Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Car battery jumper boxes

Besides blowing the regulator, what other problems can develop from old time jump starting?

I carry expensive jumper cables in both of my vehicles, I will jump off cars once or twice a year, every year. I never heard of these problems.

I should invest in one too.

I thought I was clever as hell by getting the longer jumper cables so I didn't have to care what side of the engine housed the battery. In fact, I could park behind most cars and the cables would reach. Live and learn...might start shopping today.

I just purchased a NOCO GB150 Genius 4000 Amp model. Note that there are also NOCO GB150 models that only have 3000 Amp capacity, evidently the word "Genius" in the model is the difference. I order the 4000 amp model from a well respected online company and what I got was the 3000 amp model. When I spoke to them they insisted I ordered a GB150 and a GB150 is what they sent me. After pictures of what I received and a copy of the description of the item ordered were sent and someone with common sense looked at it they allow me to return the wrong unit and get my money back, at least they said I would get my money back but I have not gotten credit yet.

I reorder from a different vendor because I had lost confidence in the original company I used.

Now a word on these units. You do not get the amperage out of these that they advertise, and that includes all the manufacturers. If a unit says 1000 amp that is what you would get under little load and at 90 degree temperature or so. A 1000 amp unit will be luck to give you 300 amps under heavy load in cold weather. For anything up to 3.5 L gas I would recommend a 2000 amp unit, anything over 3.5 L gas and up to 8.0 L gas and most likely diesel up to 8.0 L I would go with a 4000 amp unit. Most V8 truck motors have 600 to 800 amp cold cranking batteries for a reason.

My 800 amp unit I have had for a few years would only do my ATV's well.

I jump started one of our accountant’s cars with county truck once, 500 lb fatfouck fleet mgr came around on his ‘gator’ and got all unglued on me. Said batteries would blow up and all types of intergalactic phenomena would occur

I told him he was full of shît

Me and the GM had a meeting next morn about it, we both laughed.

Those 800 CCA batteries don't last as long on the average as the 600 to 700 ones. To get the extra amps, they make the plates thinner so they can get more in the case. The thin plates crack easier and the batteries fail. Sometimes bigger isn't better.
Now, back to the jump starters.....

Most new vehicles employ a power distribution fuse array on the positive terminal and total current sensor on the negative terminal. Both on these sensors connect directly into the ECM. Under perfect condition you should have no problems. Touch a fuse or the wrong size of the negative current sensor and you will have less than perfect conditions.

I have been studying up on this problem. Damn, all kinds of bad things can happen with a jump start, car to car.

There you go, I was going to post the same video. He's actually got another one from last year testing some different ones.

I have the BEat It model D-11 (800 AH peak current) and have used it twice to jump start a VW Diesel Golf. Works flawlessly.

I have one of those GooLoo jumpers. I think I bought it on Amazon a year or two back. It holds a charge well and has started everything I've put it on just like a new, hot battery. After a jump, it still shows nearly a full charge. I would buy another one.

^^This^^

Just give it time , you will,,

I have a DB Power lithium battery pack (look on Amazon). It has started a 6.0 Chevy, a 5.9 Dodge gasser, a 5.3 Chevy, and plenty of riding lawn mowers. Unless you’re starting a high compression diesel, you don’t need a big battery pack.

https://www.amazon.com/DBPOWER-1800...&hvtargid=pla-473964568314&psc=1



Main thing with the small lithium packs is to only crank for 3-5 seconds, then let them cool for several minutes before trying to crank again.

Thanks folks. I have a hell of a time coming up with Christmas gift ideas.

Two sons in law and one son are now covered for Christmas.

Yep. The old huge ones had nicad’s or AGM’s. All the new little ones have lithium’s, and ignoring them for 6 months is no big deal. Probably go 12 months and still be fine.

For $70-$100, and fit in glove box or under seat, they are cheap insurance.

Never heard this problem either.

Perhaps a mechanic here can explain how a bad regulstornon the jumped vehicle can damage the regulator on the jumping vehicle.

This. We use em to jump trucks and equipment.

Me too, but once a short in the other vehicle immediately drained my battery, then I had to get a jump. No permanent damage tho.

I have a couple - one is booster/tire inflator/light.About 1 cubic foot and 15 lbs or more.

The other is a XP 100 or some such. It also has a light, WILL start my Cummins, also can charge cell phones,and iPad. It is about 1.5 inch thick, 10 inches long, 5 wide.Maybe 2-3 lbs.

I bought it when I was in the Arctic and bought my wife a big AC1100 turbo snowmachine, which does not come with a pull start... and one probably could not start that thing with a pull start if it did. I carried it in the inside pocket of my parka to keep it warm and working best. Never needed it.

$150 IIRC.

Looking in to one of these now.

Friends gifted my daughter one of these in Fairbanks. Known colloquially as “boyfriend in a box”.