Jump starter for Dodge Diesel truck 2012

I know how they work. I leave the doors and hood open in my garage all the time. It’s still not stupid to be prepared. I’m also aware of how large and expensive a jump starter has to be to start a Diesel engine. That’s why I said I sized mine so it would start my built-in generator that’s always with me. That way I can use it to charge USB devices and still have enough “ummp” to start the generator if it’s needed. Things with batteries that aren’t used occasionally tend to be useless when you need them.

Insinuating someone is stupid and deserves to have something bad happen to them is quite the reflection on you. It’s what I’ve come to expect though.

:):)

GDtrailer makes some excellent points. Here are some more...

Check with a flashlight into a cell to make sure the battery has not frozen. Jumping a frozen battery invites an explosion.

Jumper cables for a diesel should be a dead minimum of FOUR AWG solid copper. And even then, a solid TEN MINUTES of charging should be the minimum time to allow the batteries to charge. Ponder the point. Twenty feet or more of four gauge starter cable cannot support cold weather engine cranking. Let the engine batteries charge up enough to carry the majority of the cranking load.

Cranking the other guy's engine with yours risks blowing the hell out of your nightmare to replace ECU. I have serviced far too many no start or limp home misfits that reportedly had jumped started another vehicle the week prior. Jump to charge a battery, disconnect the cables then crank the affected vehicle. Insist the other driver exit his vehicle before jumping his vehicle. Too many prove to be utterly stupid and despite clear instructions go against your wishes.

I made a fortune in the seventies and eighties jump-starting notoriously hard to jump start vehicles at high altitudes and bitter cold temperatures. I used a series paired 8-D and 7-D batteries 300 pounds of fully charged 14 volts plus 2/0 jumper cables. It all cranked early Ford 6.9 Ford diesels with 17MT Delco non gear reduction starter motors. Plus a glow plug override. I had a Cole Hersee inline lever switch rated 1,000 amps in line. With the advent of ULSD gelled diesel today is less of a problem.

My toad has a gear reduction ND starter so 80 amps boost is all it needs to crank when it's 70F. Cold weather cranking will forever remain unknown on purpose.

Yes, they’re excellent points. Right up until you hear yourself saying “Uh, it shouldn’t have done that”.

I had a long career working on computers myself. I only put my full trust in automotive control modules when the vehicle is sitting at home in my garage.

:):)

NRALIFR wrote:
Yes, they’re excellent points. Right up until you hear yourself saying “Uh, it shouldn’t have done that”.

I had a long career working on computers myself. I only put my full trust in automotive control modules when the vehicle is sitting at home in my garage.

:):)

Buying a "jump box" for a "just incase" is of zero help when you FORGOT to CONTINUALLY RECHARGE said jump box.

You VEHICLE automatically recharges it's own battery(ies) once you start it. MUCH more "dependable" than remembering some jump box tossed under a seat for a few yrs.

Ignoring the SIGNs of your starting battery going south is also not all that smart. They DO give plenty of warnings that they have lost capacity and one CHOOSES to ignore it just because they have that partially discharged or completely dead jump box tossed under a seat that they forgot about for several yrs.

You are also not thinking of a secondary issue with newer lithium jumpboxes.. Lithium battery tech does not like to be charged or discharged in very cold weather.. The BMS on the internal battery will refuse to allow the jumpbox to start your now dead vehicle in sub zero weather.. Now just how good is that?

Your standard off the shelf auto starting batteries have no such restrictions..

Perhaps it makes you feel warm and fuzzy to think a little $80 jump box is going to start a diesel engine which is equipped with not one but TWO mammoth sized FLA batteries.. But that is nothing more than folly and you won't realize it until you accidentally find yourself with a totally dead useless jumpbox.

The BEST plan is to plan ahead with KNOWN GOOD batteries and never, ever use the starting battery as additional capacity for your TC or trailer..

If you have a TC, there ARE plenty of available places to stash extra batteries on the truck, between the wheel wells is a vast space of wasted area that can hold quite a lot of batteries.. There is a lot of space under the truck on the outside of the frame rails which lots of batteries can be stashed..

You really don't want to mess with a jumpbox when it comes to Diesels, not enough juice to light the glow plugs enough or spin it fast enough and you can find yourself in a world of hurt when it hydrolocks.. Heck even too low of battery voltage on some Ford Diesels can prove disastrous to the FICM adding more insult to injury.

Go ahead and feel warm and fuzzy with that jumpbox as your protector.

Some do gain comfort with having a spare tire, serpentine belt, maybe wheel bearings for the trailer, warm blanket, emergency food and water, spare batteries for the flashlight or walkie-talkies, and plenty of other random stuff. Maybe if they get in a jam or maybe to help someone else.

I give credit to those that are prepared.

I have jumped exactly one diesel. It was a 24 volt model and we used multiple devices to get 24 volt.. the jump pack was a 1000 amp peak.

My suggestion is an echo of what is above if your system is a 12 volt go with a 2000 or bigger. NOTE one that size is going to be a bit like the radio to my right.

When I bought it I had them ship it to me "Want to avoid the sales tax" ask the sales person.. "No, want to keep my arms the same length, that sucker is heavy) 100 watt HF/VHF/UHF transmitter/with Dual receiver on U/Vhf.. Yes it is heavy.> Works well too).

Even the 900 amp I have now is not something to be carried lightly.

I do have a light weight one in the car (LI battery)