Had to jump start the truck today....

[Mandelon]

I knew my truck's battery was getting tired. But it had been OK since I had to jump it a couple weeks ago. I had left the flashers on for a while when we were unloading and loading some appliances. Came back out, click click. No start. Jumped it and was fine....until today.

We had the doors open getting stuff out all morning. Interior lights on and off, but mostly on for a few hours. Anyway...go to leave and click click. No start.

We pulled out two cordless Bosch 18V battery from the drills. Jammed some #12 romex wires into the + and - terminals....held the other ends to the truck's battery. It worked! I had seen it done on a video a couple weeks ago, so I was pretty confident it would work.

I guess my other option was to wait for AAA or Uber down to Napa and buy a battery. But it is cool to know this really works.

 

[NicPaus]

Grab the new battery from Home Depot. I have had great luck with Exide batteries and there $90 less than Autozone.

 

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RDP is on a roll this week. This one, a battery debate thread.

 

[Icky]

I knew my truck's battery was getting tired. But it had been OK since I had to jump it a couple weeks ago. I had left the flashers on for a while when we were unloading and loading some appliances. Came back out, click click. No start. Jumped it and was fine....until today.

We had the doors open getting stuff out all morning. Interior lights on and off, but mostly on for a few hours. Anyway...go to leave and click click. No start.

We pulled out two cordless Bosch 18V battery from the drills. Jammed some #12 romex wires into the + and - terminals....held the other ends to the truck's battery. It worked! I had seen it done on a video a couple weeks ago, so I was pretty confident it would work.

I guess my other option was to wait for AAA or Uber down to Napa and buy a battery.

I once did it with an M18 and 2 pieces of 6011 with the flux knocked off.

 

[CLdrinker]

Remember when we used to just push start them?

 

[Runs2rch]

Remember when we used to just push start them?

Haha all the time. The good old days.

 

[outboard_256]

I knew my truck's battery was getting tired. But it had been OK since I had to jump it a couple weeks ago. I had left the flashers on for a while when we were unloading and loading some appliances. Came back out, click click. No start. Jumped it and was fine....until today.

We had the doors open getting stuff out all morning. Interior lights on and off, but mostly on for a few hours. Anyway...go to leave and click click. No start.

We pulled out two cordless Bosch 18V battery from the drills. Jammed some #12 romex wires into the + and - terminals....held the other ends to the truck's battery. It worked! I had seen it done on a video a couple weeks ago, so I was pretty confident it would work.

I guess my other option was to wait for AAA or Uber down to Napa and buy a battery. But it is cool to know this really works.

Did you give it a good full charge after the first drain down on a charger? I always do that after a battery goes dead. I feel like that gives the battery some life. But if the battery is over 7 years old I would start looking to replace it at your convivence.

Also curious if this was a diesel engine your Bosch battery worked on? My jump pack for my diesel truck is really big, my smaller one I carry for my other car wouldn't jump start my truck so I had to get a bigger one. Never tried the cordless batteries as jump starters, wonder if it would work.

 

[Mandelon]

This is probably the original battery in a 2013 truck.... and it has a 3.7 V-6 Definitely not a diesel, LOL. I'll take it out and replace it in the morning.

 

[rrrr]

I once did it with an M18 and 2 pieces of 6011 with the flux knocked off.

You da man... LOL.

 

[Waterjunky]

I have jumped my 17 twice in the last two months. I bought the truck in 20, but my best guess is that its original. I cannot find date stickers on the battery but it is a Ford battery. I think something is going wrong in it. I will try to start and it acts like 10V. I mess with it and a charger and within seconds one time it started like normal - just popped over. Not sluggish at all.

I suppose that 8 + years is a reasonable run for a battery. The truck was an early build 17.

 

[DRYHEAT]

I’m kind of curious as to whether you could burn out your ECM or something with the voltage spike? Apparently it didn’t hurt this time.

 

[coolchange]

Remember when we used to just push start them?

And park heading down hill..

 

[Mandelon]

I totally remember cruising parking lots looking for a spot where it would be easy to push start from. Sometimes even backing partway up a curb. LOL Hopping into a 60's era VW Bus wasn't the easiest. You had to hop up.... but it started super easy with a little momentum.

 

[pronstar]

Grab the new battery from Home Depot. I have had great luck with Exide batteries and there $90 less than Autozone.

They sell car batteries at HD now?

 

[monkeyswrench]

I’m kind of curious as to whether you could burn out your ECM or something with the voltage spike? Apparently it didn’t hurt this time.

If jumping to the battery, it kind of acts like a buffer before it hits the important stuff. I've used 12v cars to jump 6v ones, just don't have the headlights or radio on.

I use the 12v DeWalt/Mac batteries from my 3/8ths stuff to power stuff at wrecking yards or doing repairs on things. Enough juice to pop door locks and even used them to power rv auto winding canopies.

 

[riverroyal]

50k you can have my battery. Comes with a truck also

 

[DRYHEAT]

If jumping to the battery, it kind of acts like a buffer before it hits the important stuff. I've used 12v cars to jump 6v ones, just don't have the headlights or radio on.

I use the 12v DeWalt/Mac batteries from my 3/8ths stuff to power stuff at wrecking yards or doing repairs on things. Enough juice to pop door locks and even used them to power rv auto winding canopies.

Thanks, if I was in a pinch, I’d probably try something like that if I had nothing to lose. I guess that’s why I drive old junk.

Don’t know much of anything about them “ digitals”

 

[NicPaus]

They sell car batteries at HD now?

They have at the Torrance location for 8 years or so. Kinda hidden by the pro desk.

 

[Orange Juice]

Grab the new battery from Home Depot. I have had great luck with Exide batteries and there $90 less than Autozone.

Walmart. Took my 2yr 6month battery back cause it wouldn’t take a jump, free exchange on the 3 year battery. No cash traded hands.

 

[NicPaus]

Walmart. Took my 2yr 6month battery back cause it wouldn’t take a jump, free exchange on the 3 year battery. No cash traded hands.

Home depot has no way to test them. So returning 1 at 35 months old is no problem.

But I have had great success with them. So only returned 1.

 

[yz450mm]

I once did it with an M18 and 2 pieces of 6011 with the flux knocked off.

Did you give it a good full charge after the first drain down on a charger? I always do that after a battery goes dead. I feel like that gives the battery some life. But if the battery is over 7 years old I would start looking to replace it at your convivence.

Also curious if this was a diesel engine your Bosch battery worked on? My jump pack for my diesel truck is really big, my smaller one I carry for my other car wouldn't jump start my truck so I had to get a bigger one. Never tried the cordless batteries as jump starters, wonder if it would work.

Yes, it works!

I've gotten a couple different vehicles started with an M18 HD pack and this handy dandy little homemade adapter.

The M12 on the right is available from Milwaukee or Chinese knockoffs, pretty handy to have.

 

[TPC]

At 4 years old best to yank the battery out and replace. Except Panasonic car batteries. We get an easy 8 out of them.

AAA mobile battery truck tested the wife's Mazda 6 battery, said it was good and that next morning at work it failed.
Wifie is handi with the mini-jump kit and got home ok.

From now on at 4 years, remove and replace. Especially Korean car batteries.

Walmart batteries were cheap for decades now priced close the rest, but so easy to roll in and buy one, not too much hassle to exchange if they puke. Hit and run 10 mm wrench & muscle fuck project.

 

[WYRD]

Remember when we used to just push start them?

POP IT.. .!

 

[Romans9]

Western Auto starters were like $18 exchange. Never knew if the one you got would work or not.
We didn’t have $18 sometimes but we did have friends that could push, and we never bought automatics, never.