How to Jump Start CUCV

[98G]

The front battery is usually the only one that is dead when a 12 v item is left on. So standard jumping on the front battery of the CUCV is the same as a normal vehicle. DO NOT try that with the rear battery. Also keep in mind when you do the glow plug resistor bypass you have now made the front battery and Gen 1 do all the glow plug work that the proven multi million dollar design was doing along as designed from both batteries and both Gen 1 & 2. Do as you will Good Luck. And say what you will. You will.

Why could we not do this with the rear battery?

 

[cucvrus]

when you hook to the rear battery the sparks will fly. Because you have the front battery positive going to the rear battery negative and they don't get along well when you hook up that rear battery positive cable to the 12 volt positive jumper. I tried it once and the sparks flew. Danger, Danger, Danger.

 

[98G]

As long as your negative jumper cables is hooked to the rear battery negative post , you should be able to jump the rear battery.

Been a while since I've played with cucv's, but if I remember correctly I've done it without issue.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

Hook it up to your other military vehicle with a slave cable.

Problem solved.

Wait, you only have one? Guess you gotta get another one.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

Has anyone tried those little jump boxes? I was thinking of getting a pair of them for the glove box- so at least I'd have some capability to jump both batteries once or the dead battery twice.

But if they don't work well, then I won't bother.

Issue is glow plugs. They pull a lot of juice. If it's a normal start, then you can put one on each BATTERY, on its respective positive and negative terminals, and do NOT use a ground point (although, technically you could use ground for front battery).

 

[Mainsail]

Well to be safe I ordered two of these: DBPOWER Car Battery Jump Starter 2500A 21800mAh - for up to 8.0L Gasoline/6.5L Diesel Engines. (one day sale)

I figure they'll be an asset in the truck or during a power outage- and winter is coming.

Coupon code NEASUMMER took 10% off so pretty much broke even after the sales tax.

 

[ke6rwj]

I have a number of mil vehicles. I have 2 12/24 volt jump boxes... I **never** use the 24 volt setting, just don't need it. Usually it's just one battery that's low, so i put one box on that battery at 12v.. if they are both low, I put one on each battery at 12v. If it's a 4 battery system I do the same but often have to do two in the 12v set...

Anyway, you can tell which battery is down by using a voltmeter to check them while you try to crank... wife's are helpful here... (usually only in summer time)

--chris

 

[Mullaney]

I have a number of mil vehicles. I have 2 12/24 volt jump boxes... I **never** use the 24 volt setting, just don't need it. Usually it's just one battery that's low, so i put one box on that battery at 12v.. if they are both low, I put one on each battery at 12v. If it's a 4 battery system I do the same but often have to do two in the 12v set...

Anyway, you can tell which battery is down by using a voltmeter to check them while you try to crank... wife's are helpful here... (usually only in summer time)

--chris

.
Sure... Just a plain old multi-meter touched to each battery will tell you voltage in the batteries. One lead to positive and negative on Battery #1, then the same again on Battery #2. For the longest time I didn't understand that - especially with a battery tied to another battery to make 24v, but it will definitely work. Measuring that way will only show you 12v measurements.

When you get to the point of adding features, there are small digital voltage gauges you could tie to the batteries (a lot of them have USB plugs to make it multi-function). You would buy siamesed wire (two wire) or maybe a four wire to install the gauges. It would allow you to monitor both batteries. Just be SURE that you add a fuse at both batteries - just in case something gets pinched and shorts back to the battery(s).

 

[Mainsail]

Well to be safe I ordered two of these: DBPOWER Car Battery Jump Starter 2500A 21800mAh - for up to 8.0L Gasoline/6.5L Diesel Engines. (one day sale)

I figure they'll be an asset in the truck or during a power outage- and winter is coming.

Coupon code NEASUMMER took 10% off so pretty much broke even after the sales tax.

Now that I’ve had a chance to use them, I thought a review is in order.

I woke up the other morning hearing a strange ticking, it was very loud too. I looked out the front window and suddenly realized what it was- it was the Whelen PA/siren clicking through the speakers because the batteries on one of the vehicles was dead, and the relay inside the siren was clicking on and off, and chirping through the speakers.

