Topic: Battery charging ground point?

[Ironhide]

Bought a Ctek CT5 Time To Go and wanted to charge my Optima battery during the winter time.

I would like to use the positive terminal which is located on the fuse box, but I don't know where to place the negative wire.

There is a ground point on the engine next to the turbo, but I don't want to drill a hole.

My local GM dealer told me to use the screw which is used to connect the fuse box mounting to the hood lock, but I'm not sure if that will work.

I don't have a provider for posting my pictures anymore and so I've attached the Amazon link of my Ctek charger (I want to use the wire which

can be used with M6 bolts).

https://www.amazon.com/CTEK-40-255-Battery-Maintainer-Accessories/dp/B07CWBY39W/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=ctek+ct5+time+to+go&qid=1603382581&sr=8-4


Little update, both wires which have been in the box are too short to reach the ground point of the engine.

[Sol Asylum]

Do you have an ohm meter?

If so you could check any screw or bolt to see if it is a good ground by measuring the resistance between that screw and the negative terminal of the battery.

You could also just run the wires to the battery terminals and that would work.

[Ironhide]

Do you have an ohm meter?

If so you could check any screw or bolt to see if it is a good ground by measuring the resistance between that screw and the negative terminal of the battery.

Nope. 

I'm thinking about to visit the local Ford dealer, maybe they can measure the resistance.

You could also just run the wires to the battery terminals and that would work.

That has been my first idea, but the nuts of the battery brackets don't work with the wires (I can't tighten them anymore).

[Steelmesh]

When you remove the fusebox cover, is the negative post populated with a cable where those metal studs are?



Steel [and Stainless steel] is not a good electrical conductor ie your frame/body, so for high current things it matters like a 50 amp starter assist for example.  See the two bolts right next to each other clearly visible at the hood latch, to the left of the fuse box, that is probably what your dealer uses:



Otherwise if you're desperate for a ground, you can't go wrong with the bottom end of the engine block. You can try to clamp the water pump bosses of the corner of the block around there, but you'll need to grind the clamp through any aluminum oxide, so force the jaws to bite while wiggling it. Also, the arrow points to the stock LE5 grounding point, the engine harness has a large gauge wire that goes there, so maybe you can clamp onto that bolt head behind that bracket if there is room, same thing make sure you grind the jaws in through any corrosion but hopefully the zinc plating is still good on that bolt.

[Ironhide]

Thank you John and Steelmesh for your help! 

When you remove the fusebox cover, is the negative post populated with a cable where those metal studs are?

There is a cable, but the stud has been replaced by a rivet (seems that this has been done by GM or Opel).

Actually the fuse box has only one stud (positive terminal)

Otherwise if you're desperate for a ground, you can't go wrong with the bottom end of the engine block. You can try to clamp the water pump bosses of the corner of the block around there, but you'll need to grind the clamp through any aluminum oxide, so force the jaws to bite while wiggling it. Also, the arrow points to the stock LE5 grounding point, the engine harness has a large gauge wire that goes there, so maybe you can clamp onto that bolt head behind that bracket if there is room, same thing make sure you grind the jaws in through any corrosion but hopefully the zinc plating is still good on that bolt.

I would like to use them but the damned Ctek wire is too short.

[Ironhide]

Visited the local Ford dealer and they measured the resistance.

The mechanic used a mod which sounded an alarm signal when he touched a good ground point.

Finally he tested the screw which is connecting the mounting of the fuse box with the mounting of the hood lock.

Gotcha!

It's a place which can be used as ground terminal.

Attached the Ctek cable to the positive terminal (fuse box) and to the screw of the mounting (used a tooth washer to get a better contact).

Finally connected the Ctek CT5 Time To Go with the cable and started a test.

It worked perfectly!

Many thanks to John and Steelmesh!! 

[elff]

You could just use alligator clips on the actual positive and negative terminals on the battery.
My Alfa Romeo charger is just a rebadged Ctek and it came with a set of those
https://smartercharger.com/collections/accessories/products/ctek-comfort-connect-indicator-clamps
[attachimg=1]
and a set for quick connect/disconnect similar to the Battery Tender brand. 
https://smartercharger.com/collections/accessories/products/ctek-comfort-connect-m8-1
[attachimg=2]

[Ironhide]

You could just use alligator clips on the actual positive and negative terminals on the battery.
My Alfa Romeo charger is just a rebadged Ctek and it came with a set of those
https://smartercharger.com/collections/accessories/products/ctek-comfort-connect-indicator-clamps
[attachimg=1]
and a set for quick connect/disconnect similar to the Battery Tender brand. 
https://smartercharger.com/collections/accessories/products/ctek-comfort-connect-m8-1
[attachimg=2]

Thanks for the good advice Elff.

My Ctek came with  both of them, too. 

I decided to use the one on the second picture, because I like the idea off just plugging in my Ctek whenever I want to.

Honestly these cables are a little bit too short to reach any of the standard ground terminals of the Redline.

By the way the cable only fits on a M6 bolt (the positive terminal of the fuse box is M10), I used a round file to enlarge the hole.


A little warning about using a charger on both terminals of the battery.

Ctek highly recommends to use a ground point of the car if  the battery should be charged while it's still installed.

I'm not quite sure, but I think someone told me that charging an installed battery by using both terminals could damage the electronics /  battery.

[Ironhide]

Finally I've installed the Ctek in my engine compartment (for winter sleep) and connected it with the extender cable.

Additionally I had to install an extender cable from our carport to my car (because I don't have a garage for the winter anymore).

Last time I've checked the Ctek has been short time after the installation.

First it showed a charging time of 4 hours, but then switched to "go" (80 % charged) after 2 minutes.

Hopefully it will switch to care mode when the battery has been completely charged.

Unfortunately I won't be able to check this, because my car is wrapped in two car covers and two blankets ( additionally used a lot of army cord to secure the covers).


I hope that my stupid neighbor won't try to disconnect or cut the cable (yes he's not afraid to trespass our property), because he doesn't like my car.

[Sol Asylum]

Why can't Germans ever get along with their neighbors?   Wait nevermind forget I asked.

[Ironhide]

Why can't Germans ever get along with their neighbors?   Wait nevermind forget I asked.

Because they aren't as polite as U.S. citzens are (with some exceptions).