With over 200 ECUs in most modern vehicles, a simple ‘jump start’ when your battery is dead could do far more damage than you’d ever think.
Onboard computers (ECUs) run at around 16 volts in today’s vehicles. Using a jump start pack to get your lead acid battery back to life can cause a surge of power of up to 20 volts. This quick spike can easily blow ECUs, resulting in hundreds or thousands of pounds worth of repairs.
Not to mention questionable warranty validity if you slip up and say that’s what happened.
Battery damage through jump starting
It’s not just ECUs that can be damaged from a jump start. Batteries that are near death need to be taken care of. A slow, gentle charge can recondition the battery instead of a sudden flood of power from the alternator.
This can cause the battery to heat up, leading to the shedding of lead dioxide inside. Debris can build up, lowering efficiency and dramatically reducing your battery’s lifespan.
This is often why a battery that has been jump started starts to die quicker after every jump.
Jump starting, the safe way
CTEK has recently released the CS FREE. Instead of jump starting instantly, the pack will check the condition of your battery, then charge it until it’s ready to be started.
This makes it totally safe for your onboard electronics and enables you to half-charge your battery so that the alternator can slowly raise the charge to full again.
The CS Free also works as a portable power bank with USB ports that can charge your phone or power your laptop.
It can also be used as a regular battery trickle charge/maintainer, just like the CTEK CS One, which we reviewed here, so it’s really three products in one – jump starter, power bank, and trickle charger.
