My 2007 Sprinter starter battery - branding evidence

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aeroshots

New member
I hope you are correct about some sort of built in safety from voltage spikes. I'm with you though, I doubt it. With my patrol car I have to shut down all my radio gear, computer, and any lights on if I am going to jump start a stranded motorist vehicle. Otherwise, the sudden drop on my vehicle then spike will damage the equipment. This is true even with the 220 amp alternator in a crown vic.

Please anyone with knowledge about this issue on the Sprinter let us all know. Or possibily is there a combination of fuses we should pull before jump starting as the jump starter or starte.:hmmm:

Let me be clear, damage can come from being jumped or jumping another.
 

shanemac

Active member
So far i have only needed one jump start and it was from a jump box or power box when i was in the feild,(had to call brother in-law) It was that or ask my customer for a boost and i hate doing that after i just gave them a repair bill:bash:) Its usually in the morning after van has sat for a day or so, usually Monday mornings are like this its a routine in the real cold weather, hook up battery charger and start the day a bit later. Will be calling napa next week.
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
Guys this comes up too many times.
When Please will you guys learn to understand the electronics of a Sprinter
Never jump start a battery unless you have both anti-surge-zap and memory-9v-code readers installed,against!"Surges" I don't care what battery you have they are not fully protected against voltage fluctuations, on a Sprinter.
First stage Alt and battery monitor dash mounted.
Victron_Battery_Monitor_BMV600_LG.jpg
Second stage Aux dual battery system

ACR_alternative_to_multiple.jpg
Third stage anti-zap permanently installed ON MAINS START BATTERY.
surge_standard_m.gif
last stage surge control on all main cables to protect fluctuations of below value amps on highly sensitive electronics
The whole system is fully protected with microprocessors with auto cut offs if failure is eminent,
surge_upgradehd_m.gif
 

jdcaples

Not Suitable w/220v Gen
So basically, you're saying to remove the battery, charge it, install the battery and go.... or get some amazingly complicated aftermarket set up installed.

Maybe battery stuff comes up way too often in the RV or T1N sections, but I haven't really seen anyone asking about precautions to take in the NCV3 areas.

-Jon
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
So basically, you're saying to remove the battery, charge it, install the battery and go.... or get some amazingly complicated aftermarket set up installed.

Maybe battery stuff comes up way too often in the RV or T1N sections, but I haven't really seen anyone asking about precautions to take in the NCV3 areas.

-Jon
Jon not sure if that was directed to me
I own a Tin did have a NCV both systems are not protected if {A} you disconnect the battery.
Disconnect mains battery you need at least a cheap 9v code retention memory reader for basics radio and dash memory sets. life span time limit about ten minutes
This is connected to both red and black postative and neutral cables before removal.
Other brands have 0ne hour to two memory charge sets with progressive three stage equalization for resetting the exact amp charge proir to restart,thus preventing anitzap flucuations or voltage spikes through auxiliary lines if something is left on. any stand alone battery jumper needs anti-zap installed most aftermarket manufactures now incorporate this system But costs more.
OK I have over a grans worth of gear in the van just for different applications some have never been used even down to the emergency three stage PORTA-JUMP temp rated -10F to 110F if all three battery's failed:wtf:
Excessive not when I have run ten grands worth of Government electronics,that I was soley responsible for .
My 2005 OEM Made in Argentina 88 amp battery and the two main aux battery's
88 mp and 220 amp are 100% accurate and operative as to the original OEM specs
Five years old In January: The cost of replacement is over AU $1600 dollars
Thus the expense to protect has paid for itself over and over again.
Mercedes builds a unit it's basic but you can advance to higher levels to enjoy your investment as my Sprinter is a long term investment, therefore money is not an object.
Richard
 

sikwan

06 Tin Can
:hmmm:

I don't see anything wrong with jump starting a Sprinter or using the Sprinter to jump start some other vehicle, but that's just me. There is though a couple big caveats and that is to not connect or disconnect the system while there is a high surge of current occurring.

Two instances that I can think of:

1. Do not set the key position to ON while connecting the jumper cables.

Most of the time this is a non-issue because it's essentially like turning on a switch, but it's moved to the battery. But we all know the hand is not steady and to make a good jumper connection there will be some wiggling. With a dead battery there will be current going through the jumper cable. There may be a lot of current if the battery was badly shorted internally. The act of connecting/wiggling the clamps into place will cause spikes in the line. If the key was in the ON position, the ECU will see the voltage spike.

If we wait for the jumper cable to be connected, spikes to the ECU can be avoided. Doing it this way will be like turning the key to the ON position when you have a high powered audio amplifier (as in a dead battery) sinking current from the battery (battery from running jumper vehicle).

It's also a good idea to turn off any non-essentials when restarting a vehicle with a dead battery.

