Ctek- Under bonnet E89

[bombur]

Im looking to put my Ctek MXS 5.0 from my Z3 onto my Z4 for a few weeks. However I have just looked under the bonnet and the cables are not long enough to go from the live and the negative. Can the negative be any metal? What type of extension do I get if not?
Below isn't my car but shows the distance between the two

 

[the Nefyn cat]

I'm no expert on Z4s but wouldn't the bolts holding the strut-brace bits to the bulkhead be a good enough earth? Only one way to find out.

 

[bombur]

Ha, if you meddle blindly with these cars something bad will happen...But I am hoping you are correct and someone on here can confirm.

 

[the Nefyn cat]

Back when I did my apprenticeship an earth was an earth, I realise things have changed but if a strut-brace isn't attached to some thing solid then there's no point having it.

 

[bombur]

Back when I did my apprenticeship an earth was an earth, I realise things have changed but if a strut-brace isn't attached to some thing solid then there's no point having it.

I have no idea about cars, so you are 100% ahead of me

 

[Pond]

I always attach the earth to one of the suspension strut tower nuts on the nearside. The offside ones are attached to the same place as the earth lug, so the nearside is exactly the same. You will know if you have a decent earth, as the charger will light up. If you haven't it won't.

Ctek do specific extensions which plug straight into the lead, but a waste of money IMO.

 

[the Nefyn cat]

Not knowing where the battery is on a Z4 don't help, but I've got a few of these on my bikes, saves taking seats off/unbolting bits for access.

Pardon our interruption...

 

[B21]

Im looking to put my Ctek MXS 5.0 from my Z3 onto my Z4 for a few weeks. However I have just looked under the bonnet and the cables are not long enough to go from the live and the negative. Can the negative be any metal? What type of extension do I get if not?
Below isn't my car but shows the distance between the two

View attachment 321255

I’d go with one of the 3 nuts on top of the strut mount on the LHS..then both DC cables will have a short run..

 

[bombur]

Thank you, I will look at that tomorrow. Can I just secure the eyets with tape?

 

[Pond]

Thank you, I will look at that tomorrow. Can I just secure the eyets with tape?

Do you not have crocodile clips?

 

[Pond]

Not knowing where the battery is on a Z4 don't help, but I've got a few of these on my bikes, saves taking seats off/unbolting bits for access.

Pardon our interruption...

The battery is in the boot, but the E89 needs to be charged from the terminals in the engine bay, due to some overly-complicated nonsense called IBS (not irritable bowel syndrome but Intellligent Battery System).

A charger can be hard-wired but it is a bit of a faff because of the terminals. It is possible to shut the bonnet with the standard crocodile clips attached.

 

[Argyll Andy]

Top green positive, yellow negative, bottom green for connecting charger

 

[bombur]

Top green positive, yellow negative, bottom green for connecting charger View attachment 321265

Is that using the standard cables ?

 

[the Nefyn cat]

(not irritable bowel syndrome but Intellligent Battery System).

That explains a lot. When I were a lad all we had was stupid battery systems that filled up with electricity and then let it out when it was needed. Which is all you really need from a battery, but that's progress for you.

 

[Nodzed]

Top green positive, yellow negative, bottom green for connecting charger View attachment 321265

Exactly how I did it.

 

[Argyll Andy]

Is that using the standard cables ?

On one of my E89’s yes on another I used below. Same length of cable iirc but both cars long gone.

In case you haven’t investigated yet, there’s a hole already there on the positive terminal that you can nut and bolt the ctek too and still use the red plastic cover fully. HTH

 

[bombur]

On one of my E89’s yes on another I used below. Same length of cable iirc but both cars long gone.

In case you haven’t investigated yet, there’s a hole already there on the positive terminal that you can nut and bolt the ctek too and still use the red plastic cover fully. HTH View attachment 321287

Thank you, I will be looking to sort this today

 

[bombur]

I have attached to the live with a nut and bolt and also on the strut there was a smaller thread that the eyelit could fit on so added a nut to that. Temp job for now, but will make it more permanent when I'm back. Thank for all your help