It has happened to most of us at sometime. You parked your car only to come back a few hours later to a dead battery. You had left your lights on. Now, you have to get a jump start.
Well, if you install PriorityStart!, an automatic battery shutoff device, this won’t happen again. Priority Start! monitors battery voltage while the engine is not running, then automatically disconnects the battery if the voltage drops below 11.7 volts for a full minute. Thus, it will prevent a dead battery should you leave your lights on or an accessory operating. When you want to reconnect the battery to start the engine, just step on the brake pedal, turn the ignition switch or operate the headlight switch, and it automatically reconnects. The unit requires at least a 30 millivolts current in order to reconnect. PriorityStart! does not disconnect and reconnect each time the vehicle is started, only when a load has been left on when the key is turned off.
PriorityStart! will not disconnect the battery as long as the engine is running, even though the battery voltage level drops below the factory-set safe threshold. If an alternator or alternator belt fails, the "engine running" circuitry recognizes the condition and prevents disconnection at the 11.7-volt threshold. This allows the vehicle to continue on the battery’s reserve capacity. In such a situation you are entirely dependent on the reserve capacity of the battery.
PriorityStart! is a small, computer chip driven, electro mechanical device. Its bi- directional motor and 10-gear system features a 243:1 gear drive ratio and closes with 75 pounds of linear clamping force, greater than the normal battery post to cable clamp connection. The contact resistance is less than 2 milliohm (two thousandth of an ohm). The quiescent draw is 4 milliampere in the connect mode, 8 milliampere in the disconnect, similar to a small LED, or a "negligible" draw. It will handle 1000 starting amps and its housing is polypropylene, the same material used in battery cases.
PriorityStart! is light weight, about 1.5 pounds. Installation is very simple: (1) attach the positive battery cable to top of unit, (2) attach the cable from PriorityStart to the positive post on the battery, and (3) attach the ground wire to negative battery post. The PriorityStart! is universal so it fits either top or side post battery. It is can be transferred to a new battery or a new vehicle.
Not only does the PriorityStart! keep you from being stranded or getting a jump start, it can also protects the life of your battery. Jump-starting a dead battery and letting the alternator charge the battery is extremely hard on alternators, not to mention dangerous if done incorrectly. While re-charging a battery that has been completely discharged will seemingly revive it, permanent damage has been done. The battery may load-test satisfactorily, much of its original capacity is lost. A single deep discharging of a battery can reduce battery life by 30- to 40-percent.
The PriorityStart! can even protect you vehicle from thieves. If you experience a dead battery, your alarm system is inactive. With PriorityStart! if the battery drains below 11.7 volts it then disconnects the battery, but should a would-be thief opens a door or attempts to start the vehicle, the battery system would be automatically reconnected, thus reconnecting the security system. This also goes for door locks, power windows, and Power lift gates and van doors. Also, PriorityStart! can be used if your vehicle has a current drain you can’t find that zaps your battery. Vehicle computer systems have memory that resets itself. Clock and radio may need resetting. Remember, PriorityStart! has protected your battery starting power. Without it you would still have to reset memory devices.
PriorityStart! Units come in several versions for both 12- and 24-volt systems as well as for marine applications. If your vehicle is equipped with one or more aftermarket, electrical accessories (i.e. 2-way radios, computers, GPS Systems, phones, and other numerous accessories), you should opt for the Pro SP unit that is designed law enforcement, municipality, utility, safety, and recreational vehicles that use multiple electrical accessories. That’s because some aftermarket, electrical accessories could produce false "electronic noise" so the PriorityStart! thinks the engine is running and does not disconnect. The Pro SP unit is able to filter out these false signals, the Standard unit can not. Using the Standard unit in the wrong application can lessen the effectiveness of the PriorityStart!. The Standard unit is meant for vehicles straight from the (O)riginal (E)quipment (M)anufacturer. The Pro SP uses higher MIL-standard components, and also includes a “surge protection” circuit. The 24-Volt model is equivalent to the Pro SP.The product has been in service in both North America and foreign markets, since 1996,
Do NOT jump-start through the PriorityStart!. Improper jump-starting can damage the onboard computer and electrical system, and damage the PriorityStart!. If you need to jump start, go directly to the battery posts and follow the instructions of the battery manufacturer.
