them.

Roger

 

[geoffus]

Would this be ok for an AGM battery, does it need a special charger?

Einhell Smart Battery Charger 220-240V | Toolstation

Equipped with a microprocessor controller for a wide variety of battery types used in motor vehicles and motorcycles. A multi-stage charging cycle, push button to select between 6/12V vehicles. For gel and AGM batteries as well as zero and low maintenance lead-acid batteries. These...

www.toolstation.com

Customer service ?(shame could not talk directly to the mechanics due to the Covid problem) and would recommend them.

You would recommend them? That alarm price, nearly had your pants down

 

[Gazwould]

Can't see a screen , can't see some eyelet connector lead , don't know if it resumes it's set mode if there's a power interpretation .

Sorted...

Maypole 7423A Battery Charger Auto Electronic 4A 12V : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive

Buy Maypole 7423A Battery Charger Auto Electronic 4A 12V at Amazon UK. Free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[geoffus]

Can't see a screen , can't see some eyelet connector lead , don't know if it resumes it's set mode if there's a power interpretation .

Sorted...

View attachment 104908

Maypole 7423A Battery Charger Auto Electronic 4A 12V : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive

Buy Maypole 7423A Battery Charger Auto Electronic 4A 12V at Amazon UK. Free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

I'll get my coat.

 

[ShaunB]

Personally I'd get the CTEX MXS 5.0, one of the best things I've ever bought.
I've charged my wifes A220, my neighbours 16 year old ford fiesta, my 4ltr E63, and my neighbours 5ltr CLK500.
The Maypole charger above would only have been able to do two of those cars given the picture posted, but all depends on your requirements I suppose.

 

[geoffus]

Personally I'd get the CTEX MXS 5.0, one of the best things I've ever bought.
I've charged my wifes A220, my neighbours 16 year old ford fiesta, my 4ltr E63, and my neighbours 5ltr CLK500.
The Maypole charger above would only have been able to do two of those cars given the picture posted, but all depends on your requirements I suppose.

It will still charge them, just take a little longer because of the lower current rating.

 

[RChiv]

Well there is no siren but the indicators tick correctly so a new sounder will be needed.
The main battery has 11.98v so they must have put a little charge in it.

Roger

 

[Gazwould]

Personally I'd get the CTEX MXS 5.0, one of the best things I've ever bought.
I've charged my wifes A220, my neighbours 16 year old ford fiesta, my 4ltr E63, and my neighbours 5ltr CLK500.
The Maypole charger above would only have been able to do two of those cars given the picture posted, but all depends on your requirements I suppose.

Treble the cost and no screen

 

[FiveAlive]

Treble the cost and no screen

I've got both a CTEK MXS 5.0 and a cheaper device similar to that Maypole one. For an occasional top-up of my main car I'm happy to use the cheap one. For my other car that is connected to a charger 24/7, I use the CTEK: I sleep better knowing that the unattended charger connected to a potentially explosive battery is universally highly rated rather than just built down to a price. I've got no issue with other people being perfectly content with a cheaper device - I'm usually quite thrifty myself - but I'm happy with my CTEK.

Mind you, when I bought it it was about £20 cheaper than they cost now!

 

[Gazwould]

I've got 2 cars on the drive not being used so it's 24/7 for me too for 2 years .

Cheaper , not inferior...

 

[FiveAlive]

Cheaper , not inferior...

Well, that's the key question: are CTEK marked up because of their reputation or are they more expensive because they are better made from better components? I expect it is a bit of both. As a Mercedes owner I'm used to paying more for something that may be only slightly better!

The inclusion of an LCD display is a bit of a non-issue for me because, apart from a vague interest in the voltage when I plug it in, I'm just waiting for the 'full' indication. When I bought my cheap charger for occasional use I actually did choose one with a display, as I thought the extra information might be useful, but in practice I find that status LEDs are clearer and easier to digest than the tiny graphics on the LCD panel; I have to squint at it to confirm that the settings are all correct. Maybe I'm just getting old.

 

[Gazwould]

The starting voltage is good because you know how healthy the battery is






The screen is orange when charging and green when charged , it couldn't be simpler .

 

[FiveAlive]

The starting voltage is good because you know how healthy the battery is

The screen is orange when charging and green when charged , it couldn't be simpler .

Agreed on the starting voltage - that's why I keep a multimeter in the garage, which can read to 2 decimal places. I find it easier to use that to keep an eye on the battery every week, and then only plug in the charger if I feel the need.

Regarding status indications, I was referring to settings such as lead acid/AGM mode, recondition mode, car/bike mode: these are all set by repeatedly pressing the single 'mode' button and I like to double-check that I haven't pressed it by mistake. LEDs are easier for me to scan for this than the tiny graphics on the LCD. Plus LEDs are fundamentally more robust than an LCD panel, which is useful in a garage/driveway environment.

Back on the original topic, if the OP's battery has only 11.98V showing after a recent drive then it sounds a bit suspect to me.

 

[Gazwould]

Yep the Maypole has all the above settings too .

This could be the third Specsavers voucher suggestion this month !

If you want to pay more than triple the price for Christmas lights that's up to you .

 

[ToeKnee]

I'd be worried about the maypole because it says in the advert that it's only suitable for engines up to 2.5 litres.

 

[Petrol Pete]

I have little interest in battery 'conditioners' as my analogue C55 seems to be able to sit around for 3 or 4 weeks outside in all weathers and starts every time (famous last words ..I know) ..but I did spot a CTek CT5 'time to go' series 'all singing, all dancin' unit in Lidl on sale for £69.99 , reduced from £89.99 the other day. 5 year warranty.

 

[Gazwould]

I'd be worried about the maypole because it says in the advert that it's only suitable for engines up to 2.5 litres.

A certain brake pad used to say for up to 200bhp .

It's a battery it's charging not an engine .

 

[ToeKnee]

It's a battery it's charging not an engine .

So if it's not important, why would they put it in the advert?

 

[Gazwould]

No eye deer , the most bizarre info can be advertised , like 200 bhp brake pads !

Higher the Ah , it's just going to take longer , when it's there it's trickled and trickle chargers if purchased on their own are 1.5A .

 

[FiveAlive]

The thinking is that a bigger engine will have a bigger starter battery. For normal slow charging this just means it will take longer to reach full charge. In addition I expect that features such as reconditioning will be less effective if the charger doesn't have an appropriate current capacity - although the value of reconditioning is not universally accepted. Also, some people may have unwarranted preconceptions about how long a charger should take to charge, and by saying that the charger is only suitable up to a certain engine size/battery capacity the manufacturer may avoid some negative feedback or returns from such people when they expected their 4A charger to recharge their truck by lunchtime.

But just going on engine size is a very poor guide to battery capacity: a 2-litre diesel will have a bigger battery than a 3-litre petrol and different battery types (AGM, etc.) add more variables. So you can ignore the 'up to 2.5 litres' claim and go on charging current instead: CTEK and some other brands produce a range of models with different current capacities, and most modern chargers have at least two current settings.