Mean Green Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 I received an email yesterday from Paddocks with a special offer on slimline jump pack. https://www.paddockspares.com/xs-powerpack-multi-function-jump-starter.html Does anyone have any experience of them? My project 90 is in the garage with a dead battery - it always starts with a jump and I would like to be able to start it to move it when the need arises - but I don't want to put a new battery in it until it gets its rebuild. Would something like that have the power to start a dead 90 every few months? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPendrey Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 I have one, but I'm sceptical about its use... the instructions suggest you should connect it to the battery terminals (not +ve and the engine block). But I would have thought that doing so would deplete the battery pack into the battery very quickly. I can confirm it has helped start my Disco from a low battery, but I doubt it would from a dead battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeSheds Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 I did a lo-o-ong rebuild a few years back and I bought a battery charger/maintainer and took the battery into the house and left it connected (I put it in a builders bucket in case of any problems) and, even though it was a knackered battery, when it was warm and fresh off the charger it would still start the car (admittedly only a 3.9V8, not a diesel). I have never tried one of those power packs but honestly I fail to see how they can hold or deliver enough power to start a diesel... my two pence worth... Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 There's a lot of power in LiPo/LiOn batteries for such a small size and these jump packs do work although the lead acid versions are cheaper and work just as well... just take up more space. There are better and cheaper versions available than the one listed though, this one for example...https://amzn.to/2CxMxZM I've not used a modern one but the older lead acid versions I've used have always worked well, as long as you remember to keep them charged up ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cackshifter Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 The latest seem to be ultracapacitors charged from the flat battery through an inverter - a cunning idea, though whether it would work on anything more than slightly flat I don't know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy50 Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 As with most stuff you get what you pay for , spend wisely or invest in a trickle charger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_grieve Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 I've tried a few different ones of these and have been really impressed by their performance. The first ones I tried a few years ago were the really cheap and nasty Chinese ones which could start a 4.2 diesel land cruiser from dead flat. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it. That said, they struggle with glow plugs a bit due to the duty cycle they have but I'm a great believer in them now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoSS Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I have a similar one. It starts a motorbike from flat, it sometime starts a partially flat car, but i wouldn't expect it to start a LR. It does work well if left connected for a few minutes to recover a partially flat battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 (edited) Strangely, shortly after this thread appeared, having bought one of the packs I linked to earlier, I needed to use it for the first time this week on my Range Rover (V8 diesel). On Monday morning the car was completely dead, wouldn't unlock with the remote and after unlocking with the key no lights at all on the dash. So, popped the bonnet and hooked the starter pack up to the battery, had to use the "manual" switch to engage the pack as it couldn't detect the battery. It almost started the car but unfortunately the lights were on auto so as soon as the ignition was powered up the headlights came on, did their merry dance and all the pack could manage was a couple of slow turns of the engine before calling it a day. I put it on charge but got an error on the charger. AA man put his big starter pack on it and it turned over but wouldn't start, alternator had shorted out and was draining his starter pack at around 25 Amps with the ignition turned off ! So, new alternator fitted and battery partially charged on Wednesday then driven around in the dark on a few short journeys. With a train to catch on Friday morning I went out and the car would open but wouldn't start. As soon as the key was in the crank position all the lights on the dash went out. Mad panic with only 15 minutes to get to the station and a 10 minute drive... connected the starter pack up again and, thankfully, this time it started the engine without too much fuss. A short trip to the station and back then left in the drive. Saturday morning I went out to it again and battery worse than Friday, no lights on the dash at all and wouldn't let me turn the ignition on although the central locking worked, slowly. Battery pack connected again but not enough power to start it. I hadn't got around to recharging it after Friday so that may be a bit of an unfair test. So, these packs can start a vehicle, even a big diesel with loads of electronics, providing that the battery has enough life for the lights on the dash to work ! I think that alternator short that tied the battery to earth for a day or so (it measured 2 volts when I disconnected the earth lead on Monday) has probably killed the 6 month old AGM battery but, ever the optimist, it's been hooked up to my CTek battery conditioner for 24 hours so far... the starter pack may end up paying for itself at this rate ! Edited January 27, 2019 by Dave W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoSS Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 Thats what i said AGM are more tolerant of being held flat for a while, try recovering with a c-tek or similar, may be ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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