Lithium jump box warped and cracked - warning?

Last spring I purchased a lithium jump starter battery pack. I went to take it out of my truck the other night to check it and charge it and it was broke open. The case was split and warped in almost a 180 twist. Best I can figure is that it didn't like the summer heat or the battery just broke and destroyed itself. There was nothing leaking but it was unrepairable and I threw it out at a local recycle center.

It kinda scared me and made me feel like I dodged a bullet fearing it could have burned my truck down. I don't know if anyone else has seen this or has one of these but just a heads up. I am wondering how I am supposed to keep a jump box in my truck with the AZ heat?

 

What is the inside vehicle temp during the summer? The Noco site says do not exceed 125 degrees during storage.

 

This is why I don’t bother with those boxes. Old school jumper cables are never dead.

 

I recently got a NOCO in 1000 amp. That said I’ve had a different brand, a 400 amp powerall for years and never had that issue sitting out in the hot truck though. I usually keep it in the under seat storage box so maybe it doesn’t get as hot in there.

 

That's weird, I have had one in my truck since 2019 no issues.

 

I had a lithium micro-start pack do the same thing. I think it’s a heat thing as mine expanded and cracked the casing in the summer

 

Mine has been in the truck for 3 Phoenix summers, it has averaged 110, and been as much as 125. Not saying heat is not a factor, just saying it's also possible there is another factor.

 

Most definitely could be multiple factors. Overheating the battery seemed like the easiest thing to blame but ultimately I have no idea.

 

The last two gas station jumps I've given with my pack, the guy already there with the cables wasn't producing enough juice to start the dead vehicle.

 

Not sure what you’re getting at. Are you suggesting a $80 jump box is more powerful than a $300 car battery while it’s being charged by a 150 amp alternator? I know the advertising might suggest that but I’m not buying it.

 

Well no, I wish it only cost $80 for a jump box. My jump box puts out 1750 amps, and OPs puts out 1500. I'm suggesting that if it's half what's advertised it's more than most regular battery CCAs. Either case it works for me when regular batteries and alternators don't.

 

I threw my jump box in the garbage when it couldn’t start the old lady’s car at the mailbox in the neighborhood. I had charged it to 100% less than a month prior. I pulled my truck out, hooked up the cables and sent her on her merry way. YMMV.

 

What was the brand, stated amperage and and battery chemistry? Why was it only $80?

 

I honestly don’t know. I bought it from Costco quite a few years back.

 

The problem with most failed jump starts is the cheap ass tiny jumper cables they sell. You have to get the large gauge, not that wimpy 6 gauge crap. 1 or 2ga will jump start a diesel. The jumper car needs to rev the motor a little to get the cars charging system up to peak output. After 30 seconds to a minute, the jumped car should start.

 

The advantage to the jump box is that you can get to any battery with it, even if there are cars parked all around the dead vehicle. I have a Noco 2000 amp and have jumped 3 different vehicles with it. In all cases the owner of the down vehicle looked at me like I was crazy as they had all tried jumper cables with other vehicles before I got there and they didn't work. The Noco worked every time. Good jumper cables are hard to find these days. Plus good ones are usually only 8' long.

 

Do you have a pic of it? Sounds pretty gnarly.

 

This is totally legitimate. To my dad’s credit, the Christmas following my 16th birthday I received some 2AWG front to back Craftsman jumper cables. They haven’t let me down.

 

@IowaGuy it sounds like to me you narrowly avoided a fire. I had a similar scenario with my laptop. I asked my IT guy why my laptop wasn't sitting level on my desk anymore. Apparently the battery had gone bad, expanded and was at risk of fire.
Back to your NOCO. Did you contact them? They were very helpful when my unit failed.

@AZBoatHauler Something to consider, I don't think it has to be an either-or solution. I carry cables and the jump pack. I'm usually out alone and don't want to set up camp waiting for someone else to come along if my battery dies.

 

I have the GB40 and leave it stored in my garage since 99.99999999999% of the time my truck is <30 min from my garage. The one time I needed it, I was 10 min from my house, called the wife to bring it, hooked it up and started my truck right away. I’ll only bring it with me when I go out of town.

 

Dont burn down your garage...

 

If your worried about these exploding or catching fire, get a "LiPo battery bag".

 

What did people do before these silly jump boxes?
Believe it or not, we survived!!
As said above, a set of "real" jumper cables, meaning not the crap sold in some gimmick roadside emergency kit, if properly used is sufficient and won't start your truck on fire. They don't need to be charged, last for generations, and if you use a little common sense and creativity they can serve a whole mess of different purposes as well. One more thing for the clueless... believe it or not, it is possible to remove a good battery from one vehicle and carry it by hand to the "too distant" dead vehicle and either directly connect it or use jumper cables.

 

I have one and it works great if you have the common sense not to leave it in your truck during the extreme heat of Summer. How do jumper cables work exactly, if you're in the middle of nowhere with no one around, and nothing to connect the other end of the jumper cables to?

 

It's all good, just sucks to see our society falling so far so fast in so many ways!

 

I'm from the old days and I quite frankly don't miss using dial phones connected to a party line. I like the simple convenience of my jump box. I retired my quite decent jumper cables to the garage since I have no need for them other than a back up.

 

Never know, but it could be the 'smart' jump box could not detect enough voltage and if that is the case it has to be put in override mode. Depending on the jump box, they call it different things, basically have to bypass the smart piece and tell it to put out max voltage and current. Can cook the battery some say, I've never had that happen but I have had to put my NOCO into bypass mode a few times on lawn equipment batteries.

 

I think you use the cables to pull your truck.

I’m about as old school as it gets, but I’m not opposed to technology. I keep both in the truck, and I keep a battery jump starter on the boat. I’ve been stranded to many time waiting for help. Why not use technology to our benefit.

 

Jump and Carry.

 

Walked a long fucking ways to a pay phone.

Now you kids get off my lawn.