Booster Pack

[delboy777]

I am thinking of buying a battery booster pack, any thoughts on what to buy size/quality protection wise would be appreciated.....and Happy New Year to all

 

[television]

If you do buy one, never use it on a 203 unless you want to kill off all of the electric boxes.

These things are cheap inverters, and have a square wave very spiky output

 

[delboy777]

Ok i wont be buying one then, thanks Malcolm

 

[Autofix]

Ahh Malcom, stop with the good advice……..

I think cheap booster packs are great things. The damage they do has kept me busy and paid my mortgage for the last few years.

Seriously, they are a nightmare and one of my pet hates. The best use for them would be as a door stop on a windy day.

 

[delboy777]

Ahh Malcom, stop with the good advice……..

I think cheap booster packs are great things. The damage they do has kept me busy and paid my mortgage for the last few years.

Seriously, they are a nightmare and one of my pet hates. The best use for them would be as a door stop on a windy day.

Ok then i will have to invest in a set of Anti Surge jump leads then, what would you guys recommend ??

 

[television]

Ahh Malcom, stop with the good advice……..

I think cheap booster packs are great things. The damage they do has kept me busy and paid my mortgage for the last few years.

Seriously, they are a nightmare and one of my pet hates. The best use for them would be as a door stop on a windy day.

On those things to start a car, if the battery was dead flat you can get 24 volts out of them, in order to get the starting current required.

I like the paying the mortgage bit We all need perks in business

 

[JEZ.S320L]

Raises Hand

Errm. Dumb question, I'm afraid.

When you refer to 'Booster Pack', do you mean those rechargeable gizmo's that can be used to start a car with a flat battery?

............... lowers hand, and sits down...

 

[television]

Errm. Dumb question, I'm afraid.

When you refer to 'Booster Pack', do you mean those rechargeable gizmo's that can be used to start a car with a flat battery?

............... lowers hand, and sits down...

Yes sir Jez we do

 

[JEZ.S320L]

Yes sir Jez we do

Oh dear - I have one in the boot for 'just in case' moments. Best replace it with jump leads then.!

 

[delboy777]

Oh dear - I have one in the boot for 'just in case' moments. Best replace it with jump leads then.!

Anti Surge ones at that

 

[mercmadjim]

I have a 203, so please tell me, if I went out tomorrow morning and the battery was flat, what to do?? I can not use a booster pack, I can not use jump leads, I can not bump start it nor jump start it, so would I have to get it recovered to a MB dealer or indy?? and if the nice RAC man tried to use his booster cable things is he aware of all the pitfalls?? its very worrying!!

 

[television]

I have a 203, so please tell me, if I went out tomorrow morning and the battery was flat, what to do?? I can not use a booster pack, I can not use jump leads, I can not bump start it nor jump start it, so would I have to get it recovered to a MB dealer or indy?? and if the nice RAC man tried to use his booster cable things is he aware of all the pitfalls?? its very worrying!!

Have a read here and post back if you wish to

 

[mercmadjim]

Hi Malcolm, read where??????????

 

[television]

Hi Malcolm, read where??????????

sorry age is creeping in again

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=37364

 

[mercmadjim]

Ah, thank you, do you know if the breakdown services are aware of this?? I have met some fairly dim patrol men in my time!!!

 

[television]

Ah, thank you, do you know if the breakdown services are aware of this?? I have met some fairly dim patrol men in my time!!!

I do not think that they are by the post that we get on here after a emergency jump start. Some cars are not affected much.

 

[Autofix]

Most are not aware and this has led to some interesting conversations in my workshop. In reality you will get away with it most of the time with no damage and this leads to a false sense of security.

There is no need to panic. I think the best way is to educate yourself on the safest way to jump a car and insist on that in future.
In my opinion, the info in Malcoms link is spot on but I would add a little. After the car has been started, switch on as many consumers as possible on both cars before disconnecting the leads. The damage often occurs while disconnecting.

 

[mercmadjim]

Thanks for the info chaps, I think I will print off Malcolms post and put it in the car.
It used to be so much easier, cranking handles, carburettors and points, which you could set with a cigarette paper!!!and bump start the blighter!!!

 

[television]

Thanks for the info chaps, I think I will print off Malcolms post and put it in the car.
It used to be so much easier, cranking handles, carburettors and points, which you could set with a cigarette paper!!!and bump start the blighter!!!

Starting handles were fine until the higher compression engines and I dont think that any one would want to turn over a 5 litre car or even a 220 CDI.

Interesting that with the automatics of the 60's you could tow start them as they had a rear pump that gave the pressure within the box, rear pumps ended in the uk on the 35 or 8 Borg Warner boxes. I heard that MB are thinking of fitting them again.

If only the cars of yesterday had the high engineering of today cars would be great. Even a small Ford could do a few hundred K miles, and in that time, slip in a few sets of points, the odd coil and that was it.

 

[popuptoaster]

I love my old stack lights, built like tanks, none of these problems, no depreciation and easy to fix/jump/tow start, just have to put up with bad mpg and the fact they mist up in the damp weather for the first half hour of driving. lol

Just to say my dad has been using booster packs and jump leads to start his cabs (he keeps leaving the meter and thus the roof light on by accident, but it always give me huge satisfaction to start my 30 odd year old cars up from under a pile of snow and drive over to his to start his new ones) for years and has never had a problem, so it dont happen everytime, but saying that you opnly need it to happen once to regret it.