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Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: Ittindi on March 10, 2013, 05:01:09 PM

Title: Jumping
Post by: Ittindi on March 10, 2013, 05:01:09 PM

Is it possible to jumpstart another vehicle with a Zero?  I'm just curious, with the huge battery and all.  If so, how would it be done?

Title: Re: Jumping
Post by: wainair on March 10, 2013, 07:00:44 PM

I suppose if you had the 12v plug accessory on the bike you could use a cigarette lighter to cigarette lighter booster.

Title: Re: Jumping
Post by: NoiseBoy on March 10, 2013, 07:36:49 PM

No it is not possible.  You have a big battery but its at 64 or 104V depending on the year.  Car batteries are 12V so you would need to step down to 12v.  There is a unit on the bikes that do this but they can provide maybe 20A (i dont know what the DC-DC is on the MY13's) and a starter motor on a car will pull a couple of hundred Amps.

Title: Re: Jumping
Post by: wainair on March 10, 2013, 08:36:29 PM

I don't know if you've seen one of these units... I have a friend who says they work on cars, I just don't know about the Zeros system.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/a8a0/?itm=cigarette_lighter_jump_starter&rkgid=274586569&cpg=oggdgt1&source=google_gadgets&gclid=CPzv2bSt8rUCFcdDMgodx2AAyA (http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/a8a0/?itm=cigarette_lighter_jump_starter&rkgid=274586569&cpg=oggdgt1&source=google_gadgets&gclid=CPzv2bSt8rUCFcdDMgodx2AAyA)

Title: Re: Jumping
Post by: trikester on March 10, 2013, 11:27:25 PM

The problem some would have with that device is with cars with a dead battery that don't connect the socket until the ignition sw is on. Turning on the switch in the dead car could be draining away most of the current the device is providing. My Honda truck has three accessory outlets and all of them were disabled with the switch off. I jumpered around a relay that connected one of them, so it is now hot all the time. I did that so I could recharge small devices even when I was away from my truck.

Trikester

Title: Re: Jumping
Post by: Ittindi on March 11, 2013, 01:03:52 AM

Well, for 30 bucks, it couldn't hurt to try.  One day.

Though building a step-down transformer sounds fun...

Title: Re: Jumping
Post by: protomech on March 11, 2013, 09:27:17 PM

Cigarette outlets are typically rated for about 10A. About 0.25C for a typical car battery, ~1C for a motorcycle battery. Don't try this on a motorcycle battery for sure. Even on a car battery you probably would want something like this (http://www.powerstream.com/DCC.htm) to current-limit the charge to 4A or so, IMO.

10 minutes of charging @ 4A should give around 8 Wh or around 25 kWs of energy. Enough for maybe 1-2 start attempts.