Portable Jump Starters (Power Packs)

[lordrobs]

Good evening ladies and gents. Sods law struck and on my second night away out of five I got a call from my wife saying that the battery on her car was flat (again). The issue is that she only does a few miles each way to the park and ride daily so this time of year with the heated rear window, lights etc. on and the cold weather it loses more charge each day than the 3 mile trip puts back in.

The battery is only a few years old and I have a decent charger so I think it'll be fine. The headlights come on but as it tries to turn over it just dies.

Anyway, this isn't the first time it has happened and I get the same issue with my MX5 which I often don't use for months on end even in the summer so I'm thinking of getting a jump starter power pack thingy. I don't want to spend a mint but something easy to use (for my wife) that will do the trick would be great. Thanks

EDIT - Or should I just buy her a new battery and keep the current one to jump the car with?

 

[Steve2000]

Get a new battery, it will happen again. You need to give the car a run out every fortnight or so, a 3 mile trip every day will just cause problems again in the future.

 

[lordrobs]

Yeah we used to use her car on the weekends for that very reason but since I got a company car we've found ourselves in the mentality of putting the miles on that instead.

 

[sigma]

If it doesn't move on the weekends then it might be worth slapping a trickle charger on it every weekend? Will only have to be for a few weeks whilst it's a bit cold. It'll be worth sticking one on the MX regardless.

I'd go for a CTEK charger.

 

[lordrobs]

I do have a CTEK. When I know I'm not going to be using the Mazda I'll whip the battery out and put it on charge indoors. Unfortunately I don't have a usable garage (full of bikes, chest freezer, tumble drier etc.) other wise I'd fit the quick connector for the CTEK and park it in there on charge every weekend.