Say Goodbye to Dangerous Jump-Starting with CTEK CS Free

The most common way to deal with a dead battery is by jump-starting it. While this may help you restart your car, it can also damage the highly sensitive electronics in your car, resulting in costly repairs, as well as permanently harm your battery.

Over 200 mini-computers, also known as ECUs, are found in modern cars today. These ECUs handle everything from engine management to lighting, air-conditioning, and parking sensors.

These computer systems are sensitive to around 16 volts, but jump-starting your car's lead-acid battery results in a surge of power of up to 20 volts, which is akin to being struck by lightning. This sudden surge in voltage can easily destroy one of these ECUs.

Also read: Everything about your car's batteries

When you jump-start a vehicle, the battery booster pack serves as a power reserve to start the engine, briefly bypassing the depleted battery. When you disconnect the booster pack while the engine is running, the alternator suddenly detects an empty battery and responds by opening the floodgates to fill it. This abrupt increase in voltage that results from the substantial spike in current is what causes harm.

When you jump start a car, the alternator is supplying current at a rate that is more than the battery can tolerate. This results in the battery heating up, which distorts the battery plates, causing the active material to break down and producing an accumulation of debris at the bottom of the battery. Your battery's efficiency and lifespan will be reduced by this damage, requiring an earlier replacement.

Also read: Effective ways to buy the right battery for your car

If you encounter a dead battery, the best way to start your car is to utilize a tool that can evaluate the battery's condition and then intelligently apply a progressive charge. CTEK's fully portable CS Free, which uses proprietary adaptive boost technology, can get you moving again in about 15 minutes.

Since the CS Free gently recharges the battery and alerts you when it is safe to start the car, this is completely risk-free for the electronics in your car. The battery is already halfway full when the CS Free is unplugged, so the alternator only slightly raises the charge — within appropriate limits — to top up the battery.

The CS Free functions not only as an adaptive booster, but also as a battery charger, a smart maintainer, and a power bank. The battery life can be extended up to three times if you regularly maintenance charge your battery with the CS Free.

Also read: CTEK unveils 2 new smart battery chargers on ‘Charge your Car Day’

All types of 12V lead-acid battery and lithium batteries are compatible with the CTEK CS Free.

Photos from CTEK Philippines and File