jump starter or spare battery?

H

h&t

New member
Hi all,

My 2011 is 4+ years old and so is the battery.
Since I sometimes drive to very remote areas (mostly for fishing and hunting) I've considered purchasing a jump starter, but was always put off by reported unreliability. I recently noticed the new generation of jump starters which are very compact (LiIon?). Reading reviews, I am again perplexed by how some people rave about them and some flat out say - it didn't work.
Anyone has an idea to the reason..?

Now my main question - I am leaning toward an idea of hauling a spare battery with me (just the regular car battery that I could swap in if I ever had an issue with the main one).
I am not interested in the dual battery setup, if anyone's going to suggest that, due to expense and complexity (JMO).

Any comments?
 
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I would get a jump starter. Some of them can be "topped off" by connecting to the 12v power port in your 4runner. I've been using one for almost a year and it's worked great. I haven't needed it on the 4runner but it's worked fine on my wife's Jeep.
 
How about just getting a new battery if you're that worried?

I also have my doubts about the newer jump starters, they're way too light weight to have the CA they claim. They don't say what type battery they have, but the weight of my commercial duty one with a nice AGM battery lets me sleep well at night.
 
h&t said:
Hi all,

My 2011 is 4+ years old and so is the battery.
Since I sometimes drive to very remote areas (mostly for fishing and hunting) I've considered purchasing a jump starter, but was always put off by reported unreliability. I recently noticed the new generation of jump starters which are very compact (LiIon?). Reading reviews, I am again perplexed by how some people rave about them and some flat out say - it didn't work.
Anyone has an idea to the reason..?

Now my main question - I am leaning toward an idea of hauling a spare battery with me (just the regular car battery that I could swap in if I ever had an issue with the main one).
I am not interested in the dual battery setup, if anyone's going to suggest that, due to expense and complexity (JMO).

Any comments?
Click to expand...

Are you having problems with your battery? Just because it's 4 years old is nothing if it works fine. If you want to carry a spare just to jump start youself? The good battery packs are the way to go. We use them at work often on all types of vehicles and they work amazingly well. They are not cheap nor light weight, but they weigh a little less then a full on battery.
 
It sounds like the battery is fine, but OP is afraid of getting stuck. I suggest a jump start pack with a large battery. The cheap ones come with little mini batteries that would never start a vehicle on their own, and rely on the battery being not completely dead.

The Jump-N-Carry brand has replaceable batteries, which is good. You can look at the replacements and see what size they use.
Clore Automotive

I would buy the one that uses the heaviest battery you can afford. (If you can't find the capacity of the battery, weight is a good indicator). The smallest one they have is 10lbs, and that is not enough, IMO. Around 20lbs is probably a good size to look for. Amazon lists the shipping weight for all their products, so you can estimate the capacity from that if it's not listed. Amp ratings are basically useless. Also, look for a unit with the heaviest jumper cables you can find.

Lithium batteries are more expensive, so you won't be able to get as much power for the same price if you have a price in mind. They are good if you want to save weight or space.

If you get a second full-size battery, you will need to charge it periodically or it may be damaged. You will also need to secure it in a way that it can't spill, unless it's sealed/non-spillable. Maintenance-free batteries are not necessarily sealed enough to prevent spills.

If the 5th gens still come with a Panasonic battery, don't replace it until you need to because no one makes a battery as good, and you can't buy replacements of them.

You could consider replacing the starter battery with a larger size one, if you can make it fit. Larger size (like more weight) is the surest way to get more capacity.
 
h&t said:
Hi all,

My 2011 is 4+ years old and so is the battery.
Since I sometimes drive to very remote areas (mostly for fishing and hunting) I've considered purchasing a jump starter, but was always put off by reported unreliability. I recently noticed the new generation of jump starters which are very compact (LiIon?). Reading reviews, I am again perplexed by how some people rave about them and some flat out say - it didn't work.
Anyone has an idea to the reason..?

Now my main question - I am leaning toward an idea of hauling a spare battery with me (just the regular car battery that I could swap in if I ever had an issue with the main one).
I am not interested in the dual battery setup, if anyone's going to suggest that, due to expense and complexity (JMO).

