Hi, Couple of questions. I have a 2020 F-Type and a CTEK unit. I had a 2016 and if I was not going to use the car for a couple months, I'd hook the CTEK up using the alligator clips. I was always too nervous to use the connector on that electric connecter "block". Could someone please post a pic of how that should be done? I'd rather do that and then just plug in then use the connector. One other question. What is the amount of time the car might be sitting that you would recommend using the CTEK? If it's only sitting 2 or 3 weeks, is it needed or should it be ok without a charger for that time? I do remember my 2016 was very sensitive to any voltage drops. Thank you for helping.

 

Here is an excellent article on installing a CTEK unit to the bus bar location under the hatch floor. The only issue ypu may encounter is after disconnecting the ground from the battery to the stud on the floor to attach the ground lug from the CTEK, you will have to reset the windows by lowering them and then pulling up and holding each switch for several seconds and then checking if the auto-up and down feature works, and also reset the electric hatch opener (if your vehicle has one) by manually closing the hatch and then pressing the button to open and then close again.

https://howtune.com/articles/548-ins...-jaguar-f-type

 

Thank you. This is very informative but I'm a bit hesitant to start doing things that might require resets.

 

The window reset procedure is trivial and described fully in the handbook, near the end of the Maintenance section in my My18 version.

 

I installed a small panel on the backside (facing the front of the car) and it’s out of the way but easily assessable.

I threw an antigravity lithium battery in my car over a year ago so I’m using the lithium version of the CTek but I have the OEM F type battery (sitting in my garage) on a CTek US 0.8 trickle charger just to keep it healthy and maintained. It’s a very low current but does the job. Prior to getting the lithium battery, I was using the OEM battery and a CTek MXS and that worked great. Now the MXS is being used on another car when it sits for extended periods.

 

Rob, you can install your Ctek without risking having to do the resets.. I installed mine (MY2017) this way: Have an assistant ready. Find a paint stir-stick or something wood that's similar. This will be for the assistant to hold down the negative cable on its threaded connection point in the trunk. Have your negative Cteck cable end at the ready. Undo the nut holding the negative cable down to the floor (Assistant is still holding cable down with stir-stick). Quickly slip the ring end of the negative Ctek cable on that threaded connection point, replace the nut and tighten it down. Photo shows Neg. connection point with Ctek cable installed. There is nothing wrong in being reluctant to mess around with the electrics on these cars. Safety First!

 

Thank You. I'm still wondering, how many weeks can the car sit without me having to use the CTEK? I drive it a bit every few days but if I"m away 2 or 3 weeks, can it sit that long without the CTEK? Everyone here is very helpful and I appreciate it.

 

During lockdown mine sat for over 2 months unused. It showed the "low battery" warning when I went to use it but it started fine. I did take the precaution of giving it an overnight charge but, if you're driving it a lot, 2 or 3 weeks should fine if the battery is good.

 

I don't think the question "how long can I leave it between drives" is relevant. It depends more on how far you drive when you do go out. If you go for a long drive, say 40 mins, then on returning the battery should be fully charged and be fine for a few weeks without a maintainer. If you go for a quick 10 minute thrash, your battery will probably be lower when you finish than before you started! Start-up and shut-down both use juice.
Why not just sling it on charge every time? No harm done, and no time taken. I connect mine a bit like Valerie. Neg terminal of Ctek MX5 to floor neg terminal of car - no disconnecting, I just held the car neg wire down on terminal with my hands while I put the ctek lead on. Pos. terminal of ctek straight to pos. of battery with no disconnecting. Lead just pokes out of boot floor covering near the boot hatch. 2 seconds to connect or disconnect. I lock mine as car is on drive, no sign of damage to weatherstrip.

 

Hi,
I was going to install my CTEK but when I compared the electrical block on my MY20, the number of leads is considerably less then what I've seen in the various posts and other videos. I'm wondering if the red lead from the CTECK still goes across from the yellow 09 wire. Also, I have no idea what that brown stuff is. I just bought this car from a Jag dealer and it is CPO. Thank You.

 

That looks like my MY18 configuration. Connect the positive anywhere on that big shiny busbar.

The brown stuff looks like you've had some water ingress into the trunk/boot.

 

Sent the pic to the dealer I bought the car from. Service advisor said it looks like someone spilled a cola down there. It was dried up, not smelly or sticky. I cleaned most of it up, staying away from wiring. My question to them is, I thought you guys inspect these cars prior to certifying them. There response, we perform a 165 point check. I told them they need to make it 166. Because of where it was, and it was not on the trunk panels above it, I'm guessing one of their techs did it during the inspection. Anyway, car runs fine and I cleaned most of it. Just pisses me off. My wife asked why I did not check that when I was looking over the car. I told her who the hell looks under the trunk area when buying a car. Well now this guy will.

 

I locked my doors and then manually opened the hatch and hooked up the CTEK. With the wires going out of the corner of the hatch area, can I safely close the hatch, or am I better off leaving it ajar? It's a 2020 F-Type if that matters. Thanks.

 

My JLR tech said I could press the hatch down and the "lock" the car so it wouldn't think the hatch was still open and not go to sleep. Worked for me.

 

Thank you for responding. What I did first was to lock the car with the hatch closed. That took care of locking the doors, and more important for me, folding in the mirrors. Then I manually opened the hatch and hooked up the CTK. I then gently lowered the hatch but did not let it close completely. I'm not worried about it going to sleep, I've done this before. I just read that someone actually closes the hatch completely with the wire from the charger hanging out. That is what I'm questioning because I'd like to close it but I don't want to crush the wire. Thanks.

 

I simply hook the cable up and close the rear hatch. No issue with the cable as the rubber is pliable.

 

Rob: there is no issue, no issue at all about closing and locking the hatch on the CTEK cord; mine has been used this way for the last 5 years, every day of those 5 years. No damage to the weatherstripping, no damage to the CTEK cord…and a fully charged battery, always.
This is simple. My CTEK plug remains at the outer edge of the hatch so there is no need for me to open the hatch. I get out of the car, lock the car, plug the CTEK unit cord into the plug which exits from the hatch (barely visible, by the way). And I am done. It is a 3 second procedure on a slow day. No need for any complications!

 

Thank you. I've closed the hatch and all is working as described. Just hoping the hatch didn't get out of align from the cord. JK, I know it's all good. Thanks to all that responded.

 

I also close the hatch over the wire from my CTEK, I just make sure there is enough slack that when the hatch closes the wire can form to the weather stripping. I leave the car locked even though it is garaged; I seem to recall the charging system works better or there is less parasitic drain upon the battery when the doors are locked and the car "goes to sleep".

 

If you have the CTEK "comfort extension", you permanently attach the CTEK leads to any point on the battery monitoring bar (+) and the (-) to the ground point on the trunk floor.



Then the comfort extension plugs into the end connector on the CTEK leads you have just fitted (you can see the connector for the comfort extension in the photo above). The comfort extension allows more than enough length to allow the connector to hang just outside the hatch opening. Then it is literally a few seconds to connect to this connector the CTEK unit line itself (the CTEK unit should ideally sit outside the car so you can monitor its progress without opening the hatch - just opening the hatch can draw enough current to start the unit charging - and then you can never really assess the battery condition). When you unplug the CTEK connector to use the car, there is a rain cap that protects the end of the connector (visible in the photo below).
You never have to open the trunk again unless you are putting something in it!



Very unobtrusive: