Battery Booster Packs
+3
Tinwheeler
Roopert
Windsurf1
7 posters
The Auto-Sleeper Motorhome Owners Forum (ASOF) :: Auto-Sleeper Motorhome Forums :: Auto-Sleeper "Coachbuilt Motorhomes" Forum
Page 1 of 1
Battery Booster Packs
Hi, I've been advised that starting a Motor Home with a flat battery with a booster pack can damage the vehicles electrics (Computers) Vehicle is a 2010 Mercedes Sprinter.
Windsurf1- Member
-
Posts : 43
Joined : 2020-03-30
Location : Braunton
Auto-Sleeper Model : Devon
Vehicle Year : 2010
Re: Battery Booster Packs
Agreed - it is best avoided, if possible. There are some situations where it just isn't avoidable (e.g. dead battery on the side of a fast road, which should be very rare), but it's better to remove, recharge and replace if you can, or recharge in situ. If you have to recharge with an industrial fast-charger it's best to disconnect the battery from the vehicle electrics as well, as they can apply much higher than normal charging voltage.
Some parts seem to be more vulnerable than others - on a VW T5 it's the ABS brake controller - and that no doubt varies from make to make.
Some parts seem to be more vulnerable than others - on a VW T5 it's the ABS brake controller - and that no doubt varies from make to make.
Roopert- Member
-
Posts : 3824
Joined : 2019-03-10
Location : South East
Auto-Sleeper Model : Trooper
Vehicle Year : 2005
Re: Battery Booster Packs
Dealers do it all the time to the vehicles sat on their forecourts. They can’t keep every one of them connected to smart chargers.
Tinwheeler- Donator
-
Posts : 4028
Joined : 2018-09-20
Location : Kernow
Auto-Sleeper Model : None
Vehicle Year : None
Re: Battery Booster Packs
Probably true, and the chances of causing a failure are probably very low indeed - but the parts are so ridiculously expensive if you do cause one to fail that it is worth avoiding. On a T5, the ABS controller is roughly a £2000 part, and that's before it's been fitted and coded...Tinwheeler wrote:Dealers do it all the time to the vehicles sat on their forecourts. They can’t keep every one of them connected to smart chargers.
Roopert- Member
-
Posts : 3824
Joined : 2019-03-10
Location : South East
Auto-Sleeper Model : Trooper
Vehicle Year : 2005
Re: Battery Booster Packs
I don’t expect it to be a problem if used only as a last resort as most of us would but regular use might be a different matter.Roopert wrote:Probably true, and the chances of causing a failure are probably very low indeed - but the parts are so ridiculously expensive if you do cause one to fail that it is worth avoiding. On a T5, the ABS controller is roughly a £2000 part, and that's before it's been fitted and coded...Tinwheeler wrote:Dealers do it all the time to the vehicles sat on their forecourts. They can’t keep every one of them connected to smart chargers.
Tinwheeler- Donator
-
Posts : 4028
Joined : 2018-09-20
Location : Kernow
Auto-Sleeper Model : None
Vehicle Year : None
Re: Battery Booster Packs
Thanks for the replies. Agree a cranking output of these units is high and as pointed out car electrical components are eye watering expensive.
Windsurf1- Member
-
Posts : 43
Joined : 2020-03-30
Location : Braunton
Auto-Sleeper Model : Devon
Vehicle Year : 2010
Re: Battery Booster Packs
Are the jump starting points under the bonnet provided for just this purpose??
_________________
Peter L
PLOUGHLIN- Donator
-
Posts : 4899
Joined : 2014-06-24
Member Age : 55
Location : NORTH HERTS
Auto-Sleeper Model : MB Gloucester
Vehicle Year : 2011
IanH likes this post
Re: Battery Booster Packs
Indeed they are.PLOUGHLIN wrote:Are the jump starting points under the bonnet provided for just this purpose??
Tinwheeler- Donator
-
Posts : 4028
Joined : 2018-09-20
Location : Kernow
Auto-Sleeper Model : None
Vehicle Year : None
brodco and IanH like this post
Re: Battery Booster Packs
Yes, I think most Merc Sprinters have a positive battery connection under the bonnet. I've used it once to charge up the vehicle battery using a smart charger. There was a warning light on the dash but a little reset procedure extinguished the light eventually. Probably illuminated when the battery was low. Thinking about it now the battery was possibly drained leaving the fridge door open with the selection left on battery?
