April_2022 - 58

CTEK CS FREE
Reviewed by Brian Culotta, shop
foreman and master technician at
Dave's Auto Care in Willoughby, Ohio.
Q: How did the tool function
as far as saving you time?
A: This tool was fantastic for being able to
charge a battery remotely! It may have the
appearance of a jump-start (jump pack)
however instead of only applying 12V to
the vehicle battery, it will provide 13.5V
charging voltage. This tool simply is a low
current (20A max) cordless/portable battery
charger.
Q: How has using this tool impacted
your shop's profitability?
A: Any time a technician can be more efficient,
profitability will go up.
Q: What kind of setup was involved
before using the product?
A: Other than charging the unit, there wasn't
any setup. It was ready to go thereafter.
Q:How easy was it to use?
A: Very easy to use. I keep this product on
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The CTEK CS FREE is a portable
battery charger and maintainer with
adaptive boost technology. This technology
analyzes a battery to give it the
correct power it needs to charge a battery
while protecting sensitive vehicle
settings safely and quickly. The multifunctional
CS FREE is four products in
one portable unit: adaptive boost safe
start - that can start a dead battery in
just 15 minutes, battery charger, smart
maintainer, and hi-tech power bank.
With CS FREE, users have portable
charging and power to go wherever
it's needed.
77
one of my diagnostic
tool carts and on its charger
when not in use. It's a simple grab and
go whenever the tool is needed.
Q: How was its packaging? Did it
come with any accessories?
A: The packaging was premium - nice,
colorful, high-quality packaging that
was appealing to the eye. The product
came with the cables needed to attach to
a vehicle and its charging adapter/cable.
Additional adapters came with the charger
to plug into various power outlets in other
countries. There's also an optional solar
charger which I could see being very handy
for recreational activities like camping.
Q: What features did you like?
A: The convenience of the tool primarily.
Not having to worry about where the nearest
power receptacle is and if I am going to
need an extension cord is very nice.
Q: Is there any way you could think
to improve or add to this tool?
A: It would be nice if it had a display. It has
countdown lights that represent how much
time is remaining until the vehicle battery
is charged. Instead of having these confusing
lights, I think it would be nicer to have
a display offering more details of what is
This product was given to the reviewer free of charge from the manufacturer.
58 PTEN APRIL 2022 www.VehicleServicePros.com
happening such as time
remaining to charge the
vehicle battery in percentage
or minutes, vehicle battery
voltage, and internal battery state
of charge.
Q: What types of jobs did
you use this tool for?
A: Often when performing diagnostics on
a vehicle, the ignition key may be required
to be on for an extended period. Having the
ability to use this tool without needing an
extension cord was very convenient. Who
wants to find where the other technician
put the extension cord? Once you finally
find it, where is the nearest receptacle?
Who likes tripping on extension cords
anyway? This product can offer a solution
to all those scenarios.
I also used this tool as a battery maintainer
during a module programming event.
When a vehicle ECU requires programming,
it's advised to keep clean charging
voltage on the vehicle while it's being programmed.
This tool allows that to happen.
Keep in mind, this tool can only provide up
to 20A of current, so this is not a replacement
for vehicles with higher electrical loads
during a programming event.
BRIAN CULLOTA is a graduate
of the Universal Technical
Institute in Chicago, Illinois.
After graduating, he started
working for an independent car
dealership as a lead technician
for seven years. He then moved to a new job at
an independent repair shop where he stayed for
three years. He now works at Dave's Auto Care in
Willoughby, Ohio, as the shop foreman and ASE
Master L1, L3 technician.
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
April_2022

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