Thanks for your support. Problem solved.

 

I have ordered a couple of jump starters (one to keep in the RX), I also have the problem with finding one that has long enough cables. Had to have a new battery at the 11 month point.

 

I bought a NOCO and extended the cables to insure that they would reach + and - terminals in the engine compartment.

 

The Schumacher SL1648 has leads that easily reach the underhood jump points.

 

I exchanged a bunch of emails with NOCO (I have the GB40) and they claim extending the cables will reduce the current draw too much. I call <sandwich meat> on that as I read the AWG current tables. Their suggestion was to buy the GB150 which does have long enough cables, but up here costs almost three times as much as my GB40!

 

Its pretty amazing how companies try to deceive unsuspecting customers with completely nonsensical technical BS. If they are claiming the IR drop with longer cables will actually make a (hybrid's) battery's jump-starting impossible, then Noco should really be in the business of selling snake oil. And of course, they would love to sell you for 3x the price with free snake oil included.

 

To be fair, the cables need to be capable of supplying the full rated current, not the relatively low draw of a hybrid.

That said, it would be easy increase the diameter of the cables to handle the extra length. Schumacher managed it...

 

They said he looked up the AWG tables and did not find a difference in the length increase he was looking for made any difference - and I wouldn't consider the minor increase in length to matter much in current draw if the purity and diameter of the copper/wire is high enough. While I don't have the measurements of the cable dimensions to prove out the math, I wouldn't bet a penny that the math would hold up for the minor increase in length (having linear dependence on resistance) would lead to any meaningful current drop.

However, stating things that way without specifics, and recommending the 3x higher-priced product just to get a longer cable - is an easy way to lead a non-technical person down that pathway. No one wants to have a fire or a non-working gadget, so why not appeal to that fear to drive some higher-margin sales ?

 

* RX500h full Hybrid *
I admit, I chuckled at this thread earlier. You always think things like this only happen to other people. Well, I got a reality check today. After a car wash, the doors were left open for 30 minutes, ignition off, no lights, nothing. The battery was completely dead, and I had to find someone with a booster.

When I tried to open the door with the mechanical key, I forgot that you have to pull the little door lever. So I ended up climbing into the cockpit through the trunk. I was a bit annoyed after all that, so I activated sport mode and drove a bit aggressively on the highway to get that stupid little battery charged up again.

Looks like I’ll have to buy a booster myself now. UNBELIEVABLE!