Any comments?
Click to expand...
I know you said you don't want it, but for your described use, a dual battery system is what will work best.
it can be done for cheap, much less than a quality jump box(minus the spare battery of course). but then you would never have to worry when "driving to very remote areas"

IMO carrying a spare battery in the back is silly. you would have to take extra precautions with it, storage, acid etc.. and also would need to remember to pull it out every few months to charge it...
 
hey, em, good one.

m85476585 said:
It sounds like the battery is fine, but OP is afraid of getting stuck.
Click to expand...

correct.
Good points about spillage.
I think I'd rather get a spare one, maintain it and carry with me when needed.
How would I go about choosing a 'bigger' replacement when the time comes..?

With my 96 4runner, I went through few batteries (obviously), but I always followed manufacturers recommendation for the replacement.
The current one is Interstate and it served me well.
 
nevada said:
dual battery system is what will work best.
it can be done for cheap, much less than a quality jump box(minus the spare battery of course).
Click to expand...

can you point me to a write-up on that..? What I found looked pretty complicated to me.
 
h&t said:
How would I go about choosing a 'bigger' replacement when the time comes..?
Click to expand...

It may be more difficult than I expected. The battery in 4runners is about as big as they come, though there may be some variations depending on the options and the year. Depending on what's installed there might be a slightly larger battery available. Figure out what group size you have, and see if there's a group size that's larger and gives you more capacity for the same brand of battery. When I had a Honda Civic it came with a little battery to save weight, and people would often replace it with the next size up for better reliability. Maybe you can find an industrial battery that's bigger, but it probably won't be cheap.
 
h&t said:
can you point me to a write-up on that..? What I found looked pretty complicated to me.
Click to expand...

ugh. I just had a bunch typed out, then the site crashed and I lost it all.
sorry, but I don't have the time, or patience to write it out again now.

it can be done. if you choose that's the route you want to go, shoot me a PM, and I will walk you through it.
 
The problem is that little lithium devices probably won't be as reliable as lead-acid based jumpstarters. I was skeptical about the capacity claim on one in this thread:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/gener...-dont-have-too-much-need-but.html#post1803320

There are other problems, too. Lithium batteries probably don't tolerate heat and cold as well as lead acid. Heat can cause permanent damage, and they might not work well in the cold.

If you store it fully charged (or worse, plugged in), you may shorten the life of the battery. Lithium batteries like to be stored partially charged, but that won't help you much if you want to use it.

The lifespan may be limited. Laptop batteries only seem to last a few years, and their life can be shortened by too many or too few cycles. And laptop batteries are a lot more expensive for the capacity than these, because they have more protection circuitry built in, because they use better quality cells, and because they undergo more testing.

If you drain a lithium battery too much or too quickly it might catch on fire.

If lithium batteries were a good replacement for lead acid batteries for starting batteries, auto makers would spec them in. The weight savings would save a significant amount of fuel and improve performance and handling. But they don't, because to do it right would be expensive.

If you buy an expensive jumpstarter that's lead acid based you are (presumably) paying extra for a quality product. If you buy a lithium based one for the same price, you are paying for an expensive battery inside a cheap product.
 
Jeremy556 said:
Antigravity XP-10
18 ounces, 300 continuous amps, 600 peak amps.
Click to expand...

Sorry but those are not very good. I know from personal experience the small ones pretty much start a Prius (joke but true) or low battery small car. They don't have the power to start dead larger vehicles reliably.
Awesome for motorcycles etc. They work great to charge your phone and Ipod though.
Through trial, error, expense....this one is by far one of the best for actually working without all the bling bling! Takes just a normal extension cord to re-charge, cables are more the long enough, and it has serious power!

Schumacher PSJ-2212 DSR ProSeries 2200 Peak Amps Jump Starter and Portable Power Unit
 
reelamin said:
Sorry but those are not very good. I know from personal experience the small ones pretty much start a Prius (joke but true) or low battery small car. They don't have the power to start dead larger vehicles reliably.
Awesome for motorcycles etc. They work great to charge your phone and Ipod though.
Through trial, error, expense....this one is by far one of the best for actually working without all the bling bling! Takes just a normal extension cord to re-charge, cables are more the long enough, and it has serious power!

Schumacher PSJ-2212 DSR ProSeries 2200 Peak Amps Jump Starter and Portable Power Unit
Click to expand...


I Have this one too, and I have used it 2 times, works like a charm.

OP - go to this site: Jump Starters Guide | Choosing Jump Starters Made Easy

Read up on the different brands/models and get the right thing.
 
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