Jump box recommendation

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  • Cameramonkey

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    Once again it happened. I was working at a remote office... and I mean REMOTE. I was the only one there, and no other businesses within walking distance. I was setting up a new branch office so I had my car pulled into the shop/warehouse to unload and work out of my trunk. Ive done this for 5 years without issue. Now in the last year or two, doing so apparently runs my battery down to the point the starter wont turn over. Ive already checked the battery repeatedly and its fine.


    Luckily the last 2 times I lucked out. The first time the service manager lives literally 5 minutes away from that building, and was able to come over and give me a jump start. Today the closest colleague was 45 mins away, but I happened to find a battery charger on the shelf and I was able to hook it up for 15 minutes and top off the battery.

    So I figure its time to keep a jump box in the trunk so I can take care of myself if it happens again. But I want to hook up the charging port to my electrical system so its topping off the box when the car is running. The last thing I need is to need it and find out it didnt hold a charge.

    Anyone have a suggestion for a good portable jumpstart box that charges via a 12v adapter? Doesnt have to be particularly small because its going to sit in the trunk all the time.

    I wish I had the room for an accessory battery with a switcher system. I saw one that would constantly trickle both batteries, but when the ignition was off the main battery was disconnected. So if you ran a battery down it was the one for the accessories, not the starter system.
     

    HoughMade

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    I know nothing about jump boxes because when my vehicles do this, I replace the battery. How did you test your battery?
     

    Bigtanker

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    Noco Genius is a great brand. You can get a 1,000 cca one for $100.

    https://no.co/gb40

    We just bought a 4,000 cca one for our semi trucks. It can charge on a USB port.

    Amazon sells them and I think even Walmart has the smaller ones.
     
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    Cameramonkey

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    I know nothing about jump boxes because when my vehicles do this, I replace the battery. How did you test your battery?

    Multiple trips to multiple auto parts places using the portable testers to look for failed cells. And this battery is less than a year old.

    I'm thinking worn starter, bad contacts on the starter, etc. Its a 2012 with 140,000 miles now so I suspect the starting system is taking a bit more current than before to start.
     

    HoughMade

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    ...I'm thinking worn starter, bad contacts on the starter, etc. Its a 2012 with 140,000 miles now so I suspect the starting system is taking a bit more current than before to start.

    You could be right, but when everything is working correctly, you should be able to have your interior lights on and listen to the radio for over an hour and still be able to start. This strikes me as something more than a bit of additional draw.

    My truck is at 165,000 miles and had those exact symptoms. A new battery solved it.

    Were it me, battery or not, I'd find out why this is happening and fix it before I spent money on a jump box. It's just going to continue to get worse until it doesn't start at all.
     

    Old Dog

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    Check your owners manual. Many newer vehicles have a power conserve feature that will shut down the electrical system after an extended power drain. Mine takes cycling the key to on several times to reset. Also, these new starters just will not function below certain voltages. At 10.5 volts my starter will not even click, the computer reads the voltage and will not even let the starter try. To reduce current consumption you could replace any lights that are on during your work with LEDs, they draw way less current and produce way less heat in the line and battery. Speaking of battery heat, long term current draw causes some heat in the battery which can cause plate warping. I have had batteries that tested good but would keep dying due to heating & cooling cycles causing the plates to warp. New battery solved the problem, but be aware that even new batteries can sometimes be bad. Hope this helps.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    Check your owners manual. Many newer vehicles have a power conserve feature that will shut down the electrical system after an extended power drain. Mine takes cycling the key to on several times to reset. Also, these new starters just will not function below certain voltages. At 10.5 volts my starter will not even click, the computer reads the voltage and will not even let the starter try. To reduce current consumption you could replace any lights that are on during your work with LEDs, they draw way less current and produce way less heat in the line and battery. Speaking of battery heat, long term current draw causes some heat in the battery which can cause plate warping. I have had batteries that tested good but would keep dying due to heating & cooling cycles causing the plates to warp. New battery solved the problem, but be aware that even new batteries can sometimes be bad. Hope this helps.

    Mine isnt that advanced. I can hear the solenoid flutter when it happens.

    I just wish it was as smart as my wife's T&C. it tuns off the domes after 15 minutes.
     

    Tactically Fat

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    If there's a parasitic electrical drain - good luck. You'd definitely be better off with a battery pack / jumper than trying to track one down.

    My dad had an issue with one of his old Buicks. Somehow they determined it was the driver's side seat belt latch that was causing it. The little electrodes that tell the car the belt is buckled and whatnot.
     

