I’ve just bought a CTEK MXS 5.0 battery charger. Not being au fait with battery jargon I’m confused as to which charging option to set with the MODE button, the alternatives are AGM or RECOND. The car is on its original battery and being a 2019 1.5 Sport Nav hasn’t got the i-ELOOP system. Any guidance / advice appreciated…
You won’t go wrong with Normal mode is my understanding. This link is a clear description but does not answer every question.
https://www.oliverjobson.co.uk/cars/guide-ctek-chargers-and-efb-agm-and-gel-batteries-recon-mode-sulphation-and-stratification/
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I also have the same CTEK charger and leave it in the normal mode. My MX5 is a 2003 NBFL with Panasonic battery. No issues since I bought the charger 18 months ago.
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Thanks for responses. Sorry if I’m being slow on the uptake here.
Looking at the guide there are 2 steps, the first thing to do is to select program (small battery or normal battery) then select charging option (AGM or RECOND).
After selecting normal should I then select the AGM option?
I’ve bought one of these recently to use mainly on my wife’s Mini as it has the AGM mode. A very good thing. 
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Yes I’ve read they’re good…but unfortunately I’m none the wiser at the moment as to whether I select the AGM option or not as I don’t know if it’s appropriate. 
Hi MX,
I read it as follows.
Small ordinary battery =1 push
Ordinary car battery =2 pushes
Any AGM battery =3 pushes
To recondition any battery =4 pushes
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As far as I know no MX5 comes with an AGM battery. AGM is Absorbent Glass Mat. They don’t like to be charged quickly or warps the cells. A lead acid battery has a fluid electrolyte and it circulated and cools as it charges. The plates sit in what they call an envelope and the positive plate has a paste spread on it, it’s this paste that migrates off the plates and causes natural failure over time. In an AGM battery the electrolyte is absorbed into a glass matting (sort of explains the name!) so it can’t move around. This can result in local hot spots and premature failure. They have pro’s and con’s like anything else in the world.
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The AGM function is for the absorbed glass mat batteries usually associated with cars that have start/stop functions. Personally, I’d stay away from that setting as the MX5 is quite low tech compared to other cars these days. I bought the CTEK as my other battery tender wouldn’t operate on the Mini.
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Thanks to all for the good advice, I think the manual could have been a bit clearer - but I think I now know enough to set it up. Cheers. Roger
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When I replaced the battery in my MX5 for a proper Panasonic gel battery I checked with CTEK and they confirmed that you should use Normal mode for a gel battery (the indicator with the car), not AGM (both the indicator with the car and the indicator marked AGM). The Recond (recondition) option can be used with either Normal or AGM mode and will recondition the battery. It is not for day-to-day use.
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NA and NB had AGM batteries from the factory. The popular Panasonic battery, that is the factory fit one is also AGM.
I cut one open once to dispel the myth of them being gel batteries. Unless gel evaporates.
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In that case some MX5s do come with AGM batteries 
Easy way to tell is look at the labels on the battery tho. AGM batteries are generally about 70% the weight of a lead acid one of the same capacity so it would make sense to them to a light weight car where there has been a gram strategy.
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I have a 2017 2.0 RF which doesn’t have Start/Stop and appears to have a maintenance free battery
I therefore set my Ctek MXS 5.0 with just the Car yellow LED lit. (I kept pressing the red Mode button until it looked like this). It remembers that setting for next time I plug it in
Thanks for that Chris.
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Have the same CTEK charger.
Spoke with CTEK last month. Basically if your car has a start stop system whether an AGM battery or EFB (Enhanced flooded Battery) (as my Volvo) then use the AGM mode.
If not then use the standard car mode whether sealed or not.
Likewise, to assist further.
Those with start stop that have EFB batteries you can upgrade to AGM, but not the other way around. The definitive answer will be in the manual if it states otherwise of course.
For your information.
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Robbie,
So are you saying that the Panasonic gel battery that MX5 Parts sells is in fact an AGM battery?
https://www.mx5parts.co.uk/battery-genuine-mazda-panasonic-mk1-25-p-3756.html
It looks to be that yes.
Maybe this needs its own topic…