Ctek failure and handbrake issue
Discussion
Morning Gents.
Due to the pandemic I am ashamed to say my Vantage was laid up from June of last year until this weekend.
The battery was dead as a dodo. This was a new battery installed during lockdown 1 as part of my stay at home list of jobs. I bought a new Ctek 5 when it was clear lockdown would be an ongoing thing and this was plugged into the car via the cigarette lighter point in the boot. I use the same point with a small solar charger for shorter periods and know the connection to be sound as no issues with the solar charger. The Ctek, however, failed to work. On opening the boot and trying it, the ctek displays the correct lights to begin with but after a few minutes the only light displayed is the green power light, which turns to flashing rather than solid - suggesting its not connected.
Anyone experienced anything like this?
Second issue was the sleeve on the handbrake has come loose. Doesn't appear there is any grub screw for this so anyone tell me how it was held on? Is it just bonded?
Due to the pandemic I am ashamed to say my Vantage was laid up from June of last year until this weekend.
The battery was dead as a dodo. This was a new battery installed during lockdown 1 as part of my stay at home list of jobs. I bought a new Ctek 5 when it was clear lockdown would be an ongoing thing and this was plugged into the car via the cigarette lighter point in the boot. I use the same point with a small solar charger for shorter periods and know the connection to be sound as no issues with the solar charger. The Ctek, however, failed to work. On opening the boot and trying it, the ctek displays the correct lights to begin with but after a few minutes the only light displayed is the green power light, which turns to flashing rather than solid - suggesting its not connected.
Anyone experienced anything like this?
Second issue was the sleeve on the handbrake has come loose. Doesn't appear there is any grub screw for this so anyone tell me how it was held on? Is it just bonded?
On rare occasions the normal lights on my CTEK trickle charger have failed to appear, but only immediately after the initial switch on.
I therefore turned off the mains switch, then pulled out and refitted the connector to the boot socket. Switch on and all is normal again.
Apart from that, my CTEK has performed well and is in almost constant use.
I don't know about other faults which could have caused your difficulties.
Veg said:
Same thing happens to mine. Ctek looses connection and throws up those lights. It may be it not being seated correctly in 12v socket as I redo the connection and all is well
It's odd. As I say, solar charger no issue whatsoever. Can the internal socket be used as an alternative? Not as ideal as going via the boot but...
Can't see that I will have need to use a charger going forward so bit frustrating that I bought this for the pandemic park up and it failed at its task!
Not sure the cabin socket is live all the time whereas the boot one is?
Reading the other posts has just jolted my memory as I do unplug the Ctek if it throws up the lights so maybe that's the solution - actually do both re-seat and re-boot! The other thing I notice is it can happen after prolonged use too, say after a fortnight
Reading the other posts has just jolted my memory as I do unplug the Ctek if it throws up the lights so maybe that's the solution - actually do both re-seat and re-boot! The other thing I notice is it can happen after prolonged use too, say after a fortnight
Veg said:
Not sure the cabin socket is live all the time whereas the boot one is?
Reading the other posts has just jolted my memory as I do unplug the Ctek if it throws up the lights so maybe that's the solution - actually do both re-seat and re-boot! The other thing I notice is it can happen after prolonged use too, say after a fortnight
Yes, that was my thought - interior one is only live when ignition switch is on. Reading the other posts has just jolted my memory as I do unplug the Ctek if it throws up the lights so maybe that's the solution - actually do both re-seat and re-boot! The other thing I notice is it can happen after prolonged use too, say after a fortnight
Checking it periodically is out as the only time the ctek would be used is long periods away from the car.
Guess I will have to hardwire the connectors in. Not the end of the world to remove tray and foam above the battery to access.
bullet7 said:
I got fed up with the Ctek not working with the boot socket that I wired up a permanent connection in the engine compartment. I know Jonny has wired it up a different way so you don't have to open the bonnet to connect up - search on here.
Will have a search although PH search function has been woeful for years now. Don't mind bonnet being open albeit would want to only leave it on the latch so I can still through a dust cover over car whilst away. I wonder if there is a "deep sleep" mode that causes the socket to be disconnected from the battery after a longer period of no activity (maybe even a few days)?
Regardless, and as others have suggested, the only surefire solution is to wire directly to the battery. It sounds a though your Ctek unti is working, it's just the connection to the battery failing.
Regardless, and as others have suggested, the only surefire solution is to wire directly to the battery. It sounds a though your Ctek unti is working, it's just the connection to the battery failing.
jeremyc said:
I wonder if there is a "deep sleep" mode that causes the socket to be disconnected from the battery after a longer period of no activity (maybe even a few days)?
I wondered that but on being reunited with the car and eventually gaining access to the boot I plugged the ctek in to try and see what the issue with and within a few minutes it reverted to the flashing light mode instead of a solid green. I know sleep doesn't occur that quickly as sometimes leave my phone on charge for a few hours in the boot socket. Solar panel also left plugged in for a few weeks when i haven't had socket access and never been an issue.