Windsurf1- Member
-
Posts : 43
Joined : 2020-03-30
Location : Braunton
Auto-Sleeper Model : Devon
Vehicle Year : 2010
Re: Battery Booster Packs
I can't speak for the Merc but our Peugeot handbook advised against battery charging via the under bonnet connectors.
Tinwheeler- Donator
-
Posts : 4028
Joined : 2018-09-20
Location : Kernow
Auto-Sleeper Model : None
Vehicle Year : None
Re: Battery Booster Packs
Thinking laterally.....
None of this would be necessary with 80+w solar on roof.
Both batteries more or less guaranteed full 365 days / yr!!!
None of this would be necessary with 80+w solar on roof.
Both batteries more or less guaranteed full 365 days / yr!!!
IanH- Donator
-
Posts : 8468
Joined : 2020-05-04
Location : NORTH WALSHAM
Auto-Sleeper Model : Executive
Vehicle Year : 2002
brodco likes this post
Re: Battery Booster Packs
Agreed Ian. Fortunately or unfortunately which ever way you view it. Yes I have a solar panel fitted but my M/H is kept under a large car port at home. However periodical driving out does keep the batteries up. However as I stated earlier I think maybe leaving the fridge open and selected to battery position may have caused the vehicle battery drain? Further invest. Cheers J C.
Windsurf1- Member
-
Posts : 43
Joined : 2020-03-30
Location : Braunton
Auto-Sleeper Model : Devon
Vehicle Year : 2010
Re: Battery Booster Packs
Unless your fridge is a 12v compressor type it will not work on 12V unless the engine is running. I would expect your van to have a Domestic or Thetford 3 way fridge rendering 12v usage impossible unless engine is running.
Last edited by inspiredron on Wed Jun 01, 2022 10:54 pm; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : Typos)
_________________
Best wishes - Ron
inspiredron- Member
-
Posts : 3436
Joined : 2012-06-02
Member Age : 83
Location : Ellesmere, Shropshire
Auto-Sleeper Model : Lancashire
Vehicle Year : 2012
IanH likes this post
Re: Battery Booster Packs
The fridge control panel and interior light are usually a permanent live feed from the leisure battery to cope with running on gas off grid so would not drain the vehicle battery. The fridge motor runs as per Ron's description.
Tinwheeler- Donator
-
Posts : 4028
Joined : 2018-09-20
Location : Kernow
Auto-Sleeper Model : None
Vehicle Year : None
Re: Battery Booster Packs
Thanks all for confirmation of the fridges power supply. Vehicle battery seems to behaving now.
Windsurf1- Member
-
Posts : 43
Joined : 2020-03-30
Location : Braunton
Auto-Sleeper Model : Devon
Vehicle Year : 2010
Re: Battery Booster Packs
I was told not to jump start a modern vehicle with the doner vehicle engine running, as the engine starts it is hit with the output of 2 alternators,
Molly3- Member
-
Posts : 620
Joined : 2017-11-06
Location : Sheffield
Auto-Sleeper Model : Nuevo
Vehicle Year : 2014
Re: Battery Booster Packs
Molly3 wrote:I was told not to jump start a modern vehicle with the doner vehicle engine running, as the engine starts it is hit with the output of 2 alternators,
MB instructions include "run the donor vehicle's engine at idling speed", which has been my understanding for all vehicles.
_________________
Peter L
PLOUGHLIN- Donator
-
Posts : 4899
Joined : 2014-06-24
Member Age : 55
Location : NORTH HERTS
Auto-Sleeper Model : MB Gloucester
Vehicle Year : 2011
Similar topics
» Battery booster pack
» Premium and Winter Packs.
» Teleco Aerial and Signal Booster
» TV Booster Reinza
» Aerial booster
» Premium and Winter Packs.
» Teleco Aerial and Signal Booster
» TV Booster Reinza
» Aerial booster
The Auto-Sleeper Motorhome Owners Forum (ASOF) :: Auto-Sleeper Motorhome Forums :: Auto-Sleeper "Coachbuilt Motorhomes" Forum
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum