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I could be wrong, but my understanding is that you shouldn't be attaching the negative of the charger directly to the battery, but to the separate post that is intended as the ground point.
Additionally though, disconnecting the battery can cause that fault. I got it when I connected my Antigravity bluetooth voltage meter to the battery. Once I cleared the fault, all was good.
Ron
Hey Ron, you are correct, normally better to connect the negative lead to the same location as the battery negative lead is connected to, especially if there is a Battery Management System in place. Or as shown in this diagram at least on the outboard side of the BMS module is located on the negative terminal of the battery. Here is CTEK's diagram and comments on this:
Interesting they show the clamp connection different than the Comfort connect.
For Negative-grounded vehicle, connect POSITIVE
(RED) clip from battery charger to POSITIVE
(POS, P, +) ungrounded post of battery. Connect
NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip to vehicle chassis or engine
block away from battery. Do not connect clip to carburetor,
fuel lines, or sheet-metal body parts. Connect to a
heavy gage metal part of the frame or engine block.
From their FAQ:
10. Why do you have to connect negative to ground and not to the battery?
A. All CTEK chargers observe the directives that apply in the EU. All battery chargers whatever the brand must be approved in line with the same standards. Many more basic chargers can cause the battery to emit a significant amount of oxy-hydrogen gas and also generate a spark when connecting. This represents a major risk of injury and it is therefore stipulated that the first terminal should be connected away from the battery in order to reduce the risk. A CTEK charger is spark free, has a minimal amount of gassing and can therefore be connected directly to the battery. However, we do recommend that you follow specific vehicle manufacturer guidelines when charging the battery. Also the latest vehicles with start stop systems are fitted with a battery management system. The sensor for this system is found on the negative terminal connection at the battery, if the charger is fitted directly to the negative terminal the sensor is unable to detect any charge that the battery receives this will result in system warning lights staying on the next time the vehicle is used.
Ron, regarding the connection of the BT battery monitor, could it be slipped on without removing the terminal from the battery, for example just under the nut?
So should I disconnect the c-tek from the negative terminal?
I am not sure what to suggest with that, I think that you will find that there are a lot here on the forum that have it connected via the comfort connect as show in the diagram above, and they seem to be fine. I am still looking into where the BMS system is located on the latest 718's and how this might affect things.
So should I disconnect the c-tek from the negative terminal?
What do you have connected, the comfort plug (pigtail) or the clamp?
The reason that they don’t want you to connect a clamp to the neg battery is if there’s a charge flowing from the ctek, it could spark and “possibly’’ blow up.
Doesn’t happen much, but the risk is there. Seen it happen once long ago, it’s no fun!
A pigtail is fine since the “then” connection will be made away from the battery.
What do you have connected, the comfort plug (pigtail) or the clamp?
The reason that they don’t want you to connect a clamp to the neg battery is if there’s a charge flowing from the ctek, it could spark and “possibly’’ blow up.
Doesn’t happen much, but the risk is there. Seen it happen once long ago, it’s no fun!
A pigtail is fine since the “then” connection will be made away from the battery.
the ring terminals are connected directly to the battery. Not using the clamps.
As has been mentioned, I don't see a safety concern when using the comfort connect system, I will likely use this connection as well soon as it is just a little simpler than reaching in to the center console with the adapter and it also gives me a little more lead length on the charger.
Excellent suggestion Ron! (And why didn't I think of that! I had read about this device when I looked at an Antigravity for my Spyder.)
This is exactly the non-invasive voltage check that I am referring to, add that it performs both charging and cranking tests and provides historical data regarding the battery voltage and drain... This is a perfect add-on to compliment a battery maintainer.
Well Ron, you inspired me, look what just showed up today, enough for the fleet!
Another data point that seems to contradict the manual:
As an experiment last night I plugged the Porsche Charge-o-Mat into the cigarette lighter port on my '22 GT4 last night without turning on the car first. It had sat for a couple of days. When I opened the car door to get to the plug the car woke up a little but nothing like a start does. After hooking up the charger, the charge proceeded with no errors and no flashing lights on the charger. It went from reporting a modestly low battery to a full battery this morning.
So now I'm not sure if this was a one-time anomaly or whether some programming change has occurred in '22 or more recent years. But it works... so I'll take it!
Another data point that seems to contradict the manual:
As an experiment last night I plugged the Porsche Charge-o-Mat into the cigarette lighter port on my '22 GT4 last night without turning on the car first. It had sat for a couple of days. When I opened the car door to get to the plug the car woke up a little but nothing like a start does. After hooking up the charger, the charge proceeded with no errors and no flashing lights on the charger. It went from reporting a modestly low battery to a full battery this morning.
So now I'm not sure if this was a one-time anomaly or whether some programming change has occurred in '22 or more recent years. But it works... so I'll take it!
Yeah, I think I noted it above, but my 2021 GT4 wakes up enough to plug my CTEK into the cigarette lighter to work properly. No need to do anything with the ignition.
Why does Porsche just not give us a manual latch for the frunk? Getting the frunk open to jump the car through the fuse box was an ordeal recently.
Anyway, I ordered the Noco Genius 5 ($70) from Amazon. While at my local Costco, I saw the Deltran Battery Tender 4.5 on sale ($35). Any experience with either? Is the NOCO worth double the price of the Deltran?
As an aside, through this process, I found it interesting that my Cayenne uses a litium-ion Lifepo4 battery while my CGTS4.0 has an AGM battery.
I can't tell because I'm viewing this on my cell phone, but is the tender you picked certified or advertised for lithium ion batteries? It looks like not a lot of the battery tender brand is. I found this one:
I can't tell because I'm viewing this on my cell phone, but is the tender you picked certified or advertised for lithium ion batteries? It looks like not a lot of the battery tender brand is. I found this one:
The Costco one is certified (and has a setting) for both AGM and lithium batteries. It's also can handle 4.5 amps. The price was ridiculously good compared to what other stores sell lesser models for.
12-11-2021 | 01:51 PM
(And why didn't I think of that! I had read about this device when I looked at an Antigravity for my Spyder.)
