Any bolt or stud that is grounded to the chassis will do. In my 2012 when you look in the spare tire compartment there are 2 maybe 3 studs sticking up. They are the suggested ground point. I also found a ground inside the plastic grill area which is good to use. Just put a test light or meter on anybolt and see if it is ground.

 

No change. Stays orange for several hours and turns green if I unplug and plug it in.
If it is green and I unlock to open a door it immediately goes orange.

 

You can connect positive to positive terminal, and then just find any convenient earthed bolt for negative. When I connect my solar panel, I clip the negative lead to the navigation unit bracket to the right of the battery.

 

Bob,

I also own a 2009 XKR and photos of how I wired my BatteryMINDER Brand smart charger are in Post #161 on Page 9 of this thread, together with the link to my original post where you can find detailed "how-to" instructions. The Owner's Handbook recommends attaching booster cables to the positive lead to the remote positive terminal behind the removable panel on the left side of the trunk and the negative to the ground post in the trunk. It doesn't matter what brand of smart charger you own; connecting is the same.

I realize that many 4.2L owners wire their chargers directly to the + and - battery terminals. I chose to not do that because the battery is in a closed compartment and, although it is vented to the outside, there is a risk, albeit small, of a hydrogen gas explosion that can be caused by a spark when attaching or disconnecting leads to those battery terminals.

Because the danger of hydrogen gas has not been discussed in this thread, I decided to copy my post from a little read 2012 thread to give my warning greater exposure:

Hope this helps.

Stuart

 

The location recommended for the Jaguar version of the CTEK is in the attached JPG.

 

Hmmmm... this discussion is making me nervous!

Hopefully the risk for me is less since I have an AGM sealed battery.

 

This for a 2010 model and up. The diagram looks like its from a 2012 MY which is correctly posted. 2009 MY's and earlier can be connected directly to the terminals. This has been discussed many times on this thread.

As for sparks, the CTEK smart chargers will not create sparks. I am not sure about other chargers. Here's the info and video from the CTEK website..

I am sure that Jaguar in the 2009 MY as Stuart posted, is a sort of disclaimer.

I have had my CTEK hooked directly to the battery terminals on my 2009 Jaguar XKR, 2014 Porsche 981 and 2013 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T (sold) without any incidents.

If your not using a CTEK charger, then you should complete your due diligence on how the unit (other than CTEK) should be connected.

The CTEK website anwsers many questions that car owners might be concerned with. CTEK is the leading "smartcharger/maintainer" that premium car companies have endorsed and sell with their own respective brands clerly listed on the units.

CTEK Battery Chargers - The World's Smarter Battery Charger

There are numerous videos on You Tube specific to the CTEK brand and how they should be installed.

Take few minutes to watch this video if you have concerns about connecting the CTEK directly to the terminals. In all their manuals, installation of the terminal connectors are the same, direct wiring to the battery terminals. This video also helps in determining which CTEK smart charger may be right for your personal application.


Hopefully this post will "end" the continuing discussion on how CTEK smartchargers should be installed and the posts made about sparking.

For those who have made a CTEK purchase for their respective vehicles, you should not worry about problems being created by the CTEK smartchargers as they are pretty much foolproof. The endorsements and optionable equipment of the premium automotive brands lends support and confidence of the CTEK brand.

If your NOT using a CTEK brand, I highly suggest you find the model that is right for your personal application and buy one. $60.00 (CTEK 3300) is a small investment for battery and electrical failure peace of mind. The CTEK 3300 is the top seller of all CTEK models on the market.

Happy Motoring.......Jaguar Forum members.

 

All batteries, flooded and AGM, produce hydrogen gas when charging and eventually discharge over time to the point where replacement is required. Smart chargers, including but not limited to the CTEK brand, help prolong battery life by desulfation and maintaining the charge.

The CTEK 3300 that Richzak advocates is a good unit. However, I bought the newer model CTEK MUS 4.3 for my recently purchased 2013 XJ SC because it is a more advanced 8-step charger specifically designed for both flooded and AGM batteries. My next battery (whenever that may be) will definitely be AGM. Here's the link to the CTEK MUS 4.3 on Amazon, for $57.00 delivered:

And here it is in my XJ:


Here's the link to my complete post with installation pix in the XJ Forum: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...lation-130801/

I always plug my Jags into their smart chargers when parked at home and have never had any problems.

Stuart

 

Great choice Stuart for the new Jaguar XJ. Amazon has great prices for the CTEK, and you bought great model. That XJ will never lose power or have electrical problems now.

Happy motoring. Enjoy the new ride and be sure to post a few photos of the XJ parked next to that very "rare" 2009 Jaguar XKR Portfolio Edition Convertible.

