[Sailormannn]

With the cold weather approaching I’m looking for a charger for my Canadian 2014 F30 335. Amazon.ca has a few CTEK ones that look similar to the ones BMW dealers sell.

Anyone know which CTEK model is recommended for a BMW. Or if there’s another place that sells for a good price. I’m in Toronto.

[sspade]

Ive also been wondering about this...

Anyone have experience with those mini charger/jump box thingy's ?

Ive always wanted one but not sure how well they work or which to buy...

[Kailec]

This is the one I got since it works in extreme cold.

https://www.partsengine.ca/ctek-mus-...r-p-59241.aspx

[sspade]

Originally Posted by Kailec

This is the one I got since it works in extreme cold.

https://www.partsengine.ca/ctek-mus-...r-p-59241.aspx

When and how exactly do you use this? And how often?

[Kailec]

Originally Posted by sspade

When and how exactly do you use this? And how often?

When your car needs some battery charging. Winter time you may have higher chances of having your battery deplete or be low in charge.

[jalx]

I have the CTEK 4.3, works perfectly.

[Sailormannn]

Originally Posted by jalx

I have the CTEK 4.3, works perfectly.

I’ve looked at that one and the newer CTEK MXS 5.0 (p/n 40-206) that automatically adjusts for temperature.

What setting do you use? I’ve read some BMW users use the cold weather setting since the batteries are AGM.

[jalx]

Originally Posted by Sailormannn

I’ve looked at that one and the newer CTEK MXS 5.0 (p/n 40-206) that automatically adjusts for temperature.

What setting do you use? I’ve read some BMW users use the cold weather setting since the batteries are AGM.

Correct I always use the Cold/AGM setting.

[ToniCipriani]

This is the one I have. Friend got the same one for his M4, it has a Lithium mode.

https://www.amazon.ca/NOCO-G1100-Ult...dp/B004LX3AXQ/

Fixed my battery warnings I had a while back, and revived my auto stop-start in the process, which stopped working for a bit when my car decided to keep its lights on for no reason one night.

[pokerface]

I'm using Noco G7200. It does help tremendously in winters especially for city drivers as electricals are being used heavily (blowers, defrosters, seat heaters) but not covering a lot of distance for the battery to charge.

[sspade]

Are these necessary in predominantly warm/hot climates? Notice a lot of cold climate users chiming in.

Honestly never owned one and trying to figure out when I would/should be using it other than for when performing a procedure (flash tuning, coolant flush, etc).

How often do you guys use these in weather ranging from 32 to 105 degrees Celsius.

[Sam!]

Originally Posted by sspade

Are these necessary in predominantly warm/hot climates? Notice a lot of cold climate users chiming in.

Probably because you're in Canada regional group.

Originally Posted by sspade

How often do you guys use these in weather ranging from 32 to 105 degrees Celsius.

That's pretty hot.

[sspade]

Originally Posted by Sam!

Probably because you're in Canada regional group.

Woops... didnt realize that.


That's pretty hot.

I meant Fahrenheit. How often do you use in temperatures above freezing?

Im trying to get a feel for if I need one of these or not and how/when exactly I should use it.

For the record... temp was 30 F this morning on my way to work in NorCal.

[bringit]

I have the ctek polar

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00GODCLYU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_FQE5BbDS4B52S

It's $111 right now and lowest I've seen this is $109 when I bought it..

[sspade]

Can someone describe why its necessary to spend $50-$100 on a charge when this one is HIGHLY RATED on EVERY SINGLE SITE you can find.

Im confused. Its only $25 and has the following features:

Battery Tender 021-0123 Battery Tender Junior 12V, 0.75A Battery Charger
Spark proof during lead connection, reverse polarity protected and includes a 12-foot output cord and 5-year warranty
Perfect for charging all 12-volt lead-acid, flooded or sealed maintenance free batteries (AGM and gel cell) and safety timer-80 hours
Complete 4-step charging program (Initialization, Bulk Charge, Float Mode) allows for optimization of battery power, without overcharging
Automatic charge cycle functionality switches to float mode after fully charging the battery
Solid state two color LED indicates stage of charger and if the battery voltage drops too far under load, full charger output power resumes
It will charge and maintain your battery so that it is ready to go when you are! It's lightweight, fully automatic and easy to use

[Sam!]

Originally Posted by sspade

Can someone describe why its necessary to spend $50-$100 on a charge when this one is HIGHLY RATED on EVERY SINGLE SITE you can find.

It's all in the details. The one you mention serves the purpose at a bare minimum. The others do the same, in a bit more elaborate way. In the end, if your need is to keep a battery charged, go with what fits in your budget.

[sspade]

Originally Posted by Sam!

It's all in the details. The one you mention serves the purpose at a bare minimum. The others do the same, in a bit more elaborate way. In the end, if your need is to keep a battery charged, go with what fits in your budget.

So basically, since my $25 one does the exact same thing as "the guy" who spent $50-$100...

He is a fool with his money and I am.... smart with mine? Orrr what?

Put another way... spending more money on item A that does nothing different than item B, has to make you an idiot. Or at least an asshole, right?

Im honestly trying to get this right before I make my purchase.

Or is that guy who spent $100, richer than me (if I only buy the $25 one)?

[Sam!]

Originally Posted by sspade

So basically, since my $25 one does the exact same thing as "the guy" who spent $50-$100...

He is a fool with his money and I am.... smart with mine? Orrr what?

Put another way... spending more money on item A that does nothing different than item B, has to make you an idiot. Or at least an asshole, right?

Im honestly trying to get this right before I make my purchase.

Or is that guy who spent $100, richer than me (if I only buy the $25 one)?

I think you should do a bit more research before calling people stupid or assholes...

[Sailormannn]

I ended up getting the CTEK MXS 5.0 (# 40-206). Asked CTEK which one of theirs they recommended and this is the one they advised. My car is garaged in the winter so no need for the Polar.

You can order through Amazon.ca for $104.62. Currently backordered at that price, but they get in new stock regularly.

[TheUltimateDrivingManiac]

Originally Posted by sspade

How often do you guys use these in weather ranging from 32 to 105 degrees Celsius.

Water boils at 100°C, so I guess at 105° car battery will be not our biggest concern

[pokerface]

Originally Posted by sspade

Can someone describe why its necessary to spend $50-$100 on a charge when this one is HIGHLY RATED on EVERY SINGLE SITE you can find.

Im confused. Its only $25 and has the following features:

Battery Tender 021-0123 Battery Tender Junior 12V, 0.75A Battery Charger

the one you quoted also has a much lower output .. 0.75A vs 3+ or 7+ in the models sold by the other brands.

[instalher]

the parts inside are the difference... the ctek parts have a much tighter tolerance than the princess auto version for 25 bucks... also they will last a lot longer and be more reliable, I also can trust the ctek to charge my battery all winter long in the shop as I don't drive it in the winter, the p.auto one might short out, stop working, catch on fire, over charge, under charge, not read agm batteries properly, not read standard lead acid batteries, not read li-po batteries.... Just way to many possible issues over the long run. for one winter, maybe go cheap route, but I store my car from Oct-May so I wont cheap out and potentially ruin something on my car just to be thrifty!! if that's the case I should have bought an Audi!! lol