CTEK Battery Charger

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Nightjar

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Home-Waikiki, Prospect-Leonora
No doubt amongst our members there will be a number of owners of this type battery charger.
Have used mine for a number of years to extend battery life by using the "recond" mode to disulphate.
Because I'm not using my ute regularly I decided to hook up the charger and give the three batteries a boost every couple of weeks.
Connected charger and 240V however the charge mode was stuck on "recond". Disconnected and reconnected power but pressing the "mode" button did not alter the setting.
Had nothing to lose so took the unit out to the shed and removed the four backing plate screws. (one has a plastic grommet jammed in over the screw head, removed with scriber)
***DO NOT HAVE THE UNIT POWERED UP!***
With the backing plate removed the backside of the printed circuit is revealed.
Look closely and you will see that one end where the cables come through there is more spare cable than the other end.
Gently moving the cable you can prise out the printed circuit and turn is over revealing the "mode" micro switch.
Using electrical contact spray liberally coat the underside of micro switch while pressing and rotating the pressure plate.
Carefully refitted the circuit board and the backing late and plugged in the power. ***You don't have to have the charger connected to a battery.***
Hey presto, we have a working charger again with all modes working...
Many $$$$ saved by not following todays trend of throwing it in the bin and buying a new one.

1585385657_ctek_charger_001.jpg
 
I've lost count of the electrical items, irons, CD players,microwaves etc, that I've repaired after removing the "no serviceable parts" sticker.
Sometimes it is as easy as a fuse.
 
Repco usually has the ctek chargers on sale for around half price for Fathers Day
 
I have not used one of these chargers since it caused our shed fire about 4 years ago. Was a mxs 7 amp. I have warned anybody who will listen about them. They have caused other fires that we have heard about since. If you use one and battery has been very low, just check how hot they get after being on for half an hour. There should be a recall on them.
This charger cost us approx 200k after the minimal insurance was paid out. Lost a show car, a A coupe hot rod just needing trim to finish, 10's of thousands of $$$'s of garaganalia and 100's of very old and rare tin toys, most still in origonal box's. Was going to set up private museum but lost the lot.
Just warning people.
 
Garage remotes do this often too, strip, clean and bam, working again.

Multimetres with the rotary dial get filthy contacts too after a while and are easily fixed.
 
travelergold said:
I have not used one of these chargers since it caused our shed fire about 4 years ago. Was a mxs 7 amp. I have warned anybody who will listen about them. They have caused other fires that we have heard about since. If you use one and battery has been very low, just check how hot they get after being on for half an hour. There should be a recall on them.
This charger cost us approx 200k after the minimal insurance was paid out. Lost a show car, a A coupe hot rod just needing trim to finish, 10's of thousands of $$$'s of garaganalia and 100's of very old and rare tin toys, most still in origonal box's. Was going to set up private museum but lost the lot.
Just warning people.

Travelergold, Sorry to hear about your loss that money couldn't replace. No doubt the fire was investigated and traced back to the charger? No doubt you contacted Ctek for explanation?
Maybe I have been lucky, however my Ctek has never caused any grief, barely gets warm, even when left on "Recond" for days at a time, but will definitely not leave it powered up now overnight.
 
Nightjar, forensics for police found that the source. We also had another forensic company come and investigate at our expense as was told it could have been caused by solar on the roof of shed by an electrical mob who made the place safe electrically. After looking into and chasing ctech up we decided to cut our losses as they just had much more money than us to fight the case and we just wanted to be over it. It had cost us enough and insurance wise it was our choice how much insurance we had. If fully insured would not have mattered. But thats our choice and you learn from your mistakes.
Like the bushfire people who have no insurance, it was there choice too. They should not then cry out loud blaming everybody else and begging for help every where. Sounds callous, but that is life and life choices.
 
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