The batteries should be 100% charged before any EQ takes place. Current on a bank like yours will need to be below 0.5% of the Ah capacity at absorption voltage (2.4A) and not "limited" by the chargers current capability, only limited by the battery voltage and SOC.

If your bank never gets below 3A at absorption voltage run another absorption cycle and see if it does. Many "smart" chargers are really quite stupid and do not fully charge batteries during absorption, as they should, because they use internal egg timers as their "smarts". If another absorption cycle still does not get you below 3A, at absorption voltage, then your bank is suffering from the effects of sulfation and your 3A charge source will simply not be able to raise the voltage to 15.8V.... You'll need charge acceptance well below 3A, at absorption voltage, in order to be able to drive the EQ voltage to 15.8V...

Here in the shop I charge batteries to about 0.5% acceptance, at absorption voltage, before raising the EQ voltage to the desired level. Once the voltage climbs to EQ level I then adjust the current down to just barely maintain the desired voltage so if anything internal fails I am not dumping 60-100A into a dead short I am instead dumping just a few amps max. Equalizing is high voltage but low current. If you increase to a high voltage before the battery is technically full you can really develop quite a bit of heat which can be dangerous.

My suspicion is that at 3A your CTEK won't be able to get the banks to 15.8V unless they are already chock full and you have zero DC loads sucking on the battery...