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August 5, 2015

CTEK, World's Smartest Car Battery Charger, Now in the Philippines


“Battery chargers are one of the least sexy car products out there,” quips Robert Briggs, Director of Sales and Marketing, Asia-Pacific for CTEK, the world leader in smart battery charging. And he’s probably right. Staring at the rows upon rows of car chargers on the table, admittedly, they’re all starting to look the same; perhaps with the exception of the additional button here and the extra cable there. And yet, for the next thirty minutes, Robert emphasizes why using a CTEK charger is as essential as checking your tire pressure every month.

“Purchasing a battery is a ‘hate purchase’,” says Robert. “You don’t think about it. It’s only when you try starting your car and it won’t start. From that point, you’re already pissed and that’s just because you have to buy a new battery.”

Indeed, CTEK understands this. With a market focused mostly on car enthusiasts and those with collectable cars in their garages, the company still sees majority of their sales in Western Europe. However, the Swedish company is looking at Asia-Pacific as the next area of growth.

As ever-smarter cars become the norm here, more and more strain is placed on the humble lead-acid battery. Indeed, pop the hood and chances are, you’ll find the same kind of battery from a decade or two ago, even if the modern car’s got fancier electronics.


Robert says that a vast majority of battery warranty problems stem from them being inadequately charged. By simply keeping them “topped up”, one can avoid all the hassle. This is where CTEK comes in.

Borne from an engineering-centric mindset, CTEK sees the intricacies of modern automobile batteries. Equipping their compact and powerful battery chargers with a unique intelligent microprocessor unit, CTEK chargers don’t just charge a battery. They condition batteries; enabling them to at least double their lifespan.

Take it from a satisfied user. Personally using a CTEK MXS 5.0, I have been able to expand my Subaru Forester’s battery lifespan to four years while other owners report having to replace their batteries at just after a year. In other words, the P 5,000 already paid itself twice over since the appropriate Motolite battery costs roughly the same as one CTEK charger. And I’m not even talking about my other car.

How does a CTEK battery charger do it?

Through the company’s patented 8-step recharging system, it optimizes the battery without stressing it out. What’s more, the entire thing is completely painless to use: just connect one end to the battery, the other to the outlet; select a button; and go. The CTEK charger goes through an automated sequence deciding what needs to be done. It can recondition the battery by returning lost electrolytes; and if necessary, alert you if the battery can’t take a charge.

Once the battery reaches its optimum charge levels, it will use pulsating charge to keep things topped off without overcharging it. During this mode, the battery is allowed to naturally discharge to a certain level before being charged again. Other chargers won’t be able to switch to this mode and this can cause overcharging. When a battery’s overcharged, it causes gassing, drying it out in the process. Rather than simply estimating a battery’s needs, the CTEK charger stays in constant communication, reacting and charging only when needed.


One of the best features of the CTEK battery charger is its ability to charge nearly every battery type available. This includes the common acid-lead batteries found in most automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, golf carts, lawn mower and boats, and can also charge deep-cycle, gel-cell and automated glass mat, or AGM batteries. And because this battery booster automatically analyzes the charge and type of battery you connect it to, you can charge the batteries of your vehicle without worrying about using an incorrect setting or overcharging your battery.

The CTEK’s line of car chargers include all the safety features such as insulated, spark-resistant clamps and an automated charging feature that is programmed to prevent overloading your batteries. It also features a reverse polarity warning light that turns on if you have placed the clamps on the incorrect battery post.

“While it is not truly equipped to be portable, the small, compact size of the CTEK car charger makes it easy to store and even install permanently in your garage or shop. CTEK’s patrons are usually showrooms, car collectors, fleet operators, and car/motorbike enthusiasts who want to maximize or prolong their battery life,” says Johann Tiu of CTEK Philippines.

For more information, connect with CTEK Philippines through the official Facebook page or via mobile at +63-917-5754812.

27 comments:

  1. 4 years for your battery?? Wow that's awesome! Where did you buy your charger?

    Also, I'm a bit confused. When do you use this? Only when your battery dies? Or do you have to use it regularly to prolong the life of the battery?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I got it through a parallel importer before when CTEK didn't have a proper Philippine distributor. Through their new distributor, I hear it's cheaper by some 10 percent compared to before and that's good.

      A battery needs to be replaced when it can't hold a charge anymore. Or in my case, when the terminals started leaking LOL. But damn, it was starting fine otherwise.

      CTEK recommends you charge your battery once a month and recondition annually. I, however, recharge once a week and recondition annually.

      Delete
  2. I also use a CTEK MXS 5.0, but I have the Test and Charge version. Purchased mine abroad since we don't have a local distributor that time.

    This is a maintenance charger. You can use it to charge dead batteries (note that only at a certain point, it cannot charge a completely dead battery) or to keep one top off (like cars / bikes that are seldom used). So, to get the maximum lifespan out of your battery, you need to hook the charger up anytime you can, especially when you only use your vehicle on a short distance, as your vehicle's charging system won't have time to top off your battery.

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    Replies
    1. Also, according to Robert Briggs, the alternator will never be able 5o charge a battery 100 percent because of the maximum volts it produces which is inherently lower than the battery's requirement for a full charge.

      Delete
  3. is this the same as a trickle charger?.. the one you put on your car battery if you go on 30 days holiday or more?...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In essence, yes. Both CTEK refuses to call their products just a trickle charger. It's a "smart charger"

      Delete
  4. How much will you be likely to spend more for your electricity when using the CTEK charger?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly what I was thinking, Aeron. Though it's awesome at prolonging your battery, using the device weekly (like Uly) or monthly (as recommended) sounds like an expensive drawback.

      Any thoughts on this Uly? Maybe just estimates based on the specifications of the device? :)

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    2. Yea I second this. Magkano naman kaya hugot nito sa Meralco bill if weekly ang charging. Hehe

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    3. Maximum draw is 52 watts. This various though depending on what "stage" the CTEK is in.

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    4. OK lang kuryente namin. Nakikikabit lang kami sa metro ng kapitbahay namin. Hahaha.

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    5. 52 watts max lang? Konti lang yun diba? So looks like this won't cause a spike in our Meralco bills and it's still more cost effective than not using it (and saving on Meralco bills). Tama naman, diba?

      Delete
  5. What?! How come I've never heard of battery chargers for cars until now? I wonder how much this would cost here in the Philippines?

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    Replies
    1. Contact CTEK Philippines: 63-917-5754812. It costs roughly P 5,000 for the MXS 5.0.

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    2. Thanks for the very informative revew Uly. I have a friend who uses this and actually thinking of buying one. At 52 watts, not bad parang electric fan lang. So the recommended is just once a week not necessarily evernight when parked sa garage?

      Delete
  6. Hi Uly,

    Can this charger help lengthen the life of the battery of Mazda CX-5?

    Thank you

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  7. Sir How much yung MSX 7.0 at MSX 10?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Batteries play a vital role in automobiles. Choosing the most efficient one is needed. Preferring a cheaper batter can have impact on the engine, also it needs charging frequently. Of course, a charger also needed. Glad to find these car products all at one place. Often it gets difficult to look for the desired car accessory but finding all the products collectively at one place really saves my time. I prefer European body shop Dallas for all purchases. Thanks for the post.

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  9. Can this be used for Start Stop batteries?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it can. However, you can also get a CTEK specially designed for Start/Stop batteries.

      More info here: https://www.facebook.com/CTEK.Ph/

      Delete
  10. Hi. I just bought one last night. I'm just curious on how to use it. Is it okay to use the charger even if the battery is still connected to the car's system?
    I'm also planning to use the alligator clip. Can I directly clip it to the unattached(still connected to the car's system) battery?

    TIA!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CTEK is designed to be used even if your battery is still connected to your car.

      You can either use alligator clips provided or connect them using the "comfort" connectors.

      Simply hook the alligator clips to the appropriate terminal. Make sure to use it while the battery isn't hot and that the CTEK is in a well ventilated space.

      You'll see the lights go up from 1 to 7. 7 is actually the fully charged mode. Once it reaches 8, it's simply on a maintenance trickle charge mode.

      Delete
  11. I was reading some of your content on this website and I conceive this internet site is really informative ! Keep on putting up. Best Battery Maintainers Review In 2018

    ReplyDelete
  12. Incredible things you've generally imparted to us. Simply continue composition this sort of posts. The time which was squandered in going for educational cost now it can be utilized for considers.
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    ReplyDelete
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  14. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  15. let say i do have voltage stabilizer & grounding kits installed can i charged CTEK along with this coz they are all connected to the bat terminals. Btw CTEK is used only once in a while not installed for daily rigth kindly correct me proper usage of CTEK thank you in advance.

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