To those of you who use the CTEK battery charger, do you wire the quick connect directly to the battery or to the bus bar in the box next to the battery? Thanks!

 

Do not connect directly to the battery. That will bypass the battery management system.

 

Mine is connected to the bus bar, as per my photo in this post

As far as I'm aware, it's also not advised to connect directly to the battery due to potential trouble with the BMS (Battery Management System), but that might be my mis-reading posts and putting 2 and 2 together to make tangerine.

 

I've done it both ways. I've had it wired up directly to the battery posts (both positive and negative) on both my 2018 and my 2023 and did not have any issues when doing it that way. However, as others have mentioned if you do this you do bypass the BMS which *could* improperly alter how the car charges the battery because what it knows through BMS and what the battery state actually are could be different. I've since kept the positive connection to the battery post but moved the negative connection to a ground stud on the chassis almost directly below the positive terminal on the battery. The positive side doesn't matter where you connect it (battery or buss bar) but using a grounding point with the negative will ensure the BMS module is in the pathway.

 

OP - Spend some quality time with the "How To" thread. Manuals, pointers, and instructions - including this very topic. That's why it's sticky at the top of the forum.

 

Definitely wire to the bus bar, and also jump there if you have to start. The Manuel says that as well.

 

Most dealers, as I understand it, recommend hooking up towards the front of the vehicle. Not sure if that is of interest to you, or if you just have a firm interest in connecting towards the back of the vehicle only.…I have a thread on here for how I did it in the front in a more permanent manner, and others do as well.

That thread was revived recently. If you are interested and didn’t see it I’d be happy to provide a link. Good luck.

Cheers

 

The Jaguar ftting instructions I've seen direct you to the trunk, and to connect as has been shown on here - to the main busbar and an earth point.

 

Does this count as an earth point? Fitting just now.

 

For future reference for anyone who finds this thread, that earth point seems to be ok for now.

 

Thank you all for the replies. It seems as if there is no "correct" way but I think I'll wire it to the buss bar and ground it to the car.

 

Er, that is the correct (Jaguar) way!

 

Fair. I’m basing it on my dealer telling me that Jaguar corporates suggests that they set it up from the front in their dealerships. That said, no doubt it is mainly for vanity reasons, so they can hook up clean on the showroom floor without wires being evident, etc…

The front hookup is fully equivalent to hooking up in the back as far as I’m aware, as has been discussed on here many times, etc..

 

Thanks but it's easier for me to use the trunk mount when I connect the charger.

 

Yeah, the underhood terminals make temporary connections easier since you don't have to remove any panels to get at them, just pop the hood.

 

I have a MY2017 v-6. My JLR tech advised connecting the CTEK positive to the positive bar on the battery and the negative to the stud on the floor of the trunk. I had a JLR replacement AGM battery put in under warranty. It's been nearly 4 years and have had no issues. I used the eyelets that came with the CTEK. If I store the car with no plans to drive it for more than 2 weeks, it goes on the CTEK. If you look, I think I put photos in with the post I wrote for previously.

 

Here's a couple of pictures of my C-Tek connections.

Expose the area in the trunk by rem0ving 2 panels and the large bucket like thing

Blue circles show where to attach leads. When you remove nut for ground hold the ground cable down so that contact is retained - save you from having to reset windows.

Drilled hole through "bucket" for C-Tek connector.

To connect all you have to do is remove the one panel.

Line to C-Tek. Careful not to run line where it can be pinched by latches, etc.

Very simple install and since I have to enter driver side by coming from the rear I never forget it's there and the whole operation takes about 20 seconds. As a side question - I'm calling it a bucket but is there an official term?

 

Thanks everyone for all the detailed instructions.

I wired mine to the buss bar like Chucksters post above. However I didn't drill any holes. I attached the 8' CTEK extension wire to the pigtail, which will just barely reach outside the bucket and snakes out the remainder into the trunk. So when I want to connect to the charger, I don't have to remove anything.

 

When I first installed the C-Tek I did it just like you. But the first time I loaded luggage and duffels in the trunk I didn't like that the connector was getting knocked around.

 

A temporary application of Duct Tape will hold the wire out of the way, the next time you need to pick up a few bags of fertilizer from the local Home Stores.