Phillip Meyer

So, my car has been parked up over the last few months and plugged into the battery conditioner (which has worked flawlessly now since it's initial hiccup). However, having gone for a very short run on Saturday it seemed to start grumbling on my way home. Pulling away with little gas it drove off comfortably and then leapt forward, it did this repeatedly. It's as if it was struggling to run and then suddenly went full throttle without me applying any more gas. I suspect that this is 'just' the lambda sensor again so I have emailed CC and get them to replace it while it is under warranty. Interestingly the engine remained very cold for my 10km drive to the station but then was nicely warm when I had this issue for the10km drive home having sat idle in the car park for a good 10+ minutes. So, I'm going to cover about a third of the radiator to see what difference this makes. Any recommendation on what material to use? I am thinking just simple, wide masking tape from Homebase/B&Q but I don't want to add something that could burn, melt or cause damage.

Plugged the CTEK back in on a normal CAR-AGM setting and it seems to have worked fine, all lights on and at green stage 7. I will check again tomorrow and the next day and the next... I wonder if it just didn't work because the battery was already fairly depleted and it needed an initial RECOND mode charge. I guess I will never know. I will however report back if it does it again.

Until very recently I had an office in Malta so used to go there quite frequently. There is a ferry from Sicily but that would require you to get the car to the very bottom of Italy, ferry to Sicily and another ferry to Malta. Long drive (from England) but on the plus side you will have good weather most of the way. I'm pretty sure that it would be relatively easy to ship it in a container directly to Malta as they have an active port but probably not inexpensive.

Would you happen to have a contact there? Maybe by private message rather than posting their details publicly?

So the battery was absolutely fine yesterday. I did not plug the CTEK in (just in case) and I didn't need the lithium jump start pack (although I suspect it will come in useful in the near future). The car started flawlessly in the morning and every time on track (Brands Hatch) so I think the battery is okay. I suspect therefore that the CTEK was to blame for the flat battery which is exactly what it was supposed to avoid. I put it on charge when I got home last night with a normal setting (just CAR-AGM rather than RECOND) so I will check it later and see if it is still running. If it fails again I might send it back and look at other chargers or perhaps just leave it on CAR-AGM-RECOND which seemed to work.

Hello, I did disconnect everything so that I could attach the new connectors for the CTEK but it was all wired back up correctly (hopefully visible in the photo of the battery above). However, what I meant was, everything has been connected since that point and since I started charging (just to be clear that I didn't isolate the battery while charging). Also, just to be clear: The car battery was not 'dead' originally, it had a good charge and the CTEK went through the first 4 steps very quickly. Overnight something happened for the CTEK to kick up an error code (possibly as mentioned by someone, the AGM battery caused an error) This then drained the battery completely and I'm a bit worried about that as I wouldn't necessarily know about this for weeks/months if it happens again.Since charging it last night on the CAR-AGM-RECOND setting it seems to have charged and held it's charge (see volt readings in my earlier post). I had a good drive in it to Halfords as well as a petrol station and it started perfectly every time. I washed it before garaging it for the night and the battery was reading about 12.8v after having the ignition off for an hour or so. I'm not sure if this is good or bad but doesn't seem terrible. Hopefully the NOCO GB40 Boost Plus lithium jump starter will keep me safe if it doesn't start in the morning, fingers crossed. (If it doesn't start then I guess it's definitely a new battery that is required)

Hi, All seems good now, all lights green and sitting happily at stage 7. Perhaps the RECOND setting has fixed it? I'm going to go to Halfords and buy the biggest lithium jump pack I can find, just in case. Here is what the multimeter read: CTEK disconnected, all power off: 13.5v Cranking: 10v (It took about 6 goes to start because it's very cold right now) idle: 14.47v 3,000 rpm: 14.8v (after revving it is sitting happily at 14.8v) I am nervous to put it on the CTEK again this evening as I has to start tomorrow, fingers crossed. Still tempted to just try and buy a new battery, just in case.

Is this what you mean from Halfords, might get one just incase I have problems tomorrow... https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintenance/jump-starters/halfords-advanced-lithium-jump-starter---up-to-2l-677444.html or maybe this is better... https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintenance/jump-starters/gb40-1000a-noco-jump-starter-721898.html

So this morning the charger has made it to stage 6 (which seems to be reconditioning) without errors and that was after about 10 hours. I had to just head out so will check on it when I get home. I think I will buy jump leads but not sure whether to just buy a new battery, not sure how I can test the battery to be sure it will hold a charge today?

It was in stage 5 BUT showing the error/warning light so something had failed. So, I have put it into CAR - AGM - RECOND mode and will leave it overnight. It was in CAR - AGM and had 11.8 volts (from the little volt meter in the car) when I disconnected it to switch modes (just now, not earlier when it was dead). Also, note that the car had power before I added the CTEK. It seems to me that something failed and then the CTEK drained the battery but I'm not sure why/how as I don't understand how it works. I will have a look in the morning and check it with my multimeter if it has failed again. A few images attached below... This is what the charger was showing just now when it was charging in CAR-AGM mode, when disconnected it read 11.8v Now it is in CAR - AGM - RECOND mode and will leave it overnight...

I don't know how old the battery is, possibly since the car was built but I have no way to tell (this is the very first ever 620s so could be as old as 2015 but I don't know). When I say drained to nothing, I have a little USB socket with a voltmeter on it attached to where the lighter socket used to be. That was the only thing on the car that seemed to have any power today and it was showing 00 (it's strange that had power as absolutely nothing else did). Nothing lit up, even slightly when I put the key in and turned it. Incidentally I do not have a power isolation switch (for racing) so I haven't isolated the car by accident. I also have not disconnected the car from the battery, everything is still connected. This evening I reconnected the charger and it lit up with the car and AGM lights then went from step 1 to 4 within a few moments (seconds maybe, definitely less than a few minutes, I wasn't sitting watching). Is this odd if the battery was totally dead. Looking at the manual it seems to me that it should be slowly charging across stages 2 to 3 (although the manual is so vague), if it was totally dead that would suggest to me that those stages should have taken a lot longer? I do have a good multimeter, I haven't used it to check the battery but can, what should I check for? I will send photos shortly, it's all locked up in my barn (no lights) and V dark, will try with the phone flash. The CTEK is brand new but doesn't mean it isn't a part of the problem. Thanks.

Hello, My 620s has been sitting unused for a month or so (all of October and maybe a week or two either side) and not connected to a charger. However, I bought a CTEK MSX 5.0 charger last week and connected it on Sunday pressing mode so that the 'car' and 'AGM' modes were shopwing. The battery had charge when I connected it (I foolishly didn't look but it was showing a strong 14V while charging) and it went straight through stages 1 to 4 in a few moments (seconds I think). I thought that all would be good, I had connected the CTEK via the little snap adaptor that comes with it so that I screwed the two cables into the battery permanently and have a little connector coming off. The cables are definitely connected the right way around (red to red) and I don't get any error on power up/connection. However I have just looked at the car 24 hours later (as I have a track day on Wednesday) and suddenly, since being connected to the CTEK the battery is has been completely drained to nothing. It's totally dead. I can't understand why the CTEK would drain the battery to nothing even if there was a fault with the battery but I really don't understand how it works compared to a 'normal' charger. I have reconnected the charger again and will leave it overnight and check it in the morning. Worst case scenario, I can try and buy a new battery but I'm worried about being able to source one the same day (in Kent or nearby). Having read throug the forum I have seen other suggestions to perhaps jump start from another car and let it run. I have also seen some suggestions to put it in a different mode (perhaps 'AGM RECOND') but here I'm not sure. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do but also what caused this (perhaps leaving to drain it has damaged it) or is the CTEK causing the problem? Thanks so much, Phillip.

I was following in my grey 620 about 3 cars back but you probably wouldn't have spotted me with the Caterham's shaky rear view mirrors.

Hi, They don't know if I have one or not so I'm guessing I don't. Waiting for them to tell me for sure at which point I will push for one to be fitted. Incidentally , after one track day and a couple of weeks sine the lambda sensor was replaced the engine already seems to hunt a little at idle.

Same issue with almost all the lights on the dash on the 620, they are blindingly bright at night. I was planning to carry a pack of postit notes in the back so I could cover them if driving at night.

Ordered - Thanks all

Ah, mine is definitely lower than that. Yours is almost full whereas mine is just above 'min'. I will fill up next week, ran out of time today.

I possibly should have mentioned that this started happening on my way home from a track day at Brands Hatch. So it could Be wear or perhaps a reduction in fluid from heavy use at the track day? They did fill the brake fluid when I got the car in June (i know because they spilled a little), seems quick to need topping up. There are definitely no leaks while the car is standing, it's in a barn when not in use, any leak would be really noticeable. My reservoir doesn't look like the one in the image above, the minimum level is the little ridge all around but I will top off later Is there an easy way to see the break pads, I can't seem to easily see them at any angle.

I will buy some and try, I can see 'MIN' on the little header tank but not 'MAX'. Am I missing it or just fill to the top?

Hi, My brake warning light keeps flashing on (the red light that comes on for the handbrake), mostly when I accelerate off from stationary but flickers generally when I accelerate, never under deceleration or turning. The brake fluid seems okay (just above MIN). I cannot easily see the brake pads but potentially they might need replacing, is there an easy way to see how much is left? I will call Caterham (again) on Monday but wondered if anyone had any suggestion (I have searched the forum but the general consensus seems to be either brake fluid or an earth problem).

Turned out to be a gearbox issue which Caterham cars fixed while I have been out of the country. Just back and collected the car yesterday, all seems well now and it runs like a dream.... we will see if that continues with the cooling issue...

Thanks, great photos!

Thanks, that's really useful to know. I am also going to push back, if I get through a lambda sensor every month there will clearly be other issues.

Hi, im catching up as away on holiday but can I confirm, you have a 620 and CC have accepted that it needs work because it is over-cooling? They basically told me that they don't think it is a problem. However, the car is with them while I'm away so I will push for them to do an upgrade if they have agreed to do one for you.

What was the 3M tape that you used? I have refit my mirror after a new windscreen.