Keep Your Car Charged and Ready with the Best Trickle Charger
Best Trickle Charger for Your Car: CTEK – Fully Automatic Charger and Maintainer
A trickle charger is an essential product for car owners, especially those with multiple vehicles. If you own a car that sits idle for long periods of time or a sports car you don’t drive often, a trickle charger can be a lifesaver. I recently had a vehicle that had a pretty bad battery draw and prompted me to research and evaluate the best trickle charger. I installed a CTEK charger on my wall in the garage.
Below I will dive in on why the CTEK – Fully Automatic 4.3 amp Battery Charger and Maintainer 12V, is the best trickle charger for your car.
TB Quick Hits (Summary):
- Avoid overpaying for an OEM trickle charger
- I have seen some as high as $450
- Trickle chargers are great for cars that don’t see a lot of action
- Use on your 3rd vehicle or any car that sits for long periods of time
- Keeps you charged up
- Our top pick: CTEK – Fully Automatic 4.3 amp Battery Charger and Maintainer 12V
- If it is good enough for Porsche, it is good enough for me
Key TB Takeaway – Do Not Buy an OEM Trickle Charger
Before we start – the biggest point is not to buy a trickle charger from auto manufacturers. Our extensive research reveals that CTEK makes chargers for Porsche and other car companies, which are available for up to 70% less on Amazon. Since battery maintainers use the same technology, there’s no need to pay more for a charger from your car company.
Read on to learn more about why this is the best trickle charger for your car.
What is a trickle charger?
Have you ever hopped in your car only to find that the battery is dead? Or do you live in a colder climate where your car battery is more susceptible to dying? Have a car that sits for a long period of time? A trickle charger (or battery maintainer) keeps any vehicle parked for a long time charged up so that no matter how long it has been parked your vehicle will start. Many trickle chargers including the CTEK we review here can be connected to the car as long as you want without damaging or overcharging the vehicle. It will “float” and pulse charge to ensure you don’t damage the battery.
Enter The CTEK – 40-206 MXS 5.0 Automatic
This CTEK is fully automatic, meaning you can simply connect it to your car battery and let it do its thing. No need to worry about overcharging or damaging the battery, as the charger will stop charging once the battery is fully charged. It will automatically go into maintenance mode, which means it can be left connected to your car battery for extended periods of time to keep it charged and healthy – CTEK accomplishes this with pulsing and floating charge. Super cool. Nothing better than a set-and-forget device.
The charger is also incredibly easy to use. The clamps make it compatible with almost any type of car battery. Additionally, the charger is small and compact, making it easy to store in your garage, car trunk or on the wall as we did.
Another great feature of the CTEK – 40-206 MXS 5.0 is its versatility. It can be used on a wide range of batteries and vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, and boats. This makes it a great product if you have multiple vehicles that need to be charged and maintained.
Pigtails / eyelets included! This is ideal if you have that dream sports car or a car you don’t drive very often. The pigtails connect directly to the battery so all you have to do is use the quick-connect plug with the CTEK charger to start a charge. No need to use the clamps. Even better if the battery is in the trunk, you can just keep the pigtails above the trunk floorboard. Super simple.
How To Use A Trickle Charger
This is a super simple device. Here is how to use it:
- Connect Alligator clamps to the battery – make sure you select the right terminals – positive and negative
- Option 1 – use a DC accessory and connect to the DC power outlet (cigarette lighter) in interior
- Option 2 – Use the pigtail accessory – read below and quickly connect to that
- Select the charging mode – car or motorcycle
- Let it do. Its thing!
That’s it – once your battery gets up to level 8 you are fully charged. These chargers are not made for speed so it can take up to 48 hours to get full. Note – your car will start if your batter life is below that. Mine started after just getting to level 3.
Safety
In terms of safety, the CTEK – 40-206 MXS 5.0 has a range of features to protect both you and your car. It has built-in protection against overcharging, reverse polarity, and short circuits. It also has a temperature sensor that adjusts the charging voltage to suit the ambient temperature, which helps prevent damage to the battery.
CTEK Optional Accessories
Wall Mount
I opted to grab this wall mount. It made it super easy to keep the cords coiled up and the charger out of the way. It is always there when I need it or if we are leaving Trent’s Buys HQ for a long period of time. Not to mention it sets me up for the dream car (mentioned in other blogs) a Carrera GT.
Available here on Amazon – Click Here
Extension Cord
Depending on your set up this is another great addition. I purchased this to make it easier to reach the battery of my car. It is also long enough to get to my wife’s car which is parked next to me in the garage. Not necessary but a nice ease of use accessory.
Available here on Amazon – Click Here
DC Plug
One final simple accessory that allows you to just plug the charger into the DC (cigarette lighter) outlet in your car. This alleviates any need to pop the hood or trunk. Just a quick plugin and you are good to go. Note that with this option it’s easiest with the window down. In some cars, you can close the door on the cord and that works as well.
Available here on Amazon – Click Here
Trent’s Buys Wrap-Up – Best Trickle Charger:
If you’re in the market for a trickle charger for your car DO NOT BUY it from your car manufacturer, this CTEK – 40-206 MXS 5.0 Fully Automatic 4.3 amp Battery Charger and Maintainer 12V is the SAME THING. With its automatic and maintenance charging modes, ease of use, versatility, and safety features, it’s the perfect addition to your garage tool set to ensure that your car battery is always charged and ready to go. Plus, with its affordable price tag, you won’t have to break the bank to keep your car powered up.
Scoop it up here: CTEK Trickle Charger
