A supercapacitor for Xmas to jump start a 2009 prius?

Edit: Sorry, I have no experience with supercapacitor jump starter packs.

 

This one has good reviews

$120 with current on page coupon

 

Jump starters are something I never get too excited about. I have one, but haven't needed it personally, ever. Last time I used it was for someone stuck, at a gas station.

If you're personally needing a jump starter, regularly, something is wrong with the picture?

 

I don't personally need mine, regularly or otherwise; like others, I've used it on other people's cars around as often as on my own.

The great thing about having it in the glove box, there, is that it completely relieves me of all the "should I or shouldn't I replace my battery proactively now because it's n years old and showing 12.m volts on foggy mornings and will I be stranded will I will I will I?" obsessing that so many people seem to get sucked into.

While my battery doesn't need replacing I don't replace it. When it does, I won't be stranded, I'll just start the car and go where I'm going and pick up a replacement on the way home.

That's the benefit of having the jumper around.

 

Yup. I've been lugging a 18~20 pound Clore JNC660 around for about 11 years now, in the tray under the hatch floor. It's been pure cargo cult so far though. That's the thing with "insurance" I guess.

 

The super capacitor jump starters are soooo much better than the lithium ion battery kind. More expenses but they don’t discharge sitting around, last ten or more years and are usable in very cold weather. Moreover one interesting trick is that they can recharge themselves in a few minutes from a car battery that is too weak to start a car, then can be used to start that same car.

 

is that true for a hybrid where a battery is too weak to fire the computers and relays, vs cranking an engine?

 

I read somewhere that you just need over 6v to charge the supercapacitors, though it might take a little longer.

Also, since don't need high amps to start a hybrid, it will probably work even better.

In our case, when the original battery died, the sks smartkey wouldn't even open the door. Had to get in with the mechanical key.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Mine actually worked last year as planned. My car battery hit ten years and COVID lockdown, and that turned out to be when it needed replacing. I used the jumper to start the car, and picked up the new battery on the way home.

The one in the video Georgina shared looks around 4 to 6 times the bulk of my lithium one. The lithium one just lives in my glove box and there's plenty of room for other stuff. That supercap one looks like if it fit there at all it would take the whole space, or maybe it would fit under the deck with the spare tire.

I wonder if they might make one just for hybrids, that could be a lot smaller, and still get the ECUs to boot up.

 

The super capacitor i quoted above, is about the same as the lithium battery starters

11 x 5 x 2 inches

 

Check out this one, Chap.

 

I don't know, I just grabbed my lithium one out of the glove box and took the measuring tape to it, it's 5.125 ✕ 3 ✕ 0.875 ish. Roughly two decks of playing cards.

That's 13.5 cubic inches. 11✕5✕2 is 110 cubic inches, a little over eight times the volume. My guess of 4 to 6 times was lowballed.

Maybe this can save others from going through what I have to with those disappearing shopping links:

https://www.amazon.com/autowit-SuperCap-Batteryless-Extremely-Operating/dp/B08LGL6339

Looks officially 10.4 ✕ 4.5 ✕ 1.78, or 83.3 cubic inches. About 6.2 times the size of my lithium one. Maybe my eyeball guesstimate wasn't so bad after all.

 

autowit SuperCap 2 Lite 12V Batteryless Jump Starter (Up to 5.0L Gas, 3.5L Diesel Engine) 700A Peak, Built-in SuperCap, No Need of Regular Charge, 10 Years Lifespan, Extremely Weather Operating

 

autowit SuperCap 2 12-Volt Battery-Less Portable Jump Starter (Up to 7.0L Gas, 4.0L Diesel Engine) Built-in SuperCap, No Need of Regular Charge, 10 Years Lifespan, Extremely Weather Operating

 

I reposted Georgina's link in #14 (only not as a blue active link, you'd have to paste it into your browser location bar).

This forum software has a misfeature that finds Amazon links in posts and turns them into javascript droppings that show as blank spots if your browser is careful about security. The person who posted the link hasn't got much control over it.

I haven't, but I can't think of a single reason it would not work exactly as expected.