MXS 5.0 Battery Charger with Automatic Temperature Compensation, Black

I bought the CTEK MXS 5.0 to maintain the battery on a car that isn’t used daily, and so far it has been very reliable and straightforward to use.The charger is compact, well built and clearly designed for long-term battery care rather than just quick charging. The connection process is simple, with clear indicators showing each charging stage.It’s ideal if you want to keep a battery healthy over time, especially for vehicles that are parked for long periods.If only the cables were longer it would have been perfect.Overall, a well-designed charger. Not the cheapest option, but the quality and smart features make it worth it if you want to look after your battery properly.

I have used a Ctech charger for over 20 yrs and it has performed faultlessly never needed to renew the battery. I recently changed car which uses AGM battery technology so needed a new charger which is designed to do this. Purchased new charger and it is excellent slim, easy to use charges very efficiently as expected from this first class company

No buyers remorse here, this little device {not much bigger than a TV remote} is BRILLIANT, it brings battery charging into the 21st Century.Due to working away from home for 3 months, the battery {a 7 year old battery} was flat as a pancake when I got home, I tried my old battery charger, one of those things that looks like a toaster and hums like a flymo when it's charging but after leaving it for 24hours {it's a 10 amp charger} the battery was still flat. Phoned the brother in law, he's a Jag Mechanic, when he turned up with one of these tiny CTEK chargers I thought he was having a laugh. We plugged it in, he went back to work and said I'll pick it up on my way home, some chance I thought. When he came round at 5:15 we went out to the car and it started first time !!! I was gobsmacked, his unit was a 7 amp unit but it fired up a battery that I thought had given up the ghost. The brother in law said it's not just about pushing amps into a battery, that can do more harm than good, it's the way these high tech chargers condition the batteries way better than the older technology {if you can call it that} do.I was/am IMPRESSED so impressed that I had to buy one for myself, bought the 5 amp one, should be all I need, and I like that it's so small that you can install it / velcro it in place in the car if need be, that can be useful. Now that I've bought one I tried it on an old motorbike battery and I know that one is 12 years old, but the Desulph phase {of this 8 cycle charger} has cut through the crap and the battery is usable again now.It's about time someone brought battery chargers up to date, this aint yer Granddad's battery charger, it's a brilliant little Made in Sweden device, I'm thrilled with it, it might cost a bit more than the rubbish that's out there, but it's well worth the money...One thing to know though is this isn't a cranking amp engine starter, better to use jumper leads for that, but jumper leads don't desulph battery plates and they won't extend the life of your battery or batteries like this little gadget will.I've no reservation at all at recommending any of the CTEK units, just buy what you can afford, the 5 amp should be all that most of us need.

With little or no weekly mileage my 2015 Jeep was beginning to suffer battery fatigue, and especially as the winter is now upon us, the colder night time temperatures were taking its toll on the battery's capacity to hold above 12.8V consistently. I unpackaged the MXS 5.0, scanned through the instructions and within five minutes had this connected to the battery and plugged into the mains.Throughout that day, I kept an eye on the LED indicators as it moved through the various stages of charging, and within 8 hours the indicator had reached level 7 (out of 8), whereupon it now rests, and will occasionally flick in and out of level 8 as demand dictates (although I haven't seen that as it is only likely to be occurring briefly)The device was easy to connect and straightforward in its use I was able to securely lodge the charger comfortably inside the engine bay and leave the bonnet unlatched whilst it was in use, but I have now ordered the 2.5mtr extension lead to allow me to have the charger in the garage and not need to leave the bonnet unlatched, making it quicker to just check the LED status on the charger itself.The MODE button appeared responsive and provided a positive haptic click when depressed. I will keep a watch on it to see if that changes over time, but I rather suspect there is going to be very little need to be pressing the mode button as once you have selected the charging mode you wish to use, there is no further user involvement required. Cannot comment on the long-term nature of the device as this review is being written within 3 days of purchase. So far though, I am more than happy with the product and first impressions are of a positive nature.

