Ever bump your interior light buttons when getting out of your vehicle and fail to notice it was on when you left? It’s that moment when you return to your vehicle hours later and you try to start the engine when you realize your battery has run down.
There are thousands of scenarios that can cause your vehicle battery to be drained to the point where the engine just won’t turn over. But how do you solve the problem quickly?
The editors of Diesel Tech have tested several different “jumpstart” battery packs and have found the Wagan Tech iOnBoost V10 Lithium Jumpstarter is one of the better jumpstart kits available for an affordable price.
Many of the kits on the market feature between 300-500 cranking amps and 600-1200 peak amps. And the cost ranges from $50-$200. The iOn Boost V10 fits about in the middle—priced at $134.99 with 700 peak amps and 400 cranking amps.
Its compact design is lightweight and not only easy to use but also easy to store when not in use. And like many of the jumpstarter kits, it comes with some other handy functions that make it a perfect item for an emergency kit.
The iOnBoost V10 features a Lithion-ion Polymer battery with 50.0 watt-hours battery capacity. It has a DC socket (12-volt) and two USB power ports. It also features an LED flashlight with three settings.
Initial charging time required about 3-5 hours plugged into a wall plug (AC). Or you can recharge it with your vehicle (DC) which require 5-6 hours recharging time (with engine running).
Safety features include: reverse polarity protection, short-circuit protection, over-discharging protection, reverse charging protection and overload protection.
Pros & Cons
The greatest advantage of the iOnBoost V10 is realized when you can start your vehicle after your battery has been run down. The greatest disadvantage is that if your battery is totally dead, no jumpstarter kit is going to turn over the engine.
Most gas-powered automobiles require about 400-600 cranking amps to start. Diesel powered vehicles require more (that’s why you have two batteries). However, usually there is still some energy left in a battery and all you’re doing is giving it a boost to the point where you can turn the engine over. Once that’s done, the battery will charge itself.
We found the iOnBoost V10 to be very convenient and compact. Although the cables are rather short and only offer a limited reach, the compactness of the kit allows you to literally place it on top of your battery when you connect to the terminal. When connecting to a UTV which usually has the battery tucked out of the way, you may find the cable length a little more challenging.
On a couple of stubborn-starting vehicles (where the battery has been idle and in the cold), we needed to allow the iOnBoost V10 to charge the battery for a few minutes (warming it up) before trying to crank over the engine.
The iOnBoost V10 is one of those products everyone should have tucked away in their vehicle for emergencies. It’s easy, simple and extremely functional.
Photo 1—The iOnBoost V10 is not much bigger than your hand and features a compact design. It can be re-charged through AC or DC power outlets.
Photo 2—It takes about 3-5 hours to recharge it via AC power.
Photo 3—The convenient flash light can come in handy during roadside emergencies.
Photo 4—The iOnBoost V10 can sit on top of your battery so you don’t have long cables getting tangled up with everything.
Photo 5—We gave it a try on a diesel truck that had been sitting for a long time with a dead battery. But we doubt any jumpstart kit would be able to bring that battery back to life.
Photo 6—The good news was that the iOnBoost V10 is compact enough to get inside the engine compartment of a UTV to jumpstart the battery. We just wish the cables were just a tad longer to make it a little easier to reach.