Keeping my car battery from going dead

[micky]

Is there a good device that disconnects the car battery when the voltage gets too low? '

For almost 15 years I used Battery Buddy, and it worked great. IIRC the first one lasted 13+ years, and I had prepared myself for when it broke by buying a second one. However the second one lasted only a year. It came in plain brown box and I think it was a 'second' that they sold off when they ended production, and maybe went out of business.

Then I bought the consumer version of Priority Start, which it seems is marketed largely to those with fleets of trucks, some of which may not be driven regularly. It was much more expensive, but had the advantage that it is reset without getting out of the driver's seat, just by pressing the brake pedal, which puts a drain on the battery.

I've had it for 5 or 6 years, ut it wasn't installed for 3 of them, and I had a new batter for the final year. So had only tripped 3 or 4 times when I first installed it, and yet it's not working right. It keeps tripping for no good reason, sometimes within seconds of being reset (and it confuses my car radio when it does this.)

It costs about $104. Would you buy a second one in these circumstances? Did I get a defective one?

Or is there another similar product?? (Googling didn't find anthing.)

I really wish there was another similar project. That's the biggest reason I'm posting.

I plan to buy, tonight or tomorrow night probably, one of those small battery jumpers*** like

(This onee is probably bigger than my 3.3L engine needs) But those are more effort than Battery Buddy and Priority Start are. I'd rather have both.

For many years I wouldn't replace my battery until it was worthless, and at first by geting jumps from passersby and later with the help of Battery Buddy, in one case I was able to go 5 years on a battery anyone else would have replaced. In that case, I saved $100 afaic. Now I have a

1-year old battery, good charging system, and a car that turns off the headlights after 30 seconds and iirc other lights after 30 minutes, but I still like the security of knowing if I drain the battery, maybe by parking and listening to the radio with its external amp, or charging the cellphone while talking on it while using the radio/amp as the speaker, it will disconnect when there is still plenty to start the car with.

***If you have a mini battery jumper you like, I'd also appreciate a recommendation. I like that you can power your phone even with some small ones.

[Clare Snyder]

I'm betting the battery buddy or priority start cost you more than a replacement battery - - - - - - I'd have just replaced the battery. I have AGM battery in the truck - takes a lot to bring that one down too low to start the truck - particularly since ALL the lights are now LED. I DO have a "Volt Reactor" Lithium jump pack - 16.5 amp hour, goiod for 200-300 amps to start engines over 5.7 liters. I've used it a couple times but never on MY vehicles - - I had an AGM in ther Taurus too - kept it when I sold the car - it will go into the Sorento when that battery gives up, I susprct.

[Dean Hoffman]

I looked out of curiosity and stumbled across this.

I have no idea how good it is. It does have the advantage of always being with the vehicle though.

[Marilyn Manson]

I have an Audew Epower-172, supposedly good for 8L gas, 6.5L Diesel. Don't know how true that it, but it starts my 3.5L vehicles just fine.

My biggest complaint with those lithium packs is how short the cables are. On one of my vehicles, the only ground it can reach is the throttle body case.

[micky]

It was a decent battery earlier. I got 5 more years out of it when it was no longer decent.

[Marilyn Manson]

One of my vehicles has an air intake tube running over the top of the negative terminal, making it inaccessible. The manufacturer provides a ground lug on the frame on the other side of the engine bay but there is no way the cable will reach.

Using the throttle body leaves the Audew in slightly precarious situation, sort of balanced on top of the engine. Not my favorite set-up.

[Marilyn Manson]

One of my vehicles has a remote starter which connects to the internet via an app on my phone. I can start the car with my phone, check the internal temperature, door lock status, etc. It also has feature that I wasn't aware of.

My battery died a couple of weeks ago. While I was replacing it, I was listening to music through a Bluetooth headset connected to my phone. Suddenly, instead of music, I heard a blaring alarm in my headset. I jumped and almost dropped my ratchet. I had no clue what was going on.

Since it was coming from my headset, I pulled my phone out of it's holster to see what happened to my music. That's when I saw the alert: "Battery Disconnected!" I cleared the alert and the alarm noise stopped.

When I reconnected the battery I got a little "Ping". A bit of let down after all the noise caused by the disconnect. I think some cheering or something would have been nice. ;-)

[Dean Hoffman]

Maybe a clip from Kool & the Gang's "Celebration".

[gfretwell]

If this is an issue very often, why not establish a more accessible ground?

[trader_4]

Great idea. Buy devices to get around a bad battery, take the risk of getting stuck at night in the pouring rain in the middle of nowhere, instead of just putting in a new $125 battery. It's one of the cheapest, easiest, infrequent maintenance items.

[Clare Snyder]

What did it cost for the battery buddy??? $120 to save a $100 battery???

[micky]

That's your false assumption. I bought it to get around a battery that was good or bad -- I've had both -- that was being discharged for whatever reason.

I never got stuck at all. It worked every time.

$125 is a lot of money. You spend your money your way and I'll spend mine my way.

[micky]

That's hilarious.

Of course not. This is going to happen more and more often with things connected to each other.

I agree.

[micky]

Because the lithium battery will wear out or because they won't work for electric cars?

Sounds dangerous. Oh, that's what Aussies call a flashlight

I still can't figure out how the Audew etc. send enough current through those thin wires to run the starter motor, without melting the wires' insulation or the wires themselves.

[micky]

This was about $25 the first time and 10 or 15 the second. I would have rather paid full price for a good one, of course, the second time.

That was expensive. And it's not that it doesn't work when the battery is discharged. That hasn't even happened. It's not working right when the battery is well charged.

But just like now, even with a new battery, I'd want my buddy.

I found a new one and a used one, VR-JP06, on ebay. I'll read more about them.

[micky]

They're a lot thinner, I think, therefore hotter.

That they're shorter means there is less voltage drop, but it doesn't make them run cooler.

[micky]

They're a lot thinner, I think, therefore hotter.

That they're shorter means there is less voltage drop, but it doesn't make them run cooler.

[danny burstein]

The ones I've used will only put out the full cranking amperage for something like 10 seconds before shutting down. (This is a timeout... there's still plenty of battery power left and you can reset/restart).

When used for cellphone charging, etc., which is much lower amperage, they'll stay live until they run out of power.

[micky]

Both halves of that sound good.

[gfretwell]

Australia must have repealed Ohm's law.