There are very few Ctek car battery chargers that haven't won awards, with many car makers simply rebranding standard Ctek chargers as their own (Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Porsche to name just a few). The choice of Ctek models is now vast and can be extremely confusing, further complicated by recent revisions to much of the range in September 2013 resulting in both old and new models being offered for sale alongside each other. I'm a long-term user of the older XS3600, XS4003 and MXS 5.0 - all now updated - and this last week have been using this revised MXS 5.0. Here are my thoughts on the current Ctek MXS 5.0 compared alongside Cteks' own other models:This Ctek MXS 5.0 is a new, slightly updated version of the now discontinued MXS 5.0, which was for quite some time Amazon's "best-selling" car battery charger. This updated model is denoted by the Mode button being "RED" whilst the original MXS 5.0 had a "BLACK" Mode button. The differences between them are minimal and for many users will make little if any difference (see below).The red-button MXS 5.0, like its' predecessor the black-button MXS 5.0, provides up to 5 amps charging current and is capable of charging and maintaining a 12-volt lead-acid car/ van/ camper/ motorcycle/ lawnmower/ jet-ski battery of between 1.2 amps and 110 amps; in real terms, that covers most car batteries up to a larger executive saloon such as a BMW 5/Mercedes E and even many typical camper van leisure batteries. The advantage of all "smart" chargers is that once the battery is charged, the charger will maintain that battery by monitoring its' voltage, and topping it up as and when required so that the battery may be left connected to the charger indefinitely - ideal for infrequently used vehicles. Ctek use a patented, proven 8-step charging sequence, each stage of that process being indicated by a separate LED on the front panel.Despite the apparent complexity of a Ctek charger, for many users it really is just a case of connecting the charger to the battery (the battery does not even need to be disconnected from the vehicle), connecting the power cable to a 240v mains socket, and pressing the MODE button a few times to select an appropriate programme (the settings being memorised for next use): The whole charging process thereafter is entirely automatic, and will stop/signal an error if the battery fails at any step. But for the technically curious, here's my explanation of what's going on:Step 1). Desulphation: When a battery is left standing/ undercharged for any period of time, sulphate begins to form on the internal lead plates reducing its' ability to hold charge. Statistically, more batteries fail prematurely from excessive sulphation than for any other reason. This first step provides a series of rapid 15.8v pulses intended to help shake off any sulphate deposits within the battery.Step 2). Soft Start: This starts charging the battery (at 0.8A or 5A, depending upon your selection), ensuring it can reach at least 12.6 volts within a pre-set time (a maximum of 8hrs).Step 3). Bulk Charge: Charging is continued at full power until most (80%) of the power is restored into the battery. When this step is complete (if you're in a hurry) the charger can be disconnected and the battery used as enough charge is already held.Step 4). Absorption: Charging is continued to maintain full voltage (14.4v), but current is continuously and progressively reduced to avoid over-heating (damage), gently topping-up the battery to maximum capacity.Step 5). Idle Test: Charging stops and the battery is monitored for 3 minutes to ensure the battery is healthy and can retain its' charge.Step 6). Recondition (this option can be omitted): The acid within the battery can separate in old/standing/infrequently used batteries, and where high accessory usage (heated windows/ seats/ mirrors, wipers, headlights, air-conditioning etc) over short journeys does not allow the alternator to fully charge the battery ("acid stratification"). This step provides a 15.8v topping-charge at reduced current for a limited time to promote controlled gassing/forced mixing of the acid within the battery.Step 7). Float Maintenance: This step holds the battery at a constant 13.6 volts for up to 10 days to optimise performance before changing to pulse maintenance.Step 8). Pulse Maintenance: The battery is continually monitored and topped up when the voltage falls through natural discharge and/or parasitic losses (alarm, car memory chips etc). This serves to exercise the battery whilst keeping it charged.Both old and new MXS 5.0 feature a "cold weather/snowflake/AGM" option; in this mode, a higher charging voltage (14.7 rather than the usual 14.4 volts) can be selected on icy days, and for normal charging of some AGM battery types (typically used in stop-start vehicles).How does this new MXS 5.0 differ from other models?Ctek MXS 3.8: Compared to the MXS 5.0, the MXS 3.8 has a 7-step charging sequence (it does not include the "Recondition" option/ function), with reduced charging current (3.8 amps). Ctek recommend its use for charging batteries of 1.2Ah to 80Ah size - covering most small/medium sized cars. It replaces the older multiple-award winning Ctek XS3600/MXS 3.6, which had simpler 4-step charging and 3.6 amp charging current.Ctek MXS 7.0: Has increased 7 amp output for faster charging of 14Ah to 150Ah batteries. It adds a "Supply" mode, providing a constant, smooth 13.6v supply; this is useful to 1) maintain car memory settings when the battery is physically removed/ disconnected from the vehicle, 2) "bumping" a severely flat battery below 2v above that threshold so that normal charging can proceed.Ctek MXS 10.0: As MXS 7.0, but with 10 amp output for charging batteries between 20Ah and 200Ah in size. It also adds an external temperature probe/sensor intended to ensure charging characteristics are correct relative to the true ambient temperature, and are not adversely affected by the temperature of the charger itself.Differences between the older black-button MXS 5.0 and this newer red-button MXS 5.0: 1) All Ctek chargers are temperature compensated; that is, the rate of charge (current) is reduced when working in hot ambient conditions, and when the charger is working hard for extended periods - when it can get hot. The newer "with Temperature Compensation" red-button variant also claims to adjust the charge voltage depending upon the ambient temperature. Unlike the MXS 10.0 however, this is an internal sensor: Logically then, this is monitoring charger temperature rather than true ambient/battery temperature, and could potentially be subject to error where the charger is positioned remotely from the battery and/or if the charger is working hard and itself getting hot, making it an enhancement of limited value in my opinion (although there would be more benefit in very hot climates where charge voltage levels would ideally be reduced). In our UK climate, simply select the "cold weather/AGM" setting in freezing conditions; any difference really isn't that critical. 