Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives jump starters

I've got an 06 Dodge Ram with the diesel engine. My truck sat for a week once in sub zero overnight temperatures. When I tried to start it, it was -22 degrees.
I won't say it started easily, but start it did. Once it was running, it warmed up and ran as it always does.
If it were a concern, I'd get a good battery with lots of cold cranking amps and simply carry that. If I was worried about starting, I'd use the batteries in the truck to preheat the fuel and in coming air, then hook up the extra battery to backup the one in the truck.
Unless they have been really depleated, that should work. E

Tried the Jump start packs a few years ago and found I needed it so infrequently, it was generally flat when I needed it..Now, it wasn't completely flat, but it had lost enough charge not to be able to start a 2.8L diesel..

If I was going to rely on one of these for real emergencies, I think I would have it rigged to trickle charge in the vehicle...I am not sure how exactly how to do this , as you probably don't want to over charge it either but it must be possible...

The other thing with these packs is once connected to the dead battery, don't crank it up straight away..Let it trickle a charge across for several minutes at least and then try starting the engine..This dramatically reduces the peak load on the pack...

Edited to add, if there is room on the vehicle, I think an additional battery with a proper split charging/isolator unit might be a better way to go and be more versatile as well...

Pete E,

If your truck is new enough to have a 110V outlet, no problem- just plug in the charger and head down the road. I do this periodically to keep the jump starter charged up and ready to go.

I've had this problem before. Spent 4 days in weather that was -18f for the high, and -30f for the low. Batteries died, and could not get them jump started.

Problem was me ! I failed to check the water level in my batteries. Living in AZ, the extreme heat tend to evaporate your fluids and need filled at least once or twice a year.

Had I done my part and maintain my vehicle, this would not have occurred.

So... I now make sure that I complete a very thorough vehicle inspection twice a year. One in January, and another in August after most of the summer heat is gone.

And, I do keep a extra long set of cables just in case.

I agree. A regular starting battery is also a lot cheaper for what you get.

If a battery isn't used or recharged, heat will draw it down faster than cold. The obvious problem there is that a cold engine is much harder to start.

The vehicle was old enough to have a hand throttle so nothing as new fangled as a 110V outlet!

That said, the jump starter I was using had a 12V input and a separate 220V/12V transformer for charging so I assume I could have plugged into the vehicle periodically as you suggest.

These days I just keep a set of extra long H/D jumper leads in the vehicle, but I don't tend to get anywhere too remote at the moment..