Indicator Lights on CTEK Multi US 12-Volt Battery Charger # CTEK56353 Do Not Change

Question:

i hooked this up to my car at 12 noon today its now 945 pm and the charger still is on the first light. i get no error messages is this normal. or is my car battery on ots way out. my car battery is a little over 4 years old help

asked by: Mike

Expert Reply:

I own and use this same # CTEK56353 charger on my motorcycle and lawn mower batteries, both of which are only about 2 years old. Usually the first two or three LEDs light up after only a few minutes of charging. After nearly 10-hours of charging definitely more than one LED should be illuminated.

A 4-year-old battery could be at the end of its life. Two weeks ago I had to replace the original battery in my wife's 2008 Ford Escape after just over 4-1/4 years of service. Battery life varies quite a bit depending on the vehicle, the nature of your driving, climate conditions, etc. I have had a car battery last nearly 6 years in one of my former vehicles.

Since the CTEK charger includes a special high-current reconditioning mode for badly depleted batteries you might try this to see if it awakens the battery. If not then the battery should be replaced, particularly in light of the approaching winter weather that will typically push a marginal battery over the edge.

expert reply by: Adam R