Jump start another car FROM a Prius?

I use a Canadian Tire booster pack rated 700 cranking amps. Asides from monthly charges to ensure the battery is fully charged, it can sit in the hatch.

I've used it four times now to rescue stalled motorists, and it has had no problem cranking an early 80's vintage "K" car, a mid 90's Dodge minivan, an early 90's Chevy pickup 350 V8, and a tired early 90's Accord.

Yes, after each use you must plug it in to charge it. Although it can be charged through a cig. lighter adapter, they prefer plugging an extension cord directly into the unit.

 

I know about the jump start terminal to jump the Prius if it's dead, but can you jump someone else's car from the Prius?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Nos402 @ Dec 6 2006, 01:17 PM) [snapback]358555[/snapback]</div>

I've jump started my Audi from the Prius. Hooked the jumpers directly to the battery terminals on the Prius and the positive terminal and a ground on the Audi. Worked fine.

I think the user manual recommends against this though.........

 

It's not recommended, as the current draw required to start a car is rather high. If you must do it, hook it up to their battery for 10-15 minutes, then disconnect it and let them try to start it. You don't want their starter to risk blowing the fuse between your 12V system and the HV batteries.

 

Not really a good idea, as the manual strictly say you should not. The quick draw of power could not only blow a fuse but fry the relays. The small battery in the Prius basically is for running the ECU and the relays for the traction battery, which actually is used to start the ICE.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FBear @ Dec 6 2006, 01:13 PM) [snapback]358636[/snapback]</div>

If this is really a problem for folks, you might look into getting one of those jump-start things that you plug into the lighter. I don't know if it's a battery or a capacitor, but if you keep it charged, it's supposed to be able to start a car.

Like-a so . . .
http://www.cssdeals.com/product/___38/cole...wer_source.html

And there's lots of this kind of thing . . . .
http://store.all-cordless.com/12vjumstarba.html
but they seem pretty bulky to carry around all the time.

Then there's this kind of thing . . .
http://www.abccables.com/869-0440.html
that connects direct from lighter to lighter. Anyone have a take on these? Safety? Battery capacity issues?



(Just for the record, I have no connection to, nor am I endorsing, any of the products or retailers linked to. I just found them with a Google search.)

 

It's fine. I've jumped diesel tractors (24v don't ask) trucks, and muscle cars. You hook it all up directly to the battery with the prius on. Let it charge for at least 1 min for larger engines. If the jump car pulls too much amps, the prius will reboot it's 12v side. ( blacking out causing radio and nav to reset due to voltage drop.)

 

I think to be on the safe side, I'd hook up the prius to the dead car and let it charge the dead car's battery for a few minutes, then disconnect before the (formerly) dead car tries to crank. Although, personnally I'm going even safer by hauling a booster battery around in the trunk.

 

Toyota recommends against it, but I have done it repeatedly from both my first and second gen. Pri. For the first gen. I went so far as to get a spare fuse for the 12 volt battery in case I blew it. My local Toyota dealer had never sold one before. I never did use it. That being said, the posters upthread who suggest carrying a dedicated jumper are probably safer.

 

I haven't done any jump starts with the prius yet, but in the past I've jump started plenty of cars with only thin wires (like the wire you'd use for lights in your house) instead of proper jump cables. Proper jump start cables are nice and thick to provide the cranking current from the remote battery, but with thin wire it can't supply the required current so you've got to connect it up for about 5 minutes first and get some charge onto the other cars battery before you try to crank.

This method takes a bit longer (5 to 10 minutes is usually plenty) but is much less likely to do any damage because the resistance of the thin wire limits the current transfer to under about 100 amps. As others have mentioned the safest thing to do is to disconnect the jumpers before cranking the other car, but when using thin wires the risk is much less so I usually keep them connected to provide some extra boost (for example maybe 3/4 of the cranking current is coming from the local battery and 1/4 though the thin jumpers). If the car doesn't start in the first 5 to 10 seconds then it's best to leave it connect for five minutes more and try again (don't want to heat up the thin wire too much, want most of the cranking power to come from the local battery). I think this method would be pretty safe to use even on the prius.

 

I let the battery go dead in my '95 Jeep Cherokee. Instead of calling for help, I wonder if I can use a 'Charge-N-Start', from the Prius' to the jeep? It would plug in to the access thing in the Prius to the lighter in the jeep. And then I would just let the Prius idle for a few minutes, and that would charge the jeep battery? And unplug it from the Prius before cranking the jeep? It seems like a brilliantly safe and simple way to jump a car, but has anyone here actually done this?
I've never used the Charge-N-Start (really, that is it's name), but happen to have one with no instructions, hopefully it is idiot-proof. The wire is a little heavier than lamp wire, which is what I think the last post was talking about. There isn't much to it...you can switch it to test (green light) or charge (red light), that's it.

 

Page,
you have it right... Trickle for a good ten to fifteen mins for a v8

 

Yes you can - switch off both cars, connect the two batteries with jump leads + to + and -ve to -ve (it is critical you get this right!!!!!!) and turn on the Prius to 'Ready' with the selector in 'P' and wait, this will safely charge the flat battery of the other car from your 12v converter, you may notice the charge level of the hybrid battery drop and/or the Prius engine start - this is good news as this means the flat battery on the car to be started is sucking power from the Prius and is taking a charge, wait 20 minites or so (go make a cuppa tea), then remove the jump leads THEN start the engine in the other car - this is important, it prevents any possibillity of the starter on the other car overloading the Prius 12 electrics. Note, there is no need to rev the Prius engine, the Prius converter is an intellegent unit and will operate in boost mode to quickly charge any 12v battery connected to it, before switching to maintan mode (a slightly lower voltage) - this makes the Prius an ideal car to jump start another - I've done this many times with out problem. I've not only started other cars, but once topped up a huge bank of 12v batteries at an eco fair after a short in the solar panel controller feeding them drained them all flat - the car was left in 'P' and the engine cut in and out as necessary to keep the hybrid battery topped up, the hybrid battery in turn feedimg the converter that charged up the 12v 200AH bank of batteries - I left it on for about 2 hours. in to a 12v load the converter will only supply its rated power without danger of overload. I always carry a set of jump leads in my Prius.

 

Make the other guy give you his keys so he doesn't try to start his while the Prius is connected :_> If there is a short in the dead car it could blow a fuse in the Prius when the connection is completed.