CTEK MXS 5.0 Installation

[Markr]

Hi all,

I have purchased the above and want to hardwire it into the terminals under the bonnet / hood. I have had a look at other posts, so know it is not a big job, HOWEVER, what I don’t know is what to do ref the posts - I don’t want to cause myself other issues.

Are the posts bolts that screw into a nut fixed in the body, or are they actually nuts that fit over fixed posts.

Ie. If I undo one, do I end up with a bunch of loose cables, or are they fixed over a post that I can just add the CTEK eyelet connector to. I have just installed one on our other car, and that was simply a case of attaching to the battery itself under the bonnet / hood.

If only I had access to TIS still!

Thanks
Mark

[AlteBMW]

Originally Posted by Markr

Hi all,

I have purchased the above and want to hardwire it into the terminals under the bonnet / hood. I have had a look at other posts, so know it is not a big job, HOWEVER, what I don’t know is what to do ref the posts - I don’t want to cause myself other issues.

Are the posts bolts that screw into a nut fixed in the body, or are they actually nuts that fit over fixed posts.

Ie. If I undo one, do I end up with a bunch of loose cables, or are they fixed over a post that I can just add the CTEK eyelet connector to. I have just installed one on our other car, and that was simply a case of attaching to the battery itself under the bonnet / hood.

If only I had access to TIS still!

Thanks
Mark

I'm afraid I can only be of limited help. I looked at this for my car. I had done this earlier with an old W124 Mercedes and wanted to do it for my 7. The ground terminal seems to be simply screwed on a post and it looks like it can be removed, with a connector then placed on the post and the terminal screwed back in. The positive terminal looks way more complicated. You are not attaching directly to the battery as it is in the trunk. There is simply a + connection under the hood; it may require a U shaped connector or some other modification of the Ctek wire, and I finally decided that because my car is in a garage and it is easy enough to use the alligator clips, and I charge maybe once every two months, that it wasn't worth the effort.

[Markr]

Thank you, yes it is the positive that I am unsure of. If it was just a nut / cap over an M8 threaded post, then that would be a breeze. I know that others have done it, so hopefully they will also chip in.

Many thanks
Mark

[Markr]

For anyone interested, here is the definitive answer, as I finally got stuck in today.

The negative post is a nut over a fixed post, so easily undone, no issues.

The positive post is a bolt, however, there is nothing attached to it, so can be fully undone and removed, leaving a threaded aperture behind.

I am going to modify the red cap to allow the CTEK wire to come out that way, as it is removable, and easily replaced to return to stock, which is more difficult if I were to modify the black housing.

Hope that helps anyone else doing the same.