2. Do not disconnect a jumper cable while a vehicle's starter motor is turning.

We all know that a starter motor needs huge amounts of current. Disconnecting a line while it's in operation will cause a huge spike somewhere in the connection. More than likely it will create a spark where you disconnect it at the battery or it will find the shortest path somewhere on the jumper vehicle (vehicle providing the jump).

Once the alternator takes over, there should be very little current shared between vehicles via the jumper cables and that is the best time to disconnect the cable.

There's no need for surge protectors as long as you heed to the current (amperage) rules. We might hear a lot about the troubles or the sensitivity of Sprinter electronics, but I take it as an operator error. If you have a set up where you're switching house batteries to the starter battery (alternator charging), the same principle must be applied or you will need that surge protector.
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
OK I'm in the mood for advanced economic 101's
simple straight forward question.Tin NCV battery's flat does not have sufficient charge to crank the engine.
It's a wet and cold night, and dark:eek:. road service is out of reach no help there.
How are you gong to recharge to start your battery.
Sorry under no circumstances would I ever use a straight loner donor battery and no anti-zap cabling to start my Sprinter or any other make with electronics.
The question is what preventative measure do you have in place to restart your engine,[in a guaranteed safe mode] worst case Scenario your an absolute dummy and have no clue whatsoever as to .."WHAT CAN I DO":idunno:
You have a RV type come cargo van, come passenger, Sprinter.
No help none at all your stranded all on your lonesome own with no particular place to go! in little Chicago town [even the cops won't go there after dark:smilewink:] God help you:bow: it's the wife, even :bash: and worse six kids freezing in the back of the van..."Panic"

"How are you going to start the van without damaging the electronics"
forget human error
It happens'
:popcorn:
This will be a test for the educated on the forum.
Richard
 

sikwan

06 Tin Can
OK I'm in the mood for advanced economic 101's
simple straight forward question.Tin NCV battery's flat does not have sufficient charge to crank the engine.
It's a wet and cold night, and dark:eek:. road service is out of reach no help there.
How are you gong to recharge to start your battery.
I have one of these...
vec.jpg
...and I never leave home for a long distant trip without it. I also have jumper cables too.

I had to use the above once to start the Sprinter after I left it sitting for over a month in the driveway. No problem starting it and my electronics are still working. The original starter battery is still good as I don't let the van sit for more than a week anymore without running it or leaving the battery on a battery charger.

Unless someone can explain to me how they zapped their Sprinter electronics or in detail how they went about in doing, it's all bunk. :tongue: :smilewink: You're making people think there's some fancy unobtainable electronics that defy the laws of physics.
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
I have one of these...
View attachment 19904
...and I never leave home for a long distant trip without it. I also have jumper cables too.

I had to use the above once to start the Sprinter after I left it sitting for over a month in the driveway. No problem starting it and my electronics are still working. The original starter battery is still good as I don't let the van sit for more than a week anymore without running it or leaving the battery on a battery charger.

Unless someone can explain to me how they zapped their Sprinter electronics or in detail how they went about in doing, it's all bunk. :tongue: :smilewink:
12 v 450 AMPS:lol:
LOOK AT THOSE CABLES

That's dinosaur technology and needs to be trickle charged.
And it has to be done outside cross polarity and see what happens to your electronics most of those cheaper ones are not protected with auto cut out or shut down warning poles are cross connected.
Narda try again 2009:tongue:
Wicked Richard has one.
 

sikwan

06 Tin Can
So what was the question again? I thought we were talking about whether it was safe to jump a Sprinter with a dead battery.

That's dinosaur technology and needs to be trickle charged.
And it has to be done outside cross polarity and see what happens to your electronics most of those cheaper ones are not protected with auto cut out or shut down warning poles are cross connected.
And your point is about dinosaur technology? Please explain to me what will happen to my electronics if I were to use such device to jumpstart my T1N with a battery with low charge. I have already done it and will continue to do it in the future.

Again, you're making people think there's some fancy unobtainable electronics inside the Sprinter that defy the laws of physics. :tongue:
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
So what was the question again? I thought we were talking about whether it was safe to jump a Sprinter with a dead battery.



And your point is about dinosaur technology? Please explain to me what will happen to my electronics if I were to use such device to jumpstart my T1N with a battery with low charge.
Actually I said if your battery is dead and your removing it memory code readers Why do all manufactures and battery retailers state anti-zap before connection ?
If you have a radio and heater on things can go bump likely memory code for radio is lost.
But anyway I/m curious as to who comes in with the perfect answer as to How to restart a down syndrome battery and not even get out of the van bearing in mind a power up source is required to recharge that battery apart from an alternator of which requires backwards charging for the original source.
Space technology: You lot invented it.:clapping:
Even a blonde can work it out.
 

jdcaples

Not Suitable w/220v Gen
I was just thinking that - until Shane gets a new battery - he should take it out and charge it, install it before he goes out for the day. I thought it might last a bit longer, but I know very little about batteries and physics.... electrons are negatively charged components of atoms, and go along conductors from the positive of the battery to negative, right? I don't even know what makes direct current inferior for houses than alternating current.... but that's probably another thread.

