Help!
GENERAL
Battery charger advice
Q Please can you give advice regarding suitability of my battery charger – a ZAFIR.45 – powered by CTEK as per the attached photo. The charger is a few years old and now obsolete with CTEK. However, it has only been used maybe a handful of times at most. I mainly need to ensure this charger is safe to use with the Corsa ‘F’ which has a Stop-Start system. I cannot find a UK location for CTEK to ask them and hope you are able to help?
During lockdown two Corsa’s have seen very little use, so I checked the batteries using the tester shown. Outside temperature range at the time was 2 to 4°C.
1) Garaged. Corsa F, 1.2 Turbo 100bhp petrol: (regd March 2020) only done 911 miles from new due to COVID-19 lockdowns, etc. Test result: only the 12.0V FAIR (orange) and 5.0V POOR (red) illuminate. I understand Stop-Start vehicles such as the Corsa F can be expensively damaged by using unsuitable battery chargers.
2) Outside. Corsa D 1.3 CDTi diesel, (regd March 2012), 90K miles. Test result: only the 5.0V POOR (red) illuminates. From these readings I thought it best to check with you before trying to start, or recharge, either vehicle. I believe the “ZAFIR.45 – powered by CTEK” is suitable(?) for the Corsa D but it’s raining so not a good idea today to run out mains electricity cables!
From reading my copy of January 2021, the page 56 review of the Ring 6A Smart Charger & Maintainer by Richard Gunn looks very suitable should I need a new charger. Can you recommend this unit or any other smart charger(s) suitable for both these vehicles?
Keith King
A The ZAFIR.45 Switch Mode Charger with Pulse Maintenance is a member of a family of professional chargers from CTEK Sweden AB. This is a very good charger and although not supported by CTEK it is designed for 12V lead-acid batteries from 1.2-90Ah.
ZAFIR 45 can easily be configured to charge many different types of 12V lead-acid batteries; wet batteries, MF, AGM and for most GEL-batteries.
It has three mode settings – the first is for motorcycle batteries and is used for batteries below 14Ah, the second is the normal mode 14.4V/3.6A and this setting is for wet batteries, MF and for most GEL batteries.
The third is the frost setting mode 14.7V/3.6A. This setting is recommended for batteries at temperatures below 5°C. It is also recommended for many AGM batteries. This setting is not recommended for maintenance charging or when the temperature at times exceeds +5°C. In this case, the 14.4V/3.6A mode is recommended.
ZAFIR.45 operates in a four-step fully automatic cycle. It begins charging with an almost constant current (0.8A or 3.6A) until maximum voltage (14.4V or 14.7V) is reached. The charger changes mode at this point. It locks the voltage at maximum level and allows the current to drop. The ZAFIR.45 switches automatically to pulse maintenance charging when the current drops to 0.4A. The charging cycle restarts if the battery voltage drops to 12.9V.
The charger should be quite safe with both the applications you wish to use it, but as you mention it is old and as you have concerns and as you say the unit is no longer supported by CTEK, then you would be better to purchase the Ring 6A smart charger as mentioned.
GENERAL
VW or Ford
Q I would like your advice on the following two questions… First, could I have your opinion on which automatic gearbox is the more reliable in long-term use?
A) The VW DSG unit mated to the 2.0-litre TSI (petrol) and the TDI CR (diesel) unit. Engines as fitted in the Skoda Superb.
B) The Ford Powershift unit. Mated to the 2.0-litre EcoBlue engine as fitted to the Mondeo.
The second question is which of the two VW engines (TSI and TDI) is the more reliable and easier to service?
Your opinion on these questions will help me decide which would be the better motor for me.
J Easton
A Improvements have been made to both gearboxes but as the letter which arrived with yours was asking advice on a problematic Ford Powershift gearbox, my opinion is that the VW DSG is the better option at this time.
The choice then between TSI or TDI will depend on the type of motoring you are considering. If you do not regularly carry out long journeys and instead use the vehicle mainly for shorter trips, then the TSI petrol model would certainly be my choice over the diesel lump.
The TSI engine is chain driven so as far as servicing is concerned there is no belt to replace, and the spark plugs only need replacing every 40,000 miles.
The fuel consumption of the TSI will be slightly higher than the TDI but I would only expect this to be around 5-8mpg difference. The TSI engine will have a quicker acceleration at the higher end of the rev range, whilst the TDI will have more power at the lower end of the scale.
In traffic the TSI will certainly feel smoother and will be a quieter drive.
So to sum up, the DSG ‘box would be my choice, and the best engine would depend on the type of journeys you are going to use the vehicle for. Mainly short trips then the TSI would be my choice, but if you intend to travel around the country or regularly use the vehicle on motorways the TDI would be a better option.
FORD FOCUS
Balljoint fittings
The passenger side balljoint has gone on my 2015 Ford Focus 1.6. I acquired a new
