battery jump starter?
 

Durmax been sitting for a couple months. Click, click, click, siht. Dim head lights, so off to get my trusty Antigravity booster. Talk to the rep when I bought it and he swears up and down that it will turn the engine of a big diesel. Nope, been lie to again. It didn't move anything but a click. I even tried with my old Schumacher charger set up at 50 amp jump start. Nothing waited 10 min and it bearly turned the engine over once. Left it charging for 15 min at 10 amps and it started right up. Maybe there's not enough electron flowing through those stupid little side post GM like so much. I hate those side post batteries. The Interstate batteries in there are only 4 months old. Think any damage to batteries? What jump starters do you guys use to start a big engine like that. There are dual batteries under the hood of that truck.

How much peak amp is really needed for drain batteries on an engine like it? I see them up to 1800-2000 maps. Is it really necessary to get the biggest possible peak amp output or are they rated by cold cranking amps like a traditional starting battery?

You need to get a jumper made for the larger displacement V8/V10 and diesel motors. A lot of the regular jump packs work great for small gas motors, but best to get more power for your diesel. Plus, it probably loses some charge just sitting and waiting to be used.

https://www.amazon.com/AVAPOW-Battery-Starter-Powerful-Booster/dp/B08NPGCFSG/ref=sr_1_9?crid=3AUSMNCR30PYD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2pK hDUSU9UDL77m_Js5a1cUFio-DCc_KsdHLafAfM0sjPai6FCitoFdD_2QZXOtVu-qbLsmPJdUowJOBxCWLcc54Sx4oSRDOpaw9dD8BVqKa82YFEGUk N7SZIo_ZTw7DRSOdSuh9gWffejuqD6anvNU6bp_ilrByoSMyso 5_GCY4lUgwRp5eOs08OTQKO4MoI-E6gkeyThzLq63jsuNEl7PGKUkBIv46N5RDTHyul2o6hpj8Pou6 dKrvo0jEsw5rjZdCCdK-EppNnvsFsWQYdPjZT1A_q4kuDSSAwAK1N6s.PRxMuFAke7F5ha QnEpfSHpFBQivT_mzmMvh8sJNr0Jg&dib_tag=se&keywords= diesel+engine+jumper+pack&qid=1713653430&sprefix=d iesel+engie+jumper%2Caps%2C222&sr=8-9

I don't think anything less than 3000 amps is worth looking at . Higher would be better . I haven't had to jump my Duramax so I am just going on what manufacturers are saying in the ads . Most 2000 amp say " up to 6.0 L diesel " . And even if they are accurate in the description that's probably best case in laboratory conditions . Real world I want more oomph . Here is one example:

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Car-Battery-Jump-Starter/dp/B0CRYTDKLW

I bought one of those and it died. Good for maybe a few years and I mean literally a few, not several. I kept it up but one day I was going to top it off and it was a door stop.

It never did start a car that was dead. I think if the car is turning over slowly and not going to start, that's when you use it, not beyond.

^^^ Well that stinks ! Sorry it didn't last the reviews look good .

Jeff, looks like you've seen this movie before:
https://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1080427-solar-trickle-charger.html

I keep buying these things thinking they'll work. Those solar panels are worthless, hoping it would keep the battery topped off. Nope. There's a lot of cheap crap out there and I am really tired of buying over inflated output specs only to find out its junk. the Antigravity battery company is out here in Gardena and they are suppose to make an excellence products and I was again, dumb enough to listen to the salesman. Looks like I have to pay lots of money to get a pro grade jumper just to have around. What the the AAA guys use.

FWIW, I've had to use a jump pack (bought from NAPA).and another truck to light off my 2006 6.0L Ford.

Dave

Couldn't be that hard to build one. Lipo 8-10S or larger cells in a series parallel arrangement. RV Small Lipo batteries or an RV Lipo battery off amazon too. Think Outside the charge Box.

What the heck is a "series parallel" arrangement. Are you doing series in sets and then paralleling them for added amp hours?

Yes. (2) 6 VDC in series. Then add another pair in parallel. Lots of reserve that way.

I would also like to find a solar solution for my boat. 2 batteries, only have 220v (w/o a neutral) at the dock so I cannot use a trickle charger. My equipment trailer came with a solar cell, but it didn't maintain the battery.

I do have one of these digital battery testers, it can measure capacity and internal resistance of a 12v battery, so I can tell when a battery is reaching end of life. https://a.co/d/5RpXwuj

That's what I was looking for. You have good luck with them and it tells the overall health of the battery within minutes?

I have an old version of one of these:

https://www.schumacherelectric.com/products/categories/battery-chargers/

Yes. I was surprised, computerized, not like the old school brute-force resisters with an ammeter.

On my truck and boat I also replaced one of the cigarette lighters with a USB jack voltmeter:

https://a.co/d/hTZ0FC0

I have a volt meter but that only tells me if the alternator is functioning properly. The car battery tester you posted tells us lots more?

Paul, I have this old thing bought used back in my college days when I was poor. Had to buy used batteries to survive. That old charger still saves my bacon which it did last Saturday morning. I think the newer more sophisticated batteries and that old charger do not like each other.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1713744001.jpg

just buy 2 new batteries alligator arms. a diesel takes a ton of current to get underway and a jumper box is like a band aid for an alligator bite. see what I did there?

my 08 DM batteries lasted 12 years with trickle charging them when it's stay parked for a while towards the end. if your volt gauge is reading below 15 when running they are done.