Ctek Battery sense

[Phil xxkr]

Does anyone have experience with this product? Just seen Ed China promoting it on YouTube and it looks ideal for constant monitoring AGM Battery status on a RX, thanks 🤔

[Lydiamight]

Bought one from Amazon a couple of years ago. Use it on my BMW 6 series with AGM Battery as well as my Rx400h. Proved to be vey reliable and I like the fact that you can change from ordinary lead acid to AGM and from Motor Bikes to cars as well as using a "recondition" mode. A short review from Honest John here https://kit.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/review-ctek-battery-charger-mxs-50/#:~:text=It's sturdy and it works,a quick worker as well.

 

 

[Phil xxkr]

5 minutes ago, Lydiamight said:

Bought one from Amazon a couple of years ago. Use it on my BMW 6 series with AGM battery as well as my Rx400h. Proved to be vey reliable and I like the fact that you can change from ordinary lead acid to AGM and from Motor Bikes to cars as well as using a "recondition" mode. A short review from Honest John here https://kit.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/review-ctek-battery-charger-mxs-50/#:~:text=It's sturdy and it works,a quick worker as well.

 

 

Ray, different products. This thing doesn't charge only monitors via an app to your phone. It makes sure your secondary Battery won't get to a critical state without you knowing 

[Herbie]

8 hours ago, Phil xxkr said:

Does anyone have experience with this product? Just seen Ed China promoting it on YouTube and it looks ideal for constant monitoring AGM battery status on a RX, thanks 🤔

Presumably, the way it communicates with your phone app would be by means of a plug-in dongle in the OBD2 interface?

If so, would it be permanently powered and so another drain on the Battery?

[NemesisUK]

13 minutes ago, Herbie said:

Presumably, the way it communicates with your phone app would be by means of a plug-in dongle in the OBD2 interface?

If so, would it be permanently powered and so another drain on the battery?

No, it's simply a Bluetooth enabled sensor connected directly across the Battery. Obviously it will be drawing some power but must be almost negligible 

Downside is one has to be close to the car, in Bluetooth range, to see the Battery charge. Plus side is one doesn't have to unlock and thereby wake-up, the car to check voltage state.

https://www.ctek.com/uk/products/car/ctx-battery-sense

 

[Phil xxkr]

1 hour ago, NemesisUK said:

No, it's simply a bluetooth enabled sensor connected directly across the battery. Obviously it will be drawing some power but must be almost negligible 

Downside is one has to be close to the car, in bluetooth range, to see the battery charge. Plus side is one doesn't have to unlock and thereby wake-up, the car to check voltage state.

https://www.ctek.com/uk/products/car/ctx-battery-sense

 

So in your opinion Peter is this a good acquisition option for a hybrid owner? 

[Herbie]

1 hour ago, Phil xxkr said:

So in your opinion Peter is this a good acquisition option for a hybrid owner? 

It depends on how much money you want to spend, I suppose.

Given that you've got a 2012 RX I know that your centre console will be the 'two-tier' type, which means that you could buy a USB voltmeter and easily install it in the bottom like I did. I got it for a few quid from eBay and to install it I just connected it to the 12V power socket next to it.

So this voltmeter or a similar one (just search eBay for car USB voltmeters), plus this chart, will basically do the same thing as the Ctek for about £30 less:

I've just bought one of this type to replace the dashboard/centre power socket (next to the wireless phone charger) in my 2018 RX:

[NemesisUK]

@Herbie can you see that without waking the car up?

@Phil xxkr If the car is used infrequently and you don't have easy access to mains power, yes I would consider it useful. If you do have access to mains power, I would just purchase CTEK's trickle charger and leave it permanently connected. If you use the car regularly don't bother.

[Herbie]

49 minutes ago, NemesisUK said:

@Herbie can you see that without waking the car up?

No Peter, but unless you're chasing a parasitic drain then it doesn't matter as it's really only an indication, not a serious test of anything.

To properly test a Battery you need to load it and I can't see the Ctek unit doing that, nor does my voltmeter.