:)

-Jon
 

cedarsanctum

re: Member
I was just thinking that - until Shane gets a new battery - he should take it out and charge it, install it before he goes out for the day. I thought it might last a bit longer, but I know very little about batteries and physics.... electrons are negatively charged components of atoms, and go along conductors from the positive of the battery to negative, right? I don't even know what makes direct current inferior for houses than alternating current.... but that's probably another thread.

:)

-Jon
I read somewhere in the past that somebody figured out DC actually travels from neg. to pos..

Alternating current is used instead of DC because it loses less energy when transmitted over great distance.

If jump starting a Sprinter is bad, why would the factory provide such a convenient place to do so under the hood of my Sprinter?

I do remember the first rule of jump starting that is rarely taught is to connect the positive cables first, then the negative, and never connect the negative directly to the battery (which is impossible in a NCV3 anyway) but to a solid connection on the motor (best) or chassis. Most batteries have a bad habit of producing explosive gases, and an accumulation of those could possibly be ignited by the arc of connecting jumper cables. Having seen batteries explode, i believe it's something that should be avoided.

Just my 2bits. Remember, you gets what you pays for.
Jef
 

sikwan

06 Tin Can
Actually I said if your battery is dead and your removing it memory code readers Why do all manufactures and battery retailers state anti-zap before connection ?
Well, I like to know too. Maybe I'll look it up. I'm sure there's a reason for this besides trying to sell you more stuff. :smirk:

If you have a radio and heater on things can go bump likely memory code for radio is lost.
But anyway I/m curious as to who comes in with the perfect answer as to How to restart a down syndrome battery and not even get out of the van bearing in mind a power up source is required to recharge that battery apart from an alternator of which requires backwards charging for the original source.
If my starter battery went dead and I hooked up something simple like this...

...to my aux battery, and I needed to use my Aux Battery for starting purposes, I would only be switching the switch to ON when my key is switched to the OFF position. Once the starter battery (dead) and my aux battery (good charge) is connected in parallel, current will be flowing from the aux battery to the starter battery (equalization).

There are a lot of scenarios that can work to zap your electronics, but I won't go into them as I'm sure someone in the world can invent something that will do it. This is probably why retailers want to sell you a smart device because it decreases the chances that you will do something wrong.

If you understand how zapping occurs and how to avoid it, I don't know why you need such a fancy device.

Btw, Richard, if your battery goes dead (low charge and not shorted) how would you go about starting the van? This is presuming that you don't have the convenience of being at home or have another vehicle at your disposal.
 

sikwan

06 Tin Can
I do remember the first rule of jump starting that is rarely taught is to connect the positive cables first, then the negative, and never connect the negative directly to the battery (which is impossible in a NCV3 anyway) but to a solid connection on the motor (best) or chassis.
Nothing wrong with connecting negative to negative battery terminals.

I think the reasoning behind connecting the positive first is because you're likely to touch something negative (body, engine, metal parts, etc.) by mistake while trying to connect it to the positive terminal. With the negative side disconnected, touching anything with the positive clamp doesn't do anything (open circuit). I'm sure you can imagine what will happen if you mistakenly touch a negative surface with the positive clamp when the negative clamp is connected. :smirk:

I have done both, connect negative or positive first, and I'm still alive today.
 

NBB

Well-known member
This thread is confusing me as to what people are talking about.

An FYI - the starting battery is at Advance Auto Parts for 100-140 bucks, under the Autocraft brand. I see they are offering a Gold and a Titanium. I had an email exchange with Varta at one point. The Titanium battery is made by Johnson Controls, which is Varta, which is the OEM battery. It's the same battery. Not sure about the whole AGM thing. I do not have such a battery in my van.

I have not found the deep cycle OEM lead acid batteries in the aftermarket - ie, the aux battery. I will have to consider some of the options posted above. Meanwhile, I bought the OEM model from the dealer. It was pricey, but the venting was simple as you can just hook a tube up to it. I stuck mine under the passenger seat and ran said tube through the floor. No battery box and all the overhead with venting it. The dealer offers a mopar battery and an OEM mercedes battery.

Jumping - there is a lot wierd-ass advice out there. Much of it is basically to avoid creating sparks over the battery. If a battery has been sitting dead in a vehicle, gasses may be present around the battery that could explode. So think about that while hooking up your cables - but not too hard.

Turning everything off before jumping is a good idea. I can't see where this giant mysterious spike is coming from, though. I'm thinking you would need an inductor or large coil somewhere. Something in the alternator, while running? That stuff is rectified and regulated, though. I'm not seeing it. It may be an issue, but someone will need to help me out here before I can be concerned about it. I have not heard of this problem before.
 
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