Bongo Fury

After my battery shenanigans last week, I thought it might be an idea to buy one of those jump-starter packs.

There's a new type of lithium-ion ones on the market now that are small, relatively quick to charge, hold power for ages, and can provide multiple jump-starts from one charge. Has anyone tried them and got any thoughts?

This is the one I was thinking of getting...

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-a ... &0&cc5_824

It reckons it's good to start diesel vehicles up to 2500 which ought to be just enough for my 2.5D AFT and price seems very reasonable too.

The thing is, a good diesel Bongo should start at the merest touch of the the key just as mine has for the 10 years i've owned it. A bad Bongo will probably knacker this device v quickly and still not start. I'd focus on ensuring tbe Bongo is good. The one thing that has saved me, twice (once when i'd left sidelights on, the other when the 7 year old starter battery died), was having a (really good, Energy Bull 135ah) leisure battery. On those occasions i was able to use the heavy duty jump leads (that i always keep in the Bongo) to link leisure battery to starter battery and give it 5 mins fast charge (not all - cheap - leisure batteries will appreciate this high current demand mind you so no liability accepted etc) before separating the batteries, which then allowed the flick of a key start to work, saving a call out to the RAC. If you don't have a leisure battery i suppose you could buy that lithium device for a similar purpose (and maybe light on site leisure purposes) though when they say 2500 diesel is the limit i get warning bells about how reliably it will work on a bongo.

mikeonb4c wrote:The thing is, a good diesel Bongo should start at the merest touch of the the key just as mine has for the 10 years i've owned it. A bad Bongo will probably knacker this device v quickly and still not start. I'd focus on ensuring tbe Bongo is good. The one thing that has saved me, twice (once when i'd left sidelights on, the other when the 7 year old starter battery died), was having a (really good, Energy Bull 135ah) leisure battery. On those occasions i was able to use the heavy duty jump leads (that i always keep in the Bongo) to link leisure battery to starter battery and give it 5 mins fast charge (not all - cheap - leisure batteries will appreciate this high current demand mind you so no liability accepted etc) before separating the batteries, which then allowed the flick of a key start to work, saving a call out to the RAC. If you don't have a leisure battery i suppose you could buy that lithium device for a similar purpose (and maybe light on site leisure purposes) though when they say 2500 diesel is the limit i get warning bells about how reliably it will work on a bongo.

Hi Mike,

I tried the LB approach recently and it didn't work for me, however that could just be that my LB isn't up to the job.

The bongo is a really good starter so I'm still interested in the power pack, but as you rightly say, the fact that it would be at it's limit does raise concerns. Hence wondering if any fellow bongonauts have taken the plunge.

That said, at the price they're stating I might get one anyway as it'll be more than up to the job for our two small cars, and quite useful as an off-grid USB charger as well.

Always fun to experiment and will be interested to hear how it works. V strange the leisure battery trick didn't work for you. I connected both +ve and -ve terminals directly rather than rely on vehicle earth for -ve connections. Did you do it that way. Also of course the leisure battery has to be up to the job. Mine's a good one (but not cheap). And if the starter battery is totally dead it won't work of course.

mikeonb4c wrote:Always fun to experiment and will be interested to hear how it works. V strange the leisure battery trick didn't work for you. I connected both +ve and -ve terminals directly rather than rely on vehicle earth for -ve connections. Did you do it that way. Also of course the leisure battery has to be up to the job. Mine's a good one (but not cheap). And if the starter battery is totally dead it won't work of course.

No... I relied on the vehicle earth assuming it'd be common for the two batteries. If I ever try it again, I'll be sure to connect the -ve terminals.

Cheers,
Phil

I have one. Got it for leisure battery use. (Got a fuel tank where the LB goes). Not as good as I expected. Yes I would say I am dis appointed with it . It may be I got a duff one. Will put some charge into a low battery but would not cope with more than half a start when connected.
Ian G

I use one of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B016UG ... ref=plSrch

I disconnected the battery by way of a test and Bongy started fine.

Engine was partly warm.

Watch prices as they vary a lot, and bear in mind there are lower capacity versions which may not do it.

Bob wrote:I use one of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B016UG ... ref=plSrch

I disconnected the battery by way of a test and Bongy started fine.

Engine was partly warm.

Watch prices as they vary a lot, and bear in mind there are lower capacity versions which may not do it.

Crikey! 2000A That's a lot of power. The one I'm looking at is 400A peak, but then it's a lot cheaper.

fatcatlawyer wrote:I have one. Got it for leisure battery use. (Got a fuel tank where the LB goes). Not as good as I expected. Yes I would say I am dis appointed with it . It may be I got a duff one. Will put some charge into a low battery but would not cope with more than half a start when connected.
Ian G

Do you have any idea what rating it is? According to what I've read, around 400A ought to be enough to start a 2.5 diesel engine, but if yours was rated at that it would certainly make me think twice.

We have one from a well known American tool seller and keep it in our breakdown bike.
They are OK if the motor doesn't need turning over more than a few times else they give up quickly.
It started a 2.8 Kia Diesel from cold with no problem that was a flat battery because the interior lights had been left on.
Cost was around 240.00 best I can recall.

fatcatlawyer wrote:I have one. Got it for leisure battery use. (Got a fuel tank where the LB goes). Not as good as I expected. Yes I would say I am dis appointed with it . It may be I got a duff one. Will put some charge into a low battery but would not cope with more than half a start when connected.
Ian G

Thing is these are designed to give a short high power oomph to start a motor with a flat battery, a leisure battery typicaly needs to deliver a small current for a long time.

Tommo 53 has one,(we do call him Insp Gadget),think he said it was £30 or so. He used it to jump start Di`s 2.5D Bongo,that the battery had gone flat,at Allithwaite last year.......started it no probs.To be very honest though,not sure how many times it turned the emgine over before it fired.

Brian

Bongoplod wrote:Tommo 53 has one,(we do call him Insp Gadget),think he said it was £30 or so. He used it to jump start Di`s 2.5D Bongo,that the battery had gone flat,at Allithwaite last year.......started it no probs.To be very honest though,not sure how many times it turned the emgine over before it fired.

Brian

Thanks Brian, good to know a relatively cheap one was enough to turn over a 2.5D. Sounds like it's worth taking a punt on to me, as my Bongo lives on the drive and it's really hard to get a car close enough to get jump leads across.

Cheers
Phil

You could always buy a second starter battery as your leisure battery. I've read (more than once) of people finding SBs work ok as LBs even if not optimised for that work. Permanently on board and charged and you know it will work with just jump leads.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201036699748

...is a similar price.

Personally i'd be nervous about how well that cheap lithium thing will work/last.

I guess that what they really do is help the main starter battery revive enough to start the vehicle.

With all we read about the danger of shorting Lithium ion batteries, I don't think I would like to give it a Bongo starting job all on its own.

Nevertheless, if I find myself with 50 quid burning a hole in my pocket, I might treat myself to one for amateur radio use.


Frank