[Phil xxkr]

10 hours ago, Herbie said:

It depends on how much money you want to spend, I suppose.

Given that you've got a 2012 RX I know that your centre console will be the 'two-tier' type, which means that you could buy a USB voltmeter and easily install it in the bottom like I did. I got it for a few quid from eBay and to install it I just connected it to the 12V power socket next to it.

So this voltmeter or a similar one (just search eBay for car USB voltmeters), plus this chart, will basically do the same thing as the Ctek for about £30 less:

I've just bought one of this type to replace the dashboard/centre power socket (next to the wireless phone charger) in my 2018 RX:

Super solution 👌

[Superduner]

I didn't know these existed.  I'm going to get the Tonwon one, as it's a bit cheaper but still gets good reviews.

It'll give me the chance to actually see the loss in charge over time on a graph (we engineers love graphs) - which the power socket option does not.

[Phil xxkr]

1 hour ago, Superduner said:

I didn't know these existed.  I'm going to get the Tonwon one, as it's a bit cheaper but still gets good reviews.

It'll give me the chance to actually see the loss in charge over time on a graph (we engineers love graphs) - which the power socket option does not.

amazon no longer selling this one for whatever reason. Also one of the reviews made an interesting comment re the software, that is, it demands your location is permanently on? Why?  

[Superduner]

amazon France does, and that's where I live.  It's due to arrive tomorrow.  The ca is still in the workshop waiting for a new screen to arrive from England, so fitting it will have to wait a while.

As for the software, I find that a lot of apps that you would think do not need to know your location insist on having it.  My Bluetooth temperature sensor/recorder outside the back door, for example.

[Phil xxkr]

2 hours ago, Superduner said:

Amazon France does, and that's where I live.  It's due to arrive tomorrow.  The ca is still in the workshop waiting for a new screen to arrive from England, so fitting it will have to wait a while.

As for the software, I find that a lot of apps that you would think do not need to know your location insist on having it.  My bluetooth temperature sensor/recorder outside the back door, for example.

Really? Be interested to be updated as to how it performs? It's perfectly understandable why a temperature sensor may need location 🤔 but a Battery monitor? Get outa here! 

[Superduner]

4 hours ago, Phil xxkr said:

Really? Be interested to be updated as to how it performs? It's perfectly understandable why a temperature sensor may need location 🤔 but a battery monitor? Get outa here! 

I'll stick it on a spare Battery and see what happens.

[Superduner]

Ok, so the gadget is now on the car, and I have to say it's quite impressive (but with a few niggles).

It hooked up to the phone instantly and began a moving display of Battery voltage, which corresponded with the power socket USB plug pretty well.

I ran the car for an hour - it was showing about 14v, and when I put on main beam, a/c and heated rear screen it went down to 13.95/6/7 or so.  So I'm thinking no problems in the charging department.

Turned the car off and after 3 minutes the voltage was 12.65 or so.  It stayed at that for 3 or 4 minutes, and when I turned the "ignition" on it dropped to 12.3v.  Turned the ignition off and it went back up to 12.45.

The main niggle for me is that you only get a large scale graph (useful) for 5 minutes, after which it changes to a much longer period with very squeezed up data points.

The other makes of monitor on amazon UK look identical, and I'm sure that they use the same app.

[Superduner]

If anyone is interested, these are the graphs from the Battery monitor from when I installed it on Thursday.

Peak voltage after running for an hour (key off) was 12.5 (14 while running).  At midnight on Thursday it had dropped to 12.28.  At midnight on Friday it was 12.19. At 0930 this morning it was 12.14.

The car was sitting in the sun all day yesterday and at about 1500 the voltage was 12.21.  Both of the last two nights have been just about freezing-the car lives outside.

It's interesting to see that throughout the monitoring period there are very small fluctuations in voltage of about 0.03v

The voltage dropped faster on Thursday, presumably as the systems shut down.

I'd be interested for anyone a bit more into electrickery than me (concrete is my thing) to comment on this information.

I should add that the Battery is a new Bosch.

Whatever, I see the monitor as a useful diagnostic tool.