It wasn’t the one in my Grand Cherokee, and suddenly I remembered I’d left everything on inside the M1009 the day before- two Ericsson Orion radios, GPS, dash-cam, and of course the PA/siren.

Since it was motorcycle weather and I was riding to work, I figured I’d just attack the problem when I got home; a good test to see if I could self-recover if this happened when I was deep in the National Forest camping.

The two jump boxes have been bouncing around in the back of the ’09 since I bought them and charged them up almost six months ago.

I forgot to check voltages, I guess that would have been useful information. The truck was completely dead though, at least the 12v side of things. The volt meter didn’t move at all when I turned the key.

My worry was how much the (mine are 12v) glow plug cycle would drain the jump box, like it could be dead before I even got to the part where I engage the starter…

Strategy…. Hook up one box to the 12v battery and keep one in reserve in case the glow plugs kill the first one, or connect both boxes to both batteries? I chose the latter, and connected both jump boxes to both batteries.

The boxes pulsed- like they sent power, clicked off, then sent power, the clicked off- all the way through the GP cycle (which wasn’t very long being about 68° out). The volt meter jumped each time the boxes clicked off. Not sure what that’s about.

After the wait light went out I turned the key and the truck fired up like I’d put two brand new mil batteries in it. SUCCESS!

I plugged in the boxes to recharge them and they were only down one out of five indicator lights, so I suspect I could have jumped off four or five trucks before really needing to recharge the boxes.

Yeah, I know, should have put a volt meter on each battery first…


EDIT to add: The jump boxes have a volt meter of their own, right at the base of the cables where they plug into the unit. Didn't even notice them until I saw them flash when I put the recharge cable in. Also, here's my gas saver:

 

[Mullaney]

Now that I’ve had a chance to use them, I thought a review is in order.

I woke up the other morning hearing a strange ticking, it was very loud too. I looked out the front window and suddenly realized what it was- it was the Whelen PA/siren clicking through the speakers because the batteries on one of the vehicles was dead, and the relay inside the siren was clicking on and off, and chirping through the speakers.

It wasn’t the one in my Grand Cherokee, and suddenly I remembered I’d left everything on inside the M1009 the day before- two Ericsson Orion radios, GPS, dash-cam, and of course the PA/siren.

Since it was motorcycle weather and I was riding to work, I figured I’d just attack the problem when I got home; a good test to see if I could self-recover if this happened when I was deep in the National Forest camping.

The two jump boxes have been bouncing around in the back of the ’09 since I bought them and charged them up almost six months ago.

I forgot to check voltages, I guess that would have been useful information. The truck was completely dead though, at least the 12v side of things. The volt meter didn’t move at all when I turned the key.

My worry was how much the (mine are 12v) glow plug cycle would drain the jump box, like it could be dead before I even got to the part where I engage the starter…

Strategy…. Hook up one box to the 12v battery and keep one in reserve in case the glow plugs kill the first one, or connect both boxes to both batteries? I chose the latter, and connected both jump boxes to both batteries.

The boxes pulsed- like they sent power, clicked off, then sent power, the clicked off- all the way through the GP cycle (which wasn’t very long being about 68° out). The volt meter jumped each time the boxes clicked off. Not sure what that’s about.

After the wait light went out I turned the key and the truck fired up like I’d put two brand new mil batteries in it. SUCCESS!

I plugged in the boxes to recharge them and they were only down one out of five indicator lights, so I suspect I could have jumped off four or five trucks before really needing to recharge the boxes.

Yeah, I know, should have put a volt meter on each battery first…


EDIT to add: The jump boxes have a volt meter of their own, right at the base of the cables where they plug into the unit. Didn't even notice them until I saw them flash when I put the recharge cable in. Also, here's my gas saver:


View attachment 869416

.
Nice to know that it works.
That "click" sound has a way of making your heart sink for sure!

Nice two wheeler...

 

[Keith_J]

Bad Moto Guzzi . I make a point to count how long the wait light is on. Roughly 100 amperes of draw. More for glow plug system diagnosis since failed glow plugs cause shorter wait time. The controller cuts power once voltage on the solenoid output exceeds 16.2

I had 3 plugs burned out last year, glow time was under 3 seconds.