2) The cable attachments have been modified to reduce wear. 3) The AGM and "Recondition" functions can be used separately or together in both 0.8 or 5amp charging modes. 4) The "Recondition" programme has been modified to either 2 or 6 hours at 1.8A max. 5) The Absorption phase has been speeded up to max 8 hours. 6) Efficiency is claimed to be improved by reducing overall power consumption. Do any of these changes make a difference? Not really in my view, but (so far at least) there's no cost increase over the older model.Ctek MXS 5.0 Test and Charge: Newly introduced 9/13. This is denoted by the "BLUE" Mode button: This is identical to the MXS 5.0, but also has additional functions to test 1) Battery Voltage (12.4-12.6v static value), 2) Start Power (9.6-10.5v whilst cranking), 3) Alternator Charging (13.3-14.0v whilst engine running). Stated values are indicated normal; above or below are indicated as high or low respectively. It's an admirable attempt to introduce additional post-charge testing, but in my view the measured values are too narrow to be of any real value, and currently at a very high cost relative to the standard MXS 5.0. A separate digital tester will provide more comprehensive, meaningful test results where battery and starting/charging system testing is required.Also available: Ctek MXS 5.0 Polar: Denoted by "ORANGE" Mode button and casework. As MXS 5.0, but adapted so that it can also be used in severely cold temperatures down to -30c. A Ctek Lithium XS 5-amp version also introduced for lightweight Lithium batteries (option on some Porsche models etc).All these CTEK chargers provide sufficiently smooth charging current and can in most cases be connected directly via your cigarette lighter socket (provided the socket can be used even when the key is out of the ignition) - without disconnecting the battery from the car or even lifting the bonnet! The cars' sensitive electronics should remain unharmed in all charging states except when possibly using (choosing to use) the recondition function. A Ctek cigarette lighter socket connector is available for this purpose (not suitable for use with the 10 amp MXS 10.0), and is well worth buying in my opinion if only to avoid the dirt under the bonnet: The basic cigarette lighter connector accessory is here; the newer version which adds LED indicators to show when your battery needs charging is here. All these chargers - as is common with all SMPS smart-chargers of all makes - also require a minimum voltage from the battery to be able to recognise it. With Ctek chargers, that's as low as 2 volts (most other smart-chargers require at least 7v) - a car battery is already considered flat when it falls below 10.5 volts! If your battery has dropped below 2v, you'll need the "Supply" mode of the MXS 7/10 to "bump" a charge, jump your battery first from another vehicle/battery, or use an old-fashioned transformer-based charger just to pump a little juice into it so that smart-charging can then begin. Be aware though that with any battery that's below a 2v level there is possible risk of unrecoverable internal damage, so caution is needed. Ctek smart-chargers use a charging algorithm based on IUoU, which is faster and more efficient with all automotive battery types (and which is distinctly different from the methods used by many other brands of smart-chargers I've tested): Whilst this technology is generally acknowledged as being the best of the eight or so alternative algorithms that could be employed for charging and recovering even old and abused batteries, even a Ctek can't always perform miracles; if your battery is heavily sulphated, internally damaged or corroded, or otherwise life-expired (usually due to neglect or misuse), it'll likely need replacing. My Ctek MXS 5.0 just last week correctly diagnosed my seriously-aged 11 year-old Mercedes battery as "failed" during charging. Ignoring the warning, 2 days later the car failed mid-journey due to (upon closer examination) internal shedding of lead-paste from the grid! That the battery DID last 11 years (5-7 years is considered good) is I think testament to the value of regular Ctek charging and maintenance.In my view, this latest Ctek MXS 5.0 adds little of real value over the already excellent model it replaces. Balancing cost against quality, performance and features, it will likely prove to be yet another Magazine Award Winner and "Amazon Best Seller" as it satisfies even the most demanding of users needs brilliantly: It offers virtually all the features of the more expensive models with only a very few periphery functions and some "large battery" charging speed being sacrificed. Perhaps the threat comes from Ctek's own lower-cost MXS 3.8 which, now upgraded in features, seriously challenges this models' market leading position. For that reason, coupled with a few personal minor reservations over production economies evident with this latest model (casings are now glued rather than screwed together, and the leads are both shorter and somewhat less robust when compared to older models I own) this MXS 5.0 loses a star.Of course, an even bigger threat to Ctek's market dominance perhaps comes from other makers copying as far as possible the Ctek smart-management technology, the most extreme of these examples coming from supermarkets who periodically offer similar looking/ functioning chargers with many of Ctek's key basic features for substantially less money (some for as little as just 30% of the cost of this MXS 5.0). Whilst I personally have relied on the brilliance of Ctek chargers for nearly 15 years and thus remain a firm Ctek convert, for those for whom a car battery charger is just an annoying forced purchase, some of these other-band smart-chargers I've tried do seem to work very well indeed and, whilst most of these other brands do use simpler charging principles, may prove a preferred purchase on cost/performance grounds alone.

