[M980]

Hello Everyone,

I am going to be storing my e90 for the winter in the next few days. I bought a CTEK 3300 battery charger/maintainer to throw on the car while it is in hibernation. Just a quick question for those people that have used this charger before, what setting you you have the charger set on? I'm not sure whether to put the charger on the 14.4V normal setting (for wet maintenance free gel batteries) or 14.7V (for temperatures <41deg.F or AGM batteries.)? If anyone has used this charger before I would appreciate hearing what setting you used. I also wasn't sure whether the OEM batteries are AGM? I don't want to damage the battery by having it on the wrong setting.

Thanks.

[ChipB]

Put it on the normal setting and you'll be fine. I've used that same tender of several different cars, including my E93, and it works great.

[M980]

That's what I was thinking too. What made me question it was that from what I understand, the OEM batteries are AGM what made me think of going with the second option. I wasn't sure if the only difference was the voltage being applied to the battery and if the second option would be too much voltage to the battery.

[fun2drive]

Maybe I missed it but you don't state what E model BMW you have which makes a difference. BMW on E93's for example used both AGM and lead acid conventional so all I can say is to check your battery and decide.
I have stored my BMWs for years as in well over 10 years in the winter. I simply used a battery tender same thing as the CTEK and let it just keep the voltage topped as required and locked the car (E90's only) to keep the cars computer from pulsing the system every 4 hours.
My M3 which was one of my cars I just sold had a battery well over 8 1/2 years old doing this so as the previous poster mentioned you will be fine just using a normal setting...

[M980]

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I forgot to mention that my car is a 2006 BMW 330i e90. I had looked at my battery before posting but I didn't see what type it was. It just the regular white BMW battery, I had just assumed that all the batteries for e9x's were all the same.

[cdgatti]

white is regular, black is the agm

[1QuikWS6]

I have the CTEK Multi US 7002 for lead-acid batteries 14-150Ah

Chose that model due to the fact I have the highest capacity/Ah AGM battery BMW makes for my 3 series, so I wanted the extra power it provides.

• NORMAL Mode (14.4v) is the normal setting for wet batteries, maint free, & Gel
  
• Snowflake Mode (14.7v) is recommended for ANY type battery that is setting in temps <41 Deg F & AGM batteries

Since my car is setting out in the driveway with the charger attached, & it's definitely <41 Deg here in Western PA, + it IS AGM - I chose Snowflake mode.

Had I not had an AGM battery - I would have still chosen this mode due to the temp requirement. Batteries subjected to low temps need the higher charging voltage.


Charger does not always supply the max voltage as denoted by the mode chosen while it is working, it depends on which phase the cycle is currently in - indicated by which lamp is lit.

Regardless of Mode chosen - at some point in the cycle it lowers to 13.6v float charge during Maintenance part of cycle, then after 10 days - down to a voltage pulse only when needed, to keep battery at 95-100% charged.