Have read a few posts in recent times suggesting the ctek's aren't the wonderful things that many tout them to be and starting to wonder if its clever marketing and promotion that people think they are the gold standard. Certainly the £20 solar panel and the Halfords charger that came to the rescue appear to be more functional in my case!
I've always assumed that the problem was with the connector that came with the Ctek. The number of times the charger would simply not start when I plugged it into the boot socket was nobody's business. Wiggling the plug around might eventually get it to go. The socket inside the cabin was a little better (for some reason, the one inside the car on mine is permanently live), but still not perfect, so I chose to wire it to the positive terminal inside the engine compartment. It took me ten minutes, if that.
I've seen the same issue when c harging my V8V from the boot socket. Other cars don't seem to have this issue so it would suggest its the socket in the rear of the car that doesn't always provide a perfect connection to the CTEK.
FWIW i don't ever leave a car on trickle charge for more than half a day. The Vantage will charge (after 2 weeks of no use) from the CTEK in about 6 hours. So i just plug it in once every two weeks if i haven't driven the car.
I also find that the lights error on the CTEK occurs when i turn it on so i can usually spot it and re-insert the cable into the socket to fix it. It hasn't yet errored during a charging/conditioning session.
FWIW i don't ever leave a car on trickle charge for more than half a day. The Vantage will charge (after 2 weeks of no use) from the CTEK in about 6 hours. So i just plug it in once every two weeks if i haven't driven the car.
I also find that the lights error on the CTEK occurs when i turn it on so i can usually spot it and re-insert the cable into the socket to fix it. It hasn't yet errored during a charging/conditioning session.
andyvvc said:
I've seen the same issue when c harging my V8V from the boot socket. Other cars don't seem to have this issue so it would suggest its the socket in the rear of the car that doesn't always provide a perfect connection to the CTEK.
FWIW i don't ever leave a car on trickle charge for more than half a day. The Vantage will charge (after 2 weeks of no use) from the CTEK in about 6 hours. So i just plug it in once every two weeks if i haven't driven the car.
I also find that the lights error on the CTEK occurs when i turn it on so i can usually spot it and re-insert the cable into the socket to fix it. It hasn't yet errored during a charging/conditioning session.
How bizarre it seems limited to the Ctek. As I say, looks like I backed the wrong horse as the whole point of the ctek for me was to use when I was away for a while. If it was for sporadic top ups I would just take the car for a spin. FWIW i don't ever leave a car on trickle charge for more than half a day. The Vantage will charge (after 2 weeks of no use) from the CTEK in about 6 hours. So i just plug it in once every two weeks if i haven't driven the car.
I also find that the lights error on the CTEK occurs when i turn it on so i can usually spot it and re-insert the cable into the socket to fix it. It hasn't yet errored during a charging/conditioning session.
Bit pissed off that they aren't really suitable for purpose for this car having read glowing reports of these devices.
bullet7 said:
I've always assumed that the problem was with the connector that came with the Ctek. The number of times the charger would simply not start when I plugged it into the boot socket was nobody's business. Wiggling the plug around might eventually get it to go. The socket inside the cabin was a little better (for some reason, the one inside the car on mine is permanently live), but still not perfect, so I chose to wire it to the positive terminal inside the engine compartment. It took me ten minutes, if that.
At least it can be charged using that point. I tried to use the charger using those points as couldn't access the car and although I have jumped the car from those points before, the charger wouldn't charge using them and I had to fix directly to the battery.Has to be an oddity with the rear socket and the CTEK connectors on the socket-plug i assume? My old 911 charges without issue from the dashboard cig lighter socket using the same CTEK and cable.
It was annoying for me to have to re-insert the cable into the socket. I can see for your usage need that if it fails after it was plugged in it leads to a flat battery weeks later due to no charge
It was annoying for me to have to re-insert the cable into the socket. I can see for your usage need that if it fails after it was plugged in it leads to a flat battery weeks later due to no charge
Shnozz said:
bullet7 said:
I've always assumed that the problem was with the connector that came with the Ctek. The number of times the charger would simply not start when I plugged it into the boot socket was nobody's business. Wiggling the plug around might eventually get it to go. The socket inside the cabin was a little better (for some reason, the one inside the car on mine is permanently live), but still not perfect, so I chose to wire it to the positive terminal inside the engine compartment. It took me ten minutes, if that.
At least it can be charged using that point. I tried to use the charger using those points as couldn't access the car and although I have jumped the car from those points before, the charger wouldn't charge using them and I had to fix directly to the battery.bullet7 said:
Neat idea. If I can be arsed I might follow suit. Will see how I get on with it hard wired to points under the bonnet for now. I connected charger to the internal 12 V socket on both previous Vantages (and Vanquish) as got fed up with pulling car out of garage with CTEK still connected in boot.
I just leave the drivers window down a quarter of an inch, connect to 12V socket and shut door.
I just leave the drivers window down a quarter of an inch, connect to 12V socket and shut door.
Edited by SHIFTY on Monday 10th May 16:02
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