    HoughMade

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    It's pretty simple to narrow it down to the circuit at issue, but yeah, down to what exactly may be causing the draw, that can get frustrating.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    Oh, and I'm going to add an additional buffer and replace all the bulbs with LED. That should also greatly reduce the draw.
     

    russc2542

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    Along with the battery, check the connections. check the voltage drop on each segment of the path. when cranking the engine over (disable fuel so you can crank for more than a fraction of a second). V=IR and all that, a fraction of an ohm doesn't matter for small draws or high voltage but 12v and 200+amp draw it matters. That both amplifies a weak battery and hurts it more.

    I've seen vehicles in the throwaway segment (neon) that used the bare minimum wire size to provide power to the starter from the factory. literally in the 6-8ga range. works well enough on the lot with a good battery and fast startup but a less than perfect battery, very little corrosion, and a rough/extended crank from parts that barely last the life of the warranty period and bam, no-start.

    Keep in mind the parts store handheld testers often have a hard time distinguishing a cold battery, discharged battery, and a bad battery (unless it's really bad). To really check it you need to have it fully charged before testing.
     

    thunderchicken

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    As far as a jump box recommendation here is my .02 cents as an ASE technician. I would be looking at one of the small Lithium battery jump packs that have become very popular. I have one that I picked up from Harbor Freight for like $50 that I keep in my daughters trunk. It's one of those small packs that is only about 8"×4" and the clamp plug into it. It has done its job a few times when she has left the parking lights on. Regardless of what jump pack you get just remember to check its charge from time to time. I usually check it whenever its time for an oil change.
    Many of the larger jump packs that have a larger battery inside don't seem to hold a charge in long term storage.
    If you want to spend a few bucks more pick one up from any auto parts store. Schumacher makes nice packs
     

    Cameramonkey

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    As far as a jump box recommendation here is my .02 cents as an ASE technician. I would be looking at one of the small Lithium battery jump packs that have become very popular. I have one that I picked up from Harbor Freight for like $50 that I keep in my daughters trunk. It's one of those small packs that is only about 8"×4" and the clamp plug into it. It has done its job a few times when she has left the parking lights on. Regardless of what jump pack you get just remember to check its charge from time to time. I usually check it whenever its time for an oil change.
    Many of the larger jump packs that have a larger battery inside don't seem to hold a charge in long term storage.
    If you want to spend a few bucks more pick one up from any auto parts store. Schumacher makes nice packs

    Thanks.

    That is why I specified one that uses a 12v wall wart input. That way I could run a maintenance charge every time I run the engine. So in theory I never have to worry because it is always topped off.

    So in my case yesterday, I wouldnt have had to worry because I would have just charged it that AM on the drive to the location.
     

    GREEN607

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    If your car is starting with a jump from another vehicle, then this is all you need. I have one and it works great, even in sub-zero wind chill weather.

    Also charges from your 12v lighter socket when you're driving, if needed. They are on sale at Walmart.com right now, and delivered to your door in 2 days.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-...with-LED-Light-and-USB-and-12V-Ports/14560015

    ETA- Also, if you keep the unit in your trunk..... place it in a small beverage cooler, and it will stay charged up better in real cold weather while you're not at home. Hope this helps.
     
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    thunderchicken

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    If your car is starting with a jump from another vehicle, then this is all you need. I have one and it works great, even in sub-zero wind chill weather.

    Also charges from your 12v lighter socket when you're driving, if needed. They are on sale at Walmart.com right now, and delivered to your door in 2 days.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-...with-LED-Light-and-USB-and-12V-Ports/14560015

    ETA- Also, if you keep the unit in your trunk..... place it in a small beverage cooler, and it will stay charged up better in real cold weather while you're not at home. Hope this helps.

    I have known a few people who have been very happy with those jump packs.

    But I have to clarify something you said.. Batteries and inanimate objects are not effected by wind chill.
     

    jinks

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    I purchased a battery. After not starting the vehicle for three days it wouldn't start. I was at the VA hospital and security started the car with a jump pack. I charged the battery at home and after setting a few days, my car wouldn't start again. The parts store tested the battery and said it was ok. Several days later the car would not start. Again the parts store said the battery was ok so I asked them to test the battery again with an old style load tester. They said it was ok. I insisted on a new battery and that fixed the problem. The battery testers don't always identify a weak or bad battery.

    I have had a Weiyi 800A Peak Current 16800mAh jump pack for over three years. The 800 peak amperage is able to start large V8 and small diesel engines a few times without recharging. I usually recharge the pack every year or after each time I use it. The battery will hold the charge for a long time. After setting a year the jump pack still indicates full charge and it fully recharges a few minutes.
     
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