Battery jump starter pack

[soprano]

My car sits in a garage without power so no chance of connecting a trickle charger - during the colder months it is especially prone to flattening the battery.

Does anybody have any experience of using a battery jump pack?

Something like the Clarke 4000 heavy duty jump start pack

Any particular advantages or disadvantages apart from not needing another car?

Vehicle to be 'regularly' jumped is a Griff 500 if that makes any difference

Cheers

[Camaro]

If its not used often, take it off and bring it in somewhere warm attached to a trickle charger. Letting a battery go flat is not good, must always try and keep them charged.

[soprano]

Camaro said:

If its not used often, take it off and bring it in somewhere warm attached to a trickle charger. Letting a battery go flat is not good, must always try and keep them charged.

I know, the problem is that the battery is up inside the passenger footwell which is a complete PITA when it comes to keeping the car in a single garage with no power away from the house.

In the summer it's fine as I drive it often enough and the warmer weather helps. I still want to use it in the winter but inevitably with the weather it's too long between uses and therefore it's dead.

[eltax91]

Buy a solar powered trickle charger and run it to a window or through the door gap and onto roof?

[the stigs dad]

Solar powered trickle charger with panel on roof.

[raceboy]

The problem I always have with my 'jump starter' is it is always flat when I need it, therefore I always need to 1st charge that before I can use it and that's not a quick job.
Have you looked into the solar trickle chargers?

[soprano]

Hmmm interesting. I didn't know about these.

Anybody have a particular recommendation?

[fido]

I bought a bright yellow starter pack from Halfords for £60. I got fed up of calling the AA to do the same thing, and it has helped me out a few times. The instructions say I should charge it every 3 months but I usually just do it around this time of year and after winter. It also says 'for vehicles up to 2 litres' but the 968 is 3 litres and it works fine! They also do a £100 power pack so perhaps that is for larger engined cars(?)

Edited by fido on Sunday 18th November 21:49

[calibrax]

I have this one, it started my car today when its battery was flat from sitting for a while (car is a 2.0 diesel, so needs a good amount of power to turn over).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-345782-Starter-...

The reviews aren't brilliant, but I've had absolutely no problems with it.

[raceboy]

eBay is full of solar chargers, no idea if they are any good, never used one, my TVR is plugged into an Acumate but at about £10 it's got to be worth a punt.

[Darumvej]

[quote=soprano]

Something like the Clarke 4000 heavy duty jump start pack

I have used one of them for the past 7 years, sometimes left uncharged for over 3 months and it will still jump off a 3.5 V8.

[soprano]

It would need to be something that could be left outside as I have no windows either

[Chicane-UK]

Whatever you do, avoid the Halfords battery jump packs.. I bought one and got about one use of it before I killed the battery. It never worked again. Utter crap - AND I lost the receipt so couldn't take it back.

[Dogwatch]

I've had a Draper battery booster pack for some years now and it has got me out of a few potentially difficult moments as something as yet untraced drains the Focus battery if left for more than a day or two. Despite irregular use it still delivers.
In fact the most useful item on the unit is the 12v lighter socket which gets used to run the tyre pump (no need to open the car doors!)and as a stationary supply for all sorts of 12v car electronics indoors.
My suggestion - make sure you get a decent amperage, be very wary of all the bells and whistles (lights, compressors, etc) offered with some models. They either won't be used or won't last.
If you want to maintain a charge in a battery you shouldn't use a trickle charger as this usually just shoves in charge regardless of the battery state. The correct gizmo is a battery conditioner which adjusts its output according to the battery state. Sadly they cost a bit more than trickle chargers but will keep the battery happy for weeks of non-use.

[markmullen]

It would be worth getting a quote for power in your garage, a single supply shouldn't cost too much and will make the job a lot easier if you can run an Optimate.

[daemon]

soprano said:

Does anybody have any experience of using a battery jump pack?

Something like the Clarke 4000 heavy duty jump start pack

Vehicle to be 'regularly' jumped is a Griff 500 if that makes any difference

Cheers

I've had a Clarke 4000 for about three years now. Very heavy unit, but it'll basically start anything.

Highly recommended.

[soprano]

markmullen said:

It would be worth getting a quote for power in your garage, a single supply shouldn't cost too much and will make the job a lot easier if you can run an Optimate.

I would but I rent the house so that's a bit of a non starter. It's also a really strange layout where my garage is the other side of my neighbours house and garage which I think would make it difficult

[frodo_monkey]

Having had a Griff 500 before, it is a pain in the ass to jump start with the battery being at the bottm of the passenger footwell - would definitely recommend a trickle charger if humanly possible!

[SuperVM]

Fit a battery isolator? This seems to work for my stepdad's Riley, which can be left for months at a time.

[g3org3y]

daemon said:

soprano said:

Does anybody have any experience of using a battery jump pack?

Something like the Clarke 4000 heavy duty jump start pack

Vehicle to be 'regularly' jumped is a Griff 500 if that makes any difference

Cheers

I've had a Clarke 4000 for about three years now. Very heavy unit, but it'll basically start anything.

Highly recommended.

^Buy a good one.

Last year when the E30 was having occasional flat battery issues, prior to a Euro road trip I bought a jump started off ebay. Charged it up every so often and had it dutifully in the boot should we have any issues. Luckily, the Euro drive was problem free.

However, a couple of weeks later, flat battery on the drive. Out comes the fully charged ready do go charger - your time has come! - didn't make a jot of difference (2.5 litre engine)! Had to get a mate to jump start me.

Said booster pack is now essentially an overpriced air compressor!