batesy Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Had new batteries fitted last year but due to lockdown the starter battery is flat. Is there a jump starter that we can get that will start the van if we have this problem again. Have been searching internet but not getting very helpful answers. Don’t want to spend money on something that may not work. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooster63 Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 I used to have a Citroen Relay based camper van that had a drain on the starter battery I never managed to identify. Usually got away with it by keeping van on EHU with a trickle charger but on the 3 or 4 occasions I got caught out I used a portable re-chargeable jump starter very successfully. I had a Guliman but they seem to be out of stock but have pasted in link so you can compare outputs etc https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guluman-Portable-19800mAh-Jumpstarter-Power-77Black/dp/B06XBX46M7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alanb Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 The use of a jump starter pack was recently discussed here on the Motorhome Facts forum. I liked the suggestion of using the habitation battery as a jump power source, but it would need to be a dual purpose battery such as the popular Varta LFD95, and not a leisure battery, which would be damaged by the high current involved. It would also be wise to read this article by the late Allan Evans on the hazards of jump starting a motorhome. As stated in the MH Facts thread, any jump starter would need to be kept in a charged state if it was to be of immediate use. Allowing any lead acid based battery to completely discharge, will severely shorten its life. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Bry Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 batesy - 2021-04-08 4:35 PM Had new batteries fitted last year but due to lockdown the starter battery is flat. Is there a jump starter that we can get that will start the van if we have this problem again. Have been searching internet but not getting very helpful answers. Don’t want to spend money on something that may not work. Thanks I have 1 of these and carry this around with me in case I can help on sites. I also have a heavy duty battery power cables in the garage of our motorhome, again if people need help. https://tinyurl.com/kcz4vzpt (The URL that results from a GOOGLE-search can often be large in size and this will ‘stretch’ the posting laterally. It’s always worth using the forum’s PREVIEW feature before posting to check that a posting’s text is OK and that any links provided are functional. PREVIEW should also reveal whether a link will stretch the posting and, if this is going to happen, a URL shortener should be employed. I use TINYURL https://tinyurl.com/app but there are alternatives. Derek Uzzell) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 Batesy has provided no details of the Ducato vehicle regarding its motor. The Ducato has been in production since 1981 with engines varying in capacity and fuel-type from 1.8litre(petrol) to 3.0litre(diesel) and, although a jump-starter designed to be able to start a 3.0litre diesel engine will easily cope with a small capacity petrol motor, vice versa will not be the case. This link is to a 2021 WhatCar? review of ‘jump-starters’ https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-jump-starters-2021/n22349 and it should be noted that some of the devices are only recommended by their manufacturers for diesel engines when the motors’ capicity is relatively modest. The use of jump-starting power-packs was discussed here in 2017 https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Van-starter-rescue-packs/48061/ It might be worth considering reducing the charge loss of the starter-battery by connecting it to the leisure-battery. The simplest/cheapest/crudest approach would be Clive Mott-Gotobed’s ‘bridging-fuse’ ploy http://www.motts.org/BRIDGING%20FUSE.htm and (probably) the most sophisticated approach would be to install the fit-and-forget Van Bitz “Battery Master” unit (about £70) https://www.vanbitz.com/battery-master/ (On Pages 116/117 of the May 2021 issue of MMM Magazine there is an article on DIY-fitting the Battery Master.) If the motorhome’s leisure-battery is receiving no charge for a long enough period, neither the bridging-fuse nor the Battery Master will protect the starter-battery from becoming fully discharged. However, both approachs should mean that it will take longer before the charge of the starter-battery reduces to the point when it cannot start the motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 Alanb - 2021-04-08 9:57 PM ...I liked the suggestion of using the habitation battery as a jump power source, but it would need to be a dual purpose battery such as the popular Varta LFD95, and not a leisure battery, which would be damaged by the high current involved.... Alan Nit-picking perhaps, but there’s a Varta LFS95 that is marketed as a ‘pure’ starter-battery (the “S” = Starter) https://www.varta-automotive.com/en-gb/products/varta-professional-starter/930-095-080 and a Varta LFD90 that is marketed as dual-purpose (the “D” = Dual-purpose) https://www.varta-automotive.com/en-gb/products/varta-professional-dual-purpose/930-090-080 It was the Varta LFD range that the late Allan Evans was a fan of. (I notice that the Varta LFS95 is advertised by several online battery suppliers as a “leisure battery” but, according to Varta it is not.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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