I took mine out for a birthday dinner with my wife. I always enjoy pulling it out of the garage. It's also a head turner too. I am the only one that I know who drives an XKR in our small little town of 100,000 people. That's rare too.

 

I don't believe the charger will create sparks, but I did create sparks during installation by having the wrench touch the battery post and "bulkhead" simultaneously by accident. I suppose if I were uninstalling the charger, it could pose a problem if hydrogen had built up.

 

Alan:

If you own a CTEK as stated that you do, no worries about posing a problem with hydrogen or creating a spark.

However when you used the wrench and created the spark, thats a whole different thing. Problem was the mechanic (Alan) and the not using a protected wrench with either rubber on the shaft or tape.

Otherwise, I assume the CTEK is working quite well for you. Sounds like you're in your new home and have electrical to the car. Great news for you.

 

Thanks to all of you folks for the info. Will hook it up as suggested in the diagram obtained from our New Zealand member! What a forum!

 

How many of us here actually covered the wrench with tape or rubber?

 

I do. I learned the hard way and still have a twitch to prove it.

 

Alan:
It's not about "How many of us here actually covered the wrench with tape or rubber?".

Anytime when working with electric, whether car, home or otherwise, you should use proper tools to protect both yourself and components. It is important to "think ahead" when making any type of repair, using the proper tools. Next time, spend a few minutes to wrap your 10mm wrench in tape, or buy a small jar/can of rubberized solution that you simply dip your wrench into for a permanent rubberized handle. It is so easy to do, and so cheap to buy. Spend a few bucks and spend an hour or two dipping a few of your tools in this easy to use product. You will be glad you did. Also buying a few different colors will also help distingush one tool from another. You own an expensive premuim automobile, protect it.

I know you were hard to accept the CTEK smartcharger and came down on me several times about promoting the brand. Take this simple advice to make your tools protective. You will be glad you did. We are all here to help each other. All of us expect nothing in return for our advice or opinion, just to help each other, and this is what makes this forum so special.

Plasti Dip Protective Coating Products | Plasti Dip Protective Coating Products | Rubber Dip Coating

Performix Brand Plasti Dip-11603-6 at The Home Depot

You can even buy cheap rubberized handled wrenches at places like Harbor Freight.

I bet you won't use that wrench again when working on the battery. Or least you might think about this post and be extra careful in the future by taping or rubberizing your wrench.

Happy motoring Alan. Keep up your personal posts, as yours also; are very helpful to all of us.

 

Okay got the 3300, attached it yesterday, battery had 12.3v prior, car locked, ctek was orange for 18hrs, I detached it, reattached and it was green. Stayed green for 6hrs, then I detached it again, checked battery and read 12.7. See how it goes from here, will drive tomorrow and the attach the extention to the ctek again. Will check battery voltage before driving it tomorrow. I set up ctek with the standard car battery mode. I have a duracell AGM and the info says that "with some Agm" batteries like optima you should use the winter mode? Should I use winter mode with the duracell? I am taking it to the jag dealer in 3 days and will ask them about : NHTSA Item Number: 10045599 Service Bulletin Number: SB-3-287
Date of Bulletin: Apr 20, 2012 Component: Electrical System thanks

 

I have had the CTEK 3300 installed on my 2005 Jaguar XJR for 2 weeks now, used overnite, and am very pleased with the peace of mind. I notice that some people do not have any covers over their battery terminals. Thats one of the first things I did when I noticed that I did not when I bought the car.
I have also used the CTEK on my Dodge Truck, wifes Toyota, and my tractor. I used the crokadile clips for those.

 

Bah. Most of the time you live through an electrocution.

 

I bought my Ctek on Amazon in May of this year and had been using it ever since. Starting about two weeks ago the green diode has been lit constantly along with the orange diode doing a rapid flash no matter what mode the Ctek was in. Even after shutting it down or unplugging it, when I would turn it on, the same thing. Yesterday I sent an email to Ctek's Ohio office asking how to rectify the situation. They emailed me back telling me to return it to them and they would replace the Cteck under the 5 year limited warranty. I am shipping it tomorrow and will let you know when I get the replacement unit.

All in all, I must say that I am very pleased with their reaction; it was quite professional and the correct way to deal with a faulty piece of equipment.

 

Yes, this type of service, sadly, is not the norm and really gets your attention when you're the beneficiary. A few weeks ago, my year old Keurig coffee machine broke and from the time I called the help desk to the time I had the no charge replacement unit delivered to my door, it was two business days. It is a mystery to me why companies don't recognize that this level of service should be the norm, instead of the majority who will jump through hoops to avoid responsibility. Good for Ctek for being one of the good ones.