Jump Starter

[Palmer Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Palmer]

Has anyone got or used one of these type jump starters ?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Portable-...AAAOSw0HVWBPUM

I'm thinking of getting something to have as a back-up.

Cheers

[MacroP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MacroP]

Yes - I bought one from Auto one here in WA a few weeks ago. My main Prado battery has been slowly dying over the last few weeks (will only run my compressor for a few minutes) and I've jump started it a couple of times recently off my auxiliary battery. My old lead acid type starter was pretty crap - I have never liked it and never carried it onboard because it is too big and bulky.

Anyway I bought a new main battery and also one of these new style lithium jump starters for piece of mind. It is small enough to fit in the glovebox or a small compartment. I have been skeptical of these for some time, that's why I hadn't got one online as I wouldn't be guaranteed it worked or worked well. The unit I bought locally was rated for 4.5L Diesels and cost a couple of hundred bucks. Pretty pricey for what it is though.

The salesman from Auto-One said if it doesn't work just bring it back - sweet. So before replacing my main battery - I ran the old battery down on purpose in the Prado for the last time with my air compressor. Got it down pretty low (the headlights would barely work) and put on the new compact jump starter. Could not believe it - the engine cranked over (and started) like the main battery was fresh as a daisy.

Pretty impressive so far.

PS. If I was to buy another I would probably go for a quality brand next time. I've since found a Noco GB40 on fleabay for not much more than I paid. I believe Noco are similar to Ctek and do mainly Automotive battery chargers and the like.

[RanJ Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close RanJ]

Can't vouch for the cheap ebay ones but here is my experience with them.

Borrowed one from off the shelf to jump start a 6 cyl mercedes. Battery was a little low but nothing dramatic. Over the space of a few weeks, I stared this car maybe a dozen times without recharging the jump pack. I then needed to transport the car back to my house. On the drive home, the car died four times. Each time, I hooked up the starter and it started with ease... here's is the kicker... trying to figure out why it kept dying when I hot home, on the multimeter, the car battery showed less than 2 volts. Yet that damn starter would kick it over like it was no effort. When I tried my old lead acid starter, it would barely crank the engine.

The unit I was using was about 200 from most spare parts stores. I tried to save a few bucks by buying one from an importer for $80 and it struggled to kick over an old Range Rover 3.5 V8 with 9 volts.