CTEK-compatible magnetic charging connector

CTEK-compatible magnetic charging connector

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Seakingsam

Original Poster:

59 posts

85 months

Wednesday 22nd July 2020
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I have recently completed a full Bamford Rose upgrade on my 2018 Vantage V8S, and shipped her home to Auckland, New Zealand in late February (see my post on the Bamford Rose upgrade elsewhere in the BR forum).

I had a few electrical gremlins when the car arrived, all traced to the OEM lead acid battery not holding charge, so I upgraded the battery to a new Varta AGM battery, in the same size casing, which was a straight-forward fix. Problem solved, and now no longer any risk of liquid acid inside the cockpit.

Then a full Escort MaxCi radar/laser detector install mounted discretely behind the grille, to give great range and no false warnings.

My final upgrade was to completed installation of a brilliant CTEK-compatible magnetic charging kit sourced from HethelSport in Lafayette, California.

The Aston factory kit is over NZ$650, with over 2 months to supply from UK, whereas the HethelSport kit landed at my door in Auckland, New Zealand just 7 days after it was couriered from California. All up, US$134. The Hethel Sport kit supplied all connectors, in-line fuse, and more than required amount of armoured cabling - the kit was absolutely perfect for the job. Contact is Sherman at +1 (925) 962 7259. Email: sherman@hethelsport.com, web-site is www.hethelsport.com.

I mounted the charging point discretely on the right hand side of number plate plinth, to allow easy access from the front under the car cover. I wanted to avoid the previous arrangement of cables snaking across the floor and up into the trunk to the factory charging point, avoiding any major drilling of any body panels, and I wanted the peace of mind if I forget about it and drive out without disconnecting, as the magnetic kit will snap apart instantly, with a weatherproof cap snapping into place.

Photos below tell the story - a thoroughly professional auto electrician installer who took his time, and talked me through each part of the process, isolated and armoured everything, and checked and rechecked.

All up, the job took an hour.

Photos below tell the story.

Just outstanding !


JonnyCJ

1,309 posts

53 months

Wednesday 22nd July 2020
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Well done - - the Hethel kit does look very good value compared to the OEM.

For those of us who are electrically minded I found this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MagCode-magnetic-waterp...

The same MagCode connectors and allows you to use your existing CTEK pigtails to connect to the MagCode connector.

Just where to install it....

Emilio Largo

582 posts

110 months

Wednesday 22nd July 2020
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Hi Seakingsam. I also own a 17MY V8 Vantage S Manual Coupé in Magnetic Silver with brightwork (even the Iridium Silver console seems to be the same) - so, good taste, Sir! biggrin I guess in your country the car will be even rarer than in mine.

As my car is rarely driven I am comfortable with opening the rear hatch every time to (un-)plug the CTEK charger and to do without the original number plate plinth. wink

Your story of regretting to have sold your new MY16 V8 Vantage S Manual and within only two years or so buying another one and going through the whole Bamford Rose modification process again made for an interesting reading. What a journey and what an effort! bow Maybe I bought the right car if others take on such efforts to remedy a mistake.

If you browse one page back you will find a current question about the twin plate cluch release bearing spacer - albeit for a MY06 (so not cast-in)! As you have gone through the twin plate clutch conversion process twice maybe you are able to contribute anything of interest there.

Enjoy your car!




Seakingsam

Original Poster:

59 posts

85 months

Wednesday 22nd July 2020
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The magnetic charger connector mounted on the number plate plinth has two major advantages, from my perspective:

1. No electrical cords across garage floor just waiting to trip someone
2. Easy to reach up under the full indoors car cover

I chased down the spec of this connector from the German original supplier. The vehicle connector has a magnetic separator between the two exposed poles which is opened only by the presence of the removable charger connector, so the risk of water leaking past the spring loaded cover and causing a short (in spirited wet weather driving, for example) is zero. That detail sold me on the connector, and the location on the plate plinth.





Seakingsam

Original Poster:

59 posts

85 months

Wednesday 22nd July 2020
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Hi Emilio, thanks your kind comment. Yes, my wife also explains life to me regarding the second purchase ....

The spec is understated quality, which is just as I like it. The Iridium lightens the cockpit noticeably, which is a major plus.

The full BR upgrade on my current car is transformational, and the icing on the cake - doing it all in one hit at BR meant the entire conversion was timely (completed, my visit to BR, and vehicle on the water before the pandemic hit the UK) and most importantly, completely integrated, which adds noticeably to the enjoyment factor. Having Mike, Adrian and the team enthusiastically supporting this idiot for NZ was a thoroughly enjoyable experience in every way. Just loved it.

Regarding the twin plate clutch release on the MY06, I don't have a comment worth listening to, as I'm no engineer.

I can tell you the cast-in clutch release in the MY16 torque tube required really high-end specialist machining. As my first car (MY16) was the first Mike at BR had heard of it, we had to delve into it deeply, as a mistake machining the required 20mm out of the torque tube could be very expensive - especially from the other side of the world.

The machine shop I used in Auckland was heavily into R&D project work for the heavy electrical transmission industry, and they loved working on the Aston torque tube.

They took their time in setting up the machining (a couple of days, I recall, and then 90 minutes of machining), their quality of workmanship was immaculate, and they videoed their entire machining process to talk me through it, and the BR kit subsequently bolted together perfectly. Most importantly, one guy took the project on, set up the machining, did the work, and then debriefed me - full responsibility throughout, and made it clear they had full insurance for any mistake on their part.

Emilio Largo

582 posts

110 months

Thursday 23rd July 2020
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Seakingsam said:
Yes, my wife also explains life to me regarding the second purchase ....
hehe
Seakingsam said:
The machine shop I used in Auckland was heavily into R&D project work for the heavy electrical transmission industry, and they loved working on the Aston torque tube.
Great it all worked out well for you. But I wonder how did BR in UK solve the cast-in spacer problem on your second car? scratchchin Surely they won´t have had the torque tube re-worked, would they? Did they perhaps use the AMR Performance Clutch instead?


Seakingsam

Original Poster:

59 posts

85 months

Thursday 23rd July 2020
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Hi Emilio, BR machined the torque tube directly. The twin plate clutch and lightweight flywheel are BR items.

LooneyTunes

6,781 posts

157 months

Thursday 23rd July 2020
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JonnyCJ said:
Well done - - the Hethel kit does look very good value compared to the OEM.

For those of us who are electrically minded I found this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MagCode-magnetic-waterp...

The same MagCode connectors and allows you to use your existing CTEK pigtails to connect to the MagCode connector.

Just where to install it....
That’s what Bentley use too (mounted next to rear number plate light on the bootlid). They don’t bother with the weatherproof cover. As you say, dead easy to chop a redundant connector off a set of ctek leads to make an adapter... disconnects nicely if someone forgets it’s connected.

JonnyCJ

1,309 posts

53 months

Thursday 23rd July 2020
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Been under the car this evening and am going to mount mine on the metal grille, behind the front number plate.

Easy to get to by reaching under the front plate, totally protected and can’t be seen.

Also very simple to run the wiring up to the jump connector under the bonnet.

Here’s a view looking at the back of the front number plate from behind and showing how much space is available.




Seakingsam

Original Poster:

59 posts

85 months

Thursday 23rd July 2020
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I had same thought originally, but liked the plinth because it protected push-on connectors from weather. In either case, the connector simply disappears from view against the background.

Quite right in identifying the under bonnet connection points - the covered positive post is easily accessed, as is the earth alongside, and cable feed is exemplary without any drilling required.

The

JonnyCJ

1,309 posts

53 months

Saturday 25th July 2020
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My MagCode unit arrived yesterday and I set about removing the grille and doing a trial install.

I'm conscious of SeakingSam's comments regarding water getting onto the terminals and am therefore going to solder the wires where the push on connectors would normally go and then cover with heat shrink. I'll install a Tyco waterproof connector.about 6" further up the wire and out of harm's way and that should cover off any problems caused by water. https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/superseal-waterproo...

The dock has been mounted in the grille and first job was a template with masking tape and Ed China's dirty thumb technique





I then cut out the grille with side cutters and popped the dock through complete with waterproof cover.

The dock has been positioned just inside the back of the number plate plinth, on the grill to allow easy access and also to make it pretty much hidden from view. I've angled the dock so that the flexi rubber on the CTEK side of things doesn't foul the bumper.

More to follow once the Tyco connector arrives and I get it wired up.

First pic is with the dock in place and showing it hidden from view



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Seakingsam

Original Poster:

59 posts

85 months

Saturday 25th July 2020
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Well done ! A neat and very functional install - I am finding the location is first rate, with the result the charger is connected more often. I really like the automatic disconnect with no harm done if (when) I reverse out of garage without due attention.

MichaelV8V

650 posts

260 months

Wednesday 5th August 2020
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Seakingsam said:
Well done ! A neat and very functional install - I am finding the location is first rate, with the result the charger is connected more often. I really like the automatic disconnect with no harm done if (when) I reverse out of garage without due attention.
Automatic disconnect is such a good idea. I once drove out of the garage with my CTeck plugged into the 12v outlet in the boot. After a few metres I heard an odd noise behind and stopped, I'd dragged the CTeck off the shelf, pulled the 4-gang adapter off there too, then my iPod music system that was plugged into the 4-gang, and the whole lot was dragged up the drive until it reached the limit of the mains wire, which stopped the fun and pulled the plug off the CTek charger. What a mess !

Seakingsam

Original Poster:

59 posts

85 months

Wednesday 5th August 2020
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Ouch!! And that’s the risk - only has to happen once ! Subsequently explaining why that happened to herself will also take the edge off the day !

Well done, MichaelV8V!

squirdan

1,082 posts

146 months

Sunday 17th January 2021
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thanks for the useful details on this post. I thought it was a great idea as I was previously going via the boot 12v socket, much more fiddly

whilst my car was already at DAE for other stuff I got them do it. They whipped off the front radiator cover / engine shroud thing and routed the cable under that. £65 parts from eBay including the CTEK adaptor, well worth having imho.

squirdan

1,082 posts

146 months

Sunday 17th January 2021
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JonnyCJ

1,309 posts

53 months

Sunday 17th January 2021
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Wouldn’t be without mine now - one of the easiest, most cost effective things you can do.

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

108 months

Sunday 17th January 2021
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Possibly the best idea ever, apart from...........................................

Clever though

Seakingsam

Original Poster:

59 posts

85 months

Sunday 17th January 2021
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Outstanding !

Indeed, one of the easiest most effective upgrades - I use mine daily since the install and it's so simple and effective, and not requiring any major rewiring or cutting. I, also, have forgotten about it and backed out of my garage with it connected, and realised my error when I heard the cap pop back. Oops !

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

108 months

Sunday 17th January 2021
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Heaven