Those mini jump start thingies...

[seyre1972]

seyre1972 said:

I had an intermittent battery drain (now fixed was found to be water ingress into relays causing fans to run/drain battery). So looked at getting something from Halfords - forget it they were overpriced and absolutely massive/heavy. + max of a 2.2 litre jump start capability apparently ....

I've got an Audi S4 B7 (4.2 litre V8). So a big old lump to start - So did a bit of googling and ended up buying this AFTERPARTZ AllStart Car Jump Starter. Go as big on the amperage as you can.

Worked brilliantly - Comes in a snazzy nylon wallet with all the connectors/wall charger/cigarette charger you'll ever need. Was also approximately half the price of what Halfords had on offer.

Mine has lived in the car all the time - parked outside on the drive in rain/sunshine. Other than the odd top up charge (just in-case). Have had no problems.

Now part of my Everyday Carry in the car (jumpstart kit/tow rope/digital tyre pump + Oil)

[TonyRPH]

carl_w said:

TonyRPH said:

Also, (these cheap) Lithium Ion batteries could potentially become unstable when exposed to the high temperatures which are likely to be encountered on in a vehicle on a hot day.

I have no evidence to back this up before anyone asks.

Do you leave your phone behind when going out in your car on a hot day? I guess those race car drivers using Lithium batteries like some of the ones here http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motorsport/batteries are all in trouble too.

Which is why I specifically made reference to cheap Lithium batteries.

Just in the same way it's possible to buy cheap (Chinese) laptop battery replacements on Ebay - they won't be as safe as the OEM battery.

[carl_w]

TonyRPH said:

Which is why I specifically made reference to cheap Lithium batteries.

Just in the same way it's possible to buy cheap (Chinese) laptop battery replacements on Ebay - they won't be as safe as the OEM battery.

I ran one in a 2006 MacBook for about 3 years, never any problems. Regardless of what you read in the press, do you know of anyone who has had a battery catch fire? I don't.

[cptsideways]

carl_w said:

TonyRPH said:

Which is why I specifically made reference to cheap Lithium batteries.

Just in the same way it's possible to buy cheap (Chinese) laptop battery replacements on Ebay - they won't be as safe as the OEM battery.

I ran one in a 2006 MacBook for about 3 years, never any problems. Regardless of what you read in the press, do you know of anyone who has had a battery catch fire? I don't.

Mine did on charge, a proper kick it out the garage door moment! Very hard to put it out too.

[SlimJim16v]

carl_w said:

I ran one in a 2006 MacBook for about 3 years, never any problems. Regardless of what you read in the press, do you know of anyone who has had a battery catch fire? I don't.

Not personally, but I have read about it happening in a torch/flashlight. The big problem there is that they're sealed in, so it then exploded.

[carl_w]

SlimJim16v said:

Not personally, but I have read about it happening in a torch/flashlight. The big problem there is that they're sealed in, so it then exploded.

Yes, but I've also read about Ebola. Doesn't mean that I'm worried about getting it.

[SlimJim16v]

But you're actually bringing one of these into your car/home. Read the reviews on Amazon and you'll see people complaining about theirs going up in smoke.

[j4ckos mate]

There are a lot of regs about these as airfreight
They are constantly changing
I'd only buy anything like that for a. Reputable shop
Same goes for phones and chargers

[HotJambalaya]

I have one, its so good I bought another one.

Really annoyed though, I didn't see there was one that could do larger engines, since mine only does up to 2l. I need something that will do the C63 so might have to buy another one...!

[lel]

I have a Noco GB40, claims to start 6.0l petrol and 3.0 diesel. It started a completely dead 3.6 XJ-s and a completely dead Discovery TD5 without a hiccup.

[HotJambalaya]

lel said:

I have a Noco GB40, claims to start 6.0l petrol and 3.0 diesel. It started a completely dead 3.6 XJ-s and a completely dead Discovery TD5 without a hiccup.

Yeah, I thought sods law and all that, being 6.2l so decided on this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01KZFUW98/ref...

Great reviews, but everyone reviewing it is gushing on about how good it was at starting their Corsa. Arrives tomorrow so quite hopeful.

[anonymous-user]

TonyRPH said:

dme123 said:

May I ask why? I also have a conventional lead acid booster pack and it has absolutely no advantages that I can see.

Most (if not all?) of those compact jump starter packs are based around Lithium Ion batteries - which is fine if the batteries in question are manufactured to a high standard with the correct safety features.

But I suspect that few (if any) of those batteries are 100% safe.

In the long video review linked to earlier, one of the packs actually began to swell under a high load.

Also, (these cheap) Lithium Ion batteries could potentially become unstable when exposed to the high temperatures which are likely to be encountered on in a vehicle on a hot day.

I have no evidence to back this up before anyone asks.

I understand your concerns about Lithium batteries and would certainly agree that these absolutely should not be stored in a car in summer months. Great care should also be taken if they are dropped or jolted, and if they are getting more than "a bit warm" whoever is using them should stop immediately.

That said they are less dangerous than any number of phones with dubious QA (Samsung) on that front, in that they are unlikely to be stored close to your testicles if the battery does catch fire

HotJambalaya said:

Yeah, I thought sods law and all that, being 6.2l so decided on this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01KZFUW98/ref...

Great reviews, but everyone reviewing it is gushing on about how good it was at starting their Corsa. Arrives tomorrow so quite hopeful.

The one I bought that made bold claims lived up to them. Kicked over a 6 litre V12 as well as a brand new proper car battery, a couple of times in a row.

Edited by dme123 on Friday 30th December 21:33

[TooMany2cvs]

HotJambalaya said:

lel said:

I have a Noco GB40, claims to start 6.0l petrol and 3.0 diesel. It started a completely dead 3.6 XJ-s and a completely dead Discovery TD5 without a hiccup.

Yeah, I thought sods law and all that, being 6.2l so decided on this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01KZFUW98/ref...

Great reviews, but everyone reviewing it is gushing on about how good it was at starting their Corsa. Arrives tomorrow so quite hopeful.

'course, the box has no way of knowing what capacity the engine is. All it knows is how much current the starter motor wants...

[otolith]

Presumably displacement and compression ratio are the main factors in whether the thing is man enough to start a given engine?

[anonymous-user]

otolith said:

Presumably displacement and compression ratio are the main factors in whether the thing is man enough to start a given engine?

Cylinder count is probably important too - more friction in a 6 litre V12 than a 6 litre V8. And oil weight.

[anonymous-user]

i bought one off amazon for 30 quid, finally got to use it and....it didn't work..i suggest buy the expensive ones.

[*Al*]

I was given one for Christmas, Jumping Jax. I've yet to try it.

[TooMany2cvs]

otolith said:

Presumably displacement and compression ratio are the main factors in whether the thing is man enough to start a given engine?

Just how efficient the starter motor is at turning electrickery into rotation. That might well be affected by displacement, compression, number of cylinders - but it's also affected by how good the starter actually is, and the quality of all the electrical connections.

[E36Ross]

Looking into one of these, Specifically the Guluman above....

Will be used on everything from completely dead BMW to a Fergusson 135 and everything in between.

What have people got and how well do they last?

[CABC]

my DBPower unit is still at full charge even though it's been in the car for 2 months at sub-zero for much of the time where it sits. of course these are much bigger batteries than phones or cameras but those type of li-ion devices really suffer in cold temps. anyone know why the booster seems to hold charge better? is just size?