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Connecting CTEK Battery Charger?

Specific discussion about the E89 2009 Z4 (sDrive35is, sDrive35i, sDrive30i, sDrive23i)
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Ewazix
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Connecting CTEK Battery Charger?

Post by Ewazix » Sun Dec 10, 2017 4:49 pm

mcbutler wrote: Fri Dec 08, 2017 2:07 pm
ph001 wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2017 9:18 pm I don’t think it would do much harm in reality but the IBS is supposed to look at the recharge current so it knows the battery is fully charged. Take it all with a pinch if salt...I’m of the opinion that if the IBS is looking at live data anyway it will soon sort itself out once you start driving normally.
Surely, once the battery is fully charged, it is fully charged, you cannot charge it higher than its max physical capacity.
Why do we need a module to monitor something that is fixed? ...
Battery charge is not fixed, charge dissipates through the charge medium (acid, gel etc) but is concentrated around the plates. Monitoring devices read that charge and switch out. After several hours charge more fully dissipates from the plates through the medium, readings will drop around the plate and more charge can be applied. Try it with any car battery, you can always get more charge in once it's been left for a few hours.

Ctek conditioners run a very low current so charge 'soaks' through the medium very consistently, they also 'cycle' the charge by discharging slowly then re-charging, this will 'condition' the battery to accept more charge improving (or repairing) knackered batteries to some degree. Some models also have desulphurisation modes which will clear sulphur from lead-acid plates again restoring the battery. Theoretically a battery could have decades oflifeif it is maintained carefully (the one in my Z4 is the 2003 original always kept on a Ctek when not used for a week or more).
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mcbutler
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Connecting CTEK Battery Charger?

Post by mcbutler » Sun Dec 10, 2017 9:40 pm

Interesting stuff, so could we fit a lithium battery instead of Lead acid? I am presuming lithium batteries are the gel type?
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Gaffa22
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Connecting CTEK Battery Charger?

Post by Gaffa22 » Mon Dec 11, 2017 8:16 am

No lithium are not gel.
Gel batteries are lead acid but instead of liquid acid they use a gel. Made of acid and silica.
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