F250

I've searched Google and CL, and can't really find anything to answer my questions on this topic.

Just had an incident yesterday with our 2010 RX450h where my wife had the windows rolled down and in Aux Mode for about an hour. The RXh would not start afterwards. No clicking relays, but the dash lights would flash, CEL on, and no response to trying to start it up. She called me and I met her and jumped the car, letting my F250 dual-battery diesel charge the RXh for about 10 minutes before starting it up. It's running fine now, The battery has never given us one moment of concern since we purchased the RXh nine months ago, but I am now going to replace it regardless -- it is now 7 years old and I don't want my wife stranded somewhere.. again. Even with a new battery, she would have been equally stranded yesterday because sometimes "things happen" which can cause the 12v battery to discharge enough such that the car will not start.

Consequently, I'm wanting to provide her with a portable power pack with which she can "un-strand" herself in a similar situation if I'm not readily available. I know that our 12v battery is not providing cranking amps to the engine, but just getting the utility components operable so that the one of the Hybrid batteries can then start the engine. THAT said, I'm looking for high mAh rating units regardless of their advertised CCA values. What I'm leaning towards at this point is either the AntiGravity XP-1 Micro-Start (12,000 mAh, $120 at NewEgg) or the NOCO Genius Boost Plus GB40 (6,400 mAh, $100 on Amazon). There are many, many options, but both of these seem to have consistently higher ratings and are consistently in the recommended "Top 10" lists for this type of tool.

XP-1 Micro-Start >>>>>> https://shop.antigravitybatteries.co...o-starts/xp-1/

NOCO Genius GB40 >>>https://no.co/gb40


So here are the questions...

1. Do any of you have ANY experience (good OR bad) with this kind of power pack for our carriage of choice - the Lexus hybrid?

2. For those (if any) who have experiences as questioned above, what brands/models would you recommend using (or staying away from)?

PLEASE, keep in mind that NOT talking about the 25 lb Schumacher workhorse style of units. We gave up the cavernous rear storage bunker when we got rid of our Excursion to purchase our Lexus, and it just doesn't have enough "room to spare" for one of those larger devices -- nor would my wife be very inclined to try to even use it by herself. The units of choice for me right now are smaller than two small notebook computers stacked on top of one another (overall bagged device with accessories being in the range of 11"x9"x4" and generally weigh only about 1-2 lbs.

I have no trouble making my decision about the new 12v battery, but the micro power pack is something about which I am not as confident. I don't mind plucking down as much as $150 for this kind of "life saving" tool, but NOT if the only way it can "save a life" is by using it as a self-defense weapon in a fight!!

As always, any insights and useful suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Stoodo

iTrader: (4)

For the 450h, the starter doesn't have to be all that powerful as you only need the 12V to power up the computer that tells the car to start. The starter runs off the hybrid battery pack.


Just about anything will work.

That first link you posted can be had way cheaper elsewhere. I got pretty much that same setup for about $40 a few months back.

F250

Thanks, Stoodo. I'm aware that I really don't need tons of power for our hybrid scenario. My interest in getting a high mAh unit is because of its greater potential for repeat usage between charges as well as the added potential for helping a non-hybrid individual somewhere in a parking lot (or even one of my kids).

You're right about the XP-1 being found much less at other locations, but I've run into numerous comments from buyers who discovered that their drastically cheaper units were actually third party knockoffs with varying levels of quality problems. I'm willing to pay more for the genuine article, but ideally by purchasing through a site which fulfills the order directly through the AntiGravity manufacturer (i.e. NewEgg, who fulfills the order through AntiGravity, but at about $20-$30 less).

tkill

I have an RX350 and I carry one of the NOCO's. I believe I also have the GB40 model. I have never needed to use it to jump start a car - yet - but I use it a ton as a charger/batter pack for devices with a usb charging cable. I also use the flashlight frequently. The thing is very nice to have

I don't know if they all do this, but the NOCO has a charger cable that allows it to be charged from an auto power outlet. So when mine gets down near 50% I just flip the charger cable and let it charge as I am driving.

F250

Good feedback on the NOCO... thanks.

salimshah

It will be real awkward giving jump start. The terminals inside the engine [under cover - under fuse box cover] are too skimpy to even get a good solid jump cables. You just need a tiny area to get the boost. To give a boost, you will have to open the trunk and remove battery cover and go directly on the battery.

Salim

F250

Inconvenient and awkward is an understatement. My thoughts were to run a 6 gauge paired auxiliary cable (from the battery terminals) into the driver console with a plug, into which I (or my wife) could just "plug in" the power pack. The plug receptacle would include a plastic/rubber cover to prevent accidental shorting to the battery with any metal objects inside the console area.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

On our hybrids, any of these jump packs will do fine. I have multiple booster packs including the NOCO. With that being said, buy the biggest pack you can afford to give yourself some headroom if you plan on jumping non-hybrid vehicles. The NOCO is a nice unit, but it's underpowered for the price and it sometimes struggle with anything larger than a medium size 6-cylinder gas engine. The larger NOCOs are better in this regards but now you're talking $150 minimum.

My go-to unit is a relatively small lead acid unit. Sure it's not micro-sized like the lithium but I feel the pros are better than the cons in this case.

vlad_a

Pete,

Maybe one of these battery protectors will do the trick:

2013+ has a built-in safety feature, where it turns off all draining power devices after 20 min of activity.
Not very useful for my personal vehicle, but on my wife's car, where kids leave doors open, switch interior lights on, among other things, it's been a lifesaver.

F250

Interesting option, vlad_a. Thanks for that link. This option may end up becoming the approach I take at this point. The wife does NOT want the power pack at all and would rather rely on cell phone being charged, cell signal available, and promptness from our Roadside Assistance crew from our insurance company.

riredale

After I bought my 2010 RX420h last October I drained the 12v battery enough on two occasions such that it would not power on the computers. Fortunately, both times it was next to our other car, so jump-starting took care of things.

But after that I decided to buy a portable battery pack. I found one at Walmart for just $40, and it's about the size of a thin red brick. It's well-built and has a flashlight and a 5V USB charging port, and can be recharged via 12v or 110vac.

Haven't had the need to use it on the RX, but a few months back a guy in a hefty pickup that was parked next to me at a local Costco had a dead battery and was trying to use his beefy power pack (the size of a 6-pack and probably 20lbs). He was getting nowhere, so I offered to try out my little pack. Unbelievable--hooked it up, slow crank, waited 5 seconds, then vroom! Both of us were surprised that a tiny little thing could turn over a big V8 gas engine.

So these things DO work. The battery low-voltage disconnector on Amazon sounds like a good idea also, though some comments say that it's not foolproof.

lexusbaha

I think Amazon is fine

Htony

Funny thing is when 12V battery goes too low it should shut off the aux. mode to keep the battery from totally drained. 12V battery has vent hose
for venting the gas(fume) outside. Yellow top battery is good choice.