I've tried simpler 'smart' chargers that would often be connected to a flat battery and refuse to do anything - voltage too low. This CTEK one was purchased because I swap between two cars - one for summer, one for winter, cheaper than running both at once - and the inactive car's battery often needs some assistance when switching over. The 'recondition mode' has already brought 2 batteries back to useful capacity despite being below 10v. I've just given it its biggest challenge - a good-quality Bosch battery that was registering less than 6 volts due to constant drain. The MXS5.0 didn't give up, and after a 12-hour charge, reported it as green. Sure enough, it's holding a steady voltage. Whether the battery will actually start the car after being so badly drained remains to be seen, but I'm very impressed that the charger managed to bring it back to 12 volts. It's paid for itself already, being cheaper than a battery for either of my cars and has saved me replacing both. It's worth noting that both cars have good-quality batteries fitted that are also worth the extra money over cheaper ones, as they can take quite some abuse and be brought back. Its ability to restore a cheaper battery may vary due to the more rugged design used in high-end batteries.The user interface is very simple, just push the Mode button until the LEDs point to the combination you want (motorcycle or car capacity, Absorbent Glass Mat technology, Recondition mode) and let it do its thing. If it's unplugged, it'll resume the same settings on next connection. I think the 5.0 is worth the extra over the 3.8 as it charges faster. The cables, clips and connectors are all good quality, and I bought an extension lead for the 12v end so I can leave the battery in a well-vented area while keeping the expensive charger under cover. The included bag is big enough to fit the charger, manual and extra extension lead in one neat package.When the battery finishes charging, the charger automatically drops to a maintenance mode, monitoring the battery voltage, and will start charging again if the voltage begins to drop. This keeps lead-acid batteries in good condition - the chemistry works well with a small, but constant, amount of power flowing through the cells.In short, this is a brilliant charger to keep handy if you have a car that is seldom used. It may save you replacing the battery many times over.An edit: This charger is still working perfectly in 2025 and has never let me down. It's just resurrected a pair of batteries that were standing for many months and were reading less than 3V total. It took a boost from a solar panel to 'kick start' the charge cycle by bringing the voltage up, but once they were reading 10V, a lengthy charge and recondition cycle followed which has restored both batteries to >90% State of Health according to a battery tester. I've done similar for other batteries, bringing them back from extremely low voltages and coaxing additional life out of them, enough to start the engine and get going. It's not perfect and there will be some capacity loss, but this charger has paid for itself many times over in not needing to replace dead batteries so often. I've lent it to colleagues to run cycles on their cars. The cables are wearing well and the Comfort Connect clips are still holding strong. I also realised that the charger body is IP65-rated waterproof, so can be left outside in the rain safely while charging. This has much simplified charging my cars.Overall, this is exceptional quality and value for money. It has paid for itself many times over in replacement car batteries! I've never had to talk to CTEK support as I've never had a problem with my unit, it's been entirely reliable and dependable. Thoroughly recommended.

Have been doing less mileage in the car and consequently, as with most modern cars, the 12v battery has been suffering. Looked at the car's manufacturer’s charger, which is actually made by CTEK, and it was considerably more expensive. Decided to buy this one and it works perfectly with my car. If I now need to charge up the battery it is a simple matter of connecting two clamps and plug into the power. Simple, quality, compact charger which does the job with ease.

I have a Renault Trafic 2 litre diesel van, and as I am now retired from work it mainly only gets used for short local trips or for longer journeys in the summer towing my small caravan. Consequently it spends long periods in the winter just sitting on the drive unless I take it out for a short run which just wastes diesel. The battery is located under the floor on the passenger side of the cab, and is a huge two-handled 95 amps per hour monster. It isn't ever so convenient to have to keep removing it in order to charge it up, but I had noticed that it was regularly taking more and more turns of the starter motor to fire the engine up. I had a battery isolation switch fitted to my previous van so that I could hook my normal battery charger up periodically without having to remove, or even disconnect the battery, but my local garage said they wouldn't advise doing that with the Renault as it is more sophisticated and has so much equipment which requires a background electrical supply, such as the immobiliser, alarm, and electronic control unit. I was looking on the Automobile Association website about how to care for batteries, when I noticed the link to the CTEK website. When I read their description of the product I thought that it sounded just what I needed, although I was a bit dubious about their claim that you can just leave everything connected whilst it is on charge. However, it works just as they said. It's a very compact little unit, and the most difficult thing for me was getting a mains electric power supply into the cab. I did this by rigging up a special extension lead which has a small 3-pin push-fit connector on the end (just make sure you fit the female end to the mains supply half of the cable, which in my case plugs into an exterior socket that I have on the side of the house in order to keep the caravan permanently plugged in). I then pass the other half of this cable down from inside the cab, through a small gap in the battery box, and I then retrieve this cable (the male connector) from underneath the van with a stick with a small hook on the end. I pull this out to underneath the front of the van, connect the two halves of the cable with the small push-fit 10 amp connector, and then pull the whole lot back up from inside the van so that the connector is not lying on the ground. The other end of the extension cable which is inside the van has a normal 3-pin trailing socket on the end, which the charger plugs into. There is sufficient length of cable for this to sit on the top of the dashboard so that I can monitor the progress of the charge by viewing it through the windscreen. I have used the connectors with the rings on the end, which I have bolted to the nuts on the battery terminals so that it is sort of a permanent fixture. All I have to do is plug the connector from the charger into the other end of this lead, which just hangs down at the side of the battery when not in use, although I do obviously have to remove everything (including the mains extension cable) each time I use the van. You can of course use the crocodile clips which also come with it, and yes, it works perfectly. I just connect it up now and leave it for however long it is until I next need to use the van. All the vehicle's own electrics seem to be unaffected by it and so far nothing has malfunctioned. I can even lock and unlock the van using the remote central locking key-fob arrangement. It doesn't affect the charging cycle, which is easy to follow by looking at the line of coloured lights on the charger. In addition to keeping the battery at full charge, this charger also analyzes the state of your battery, and there is a program option called "Recond" which is supposed to recondition an ailing battery. As my van is 5 years old with the original battery, then I know that this is supposed to be the approximate extent of a vehicle battery's life. Therefore I also bought a new battery at the same time, which is something that might warrant consideration. This charger is very good but it won't work miracles and it's probably asking too much to expect it to keep a heavily sulphated battery in really tip-top condition. So far I've had the van connected up and just sitting on the drive for about a month since just before Christmas, and then I disconnected it all and am currently trying to get a few errands done before I connect it all up again for about another month which should take me into March. My problem is going to be when I need to put more diesel in the van as I will have forgotten how to do it.

Den fungerar bra men varför engelsk kontakt på den får ju klippa av den och sätta på svensk kontakt garantin gäller ju inte nu kasst

It meets my expectations, and do what it's supposed to to do.

Used to charge motorcyclesBut don’t buy from Amazon they send you products from other countries which have foreign power connections even though you used a AU login it cost me more because I had to buy a adapter

Gutes Ladegerät. Würde ich wieder nehmen. Zur Zeit ist der VW Bus gerade angeschlossen

Petit, mais costaudLe chargeur est très peu encombrantLa rampe de LED vous donne un état très précis de la batterieJe recommande vivement ce produit pour l'entretien de la batterie