New battery monitor from Idle Start

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Updated Mar 12, 2014

Idle Smart announces Battery Protect, a new feature that continuously monitors battery voltage levels and will start and run a vehicle’s engine to recharge batteries.

Announced during a press conference Sunday at the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) annual meeting in Nashville, Idle Smart says Battery Protect helps ensure fleet uptime and hassle-free starting.

“With Battery Protect, fleets have the ability to customize voltage thresholds and recharge run times,” says Ryan Bennett, vice president, product and marketing at Idle Smart. “Idle Smart constantly monitors truck battery voltage, automatically starts the engine when it drops to a pre-set level and runs it for a pre-determined amount of time, eliminating the need for electric shore power-based systems or someone to go out and manually start the truck.”

The aftermarket system does not require an auxiliary power unit, and can be programmed for all Class 8 trucks models, the company says.

“Battery drain is an issue for fleets, at parking facilities where drivers require hotel loads for comfort and convenience items, and especially during 34-hour rest periods required by new hours-of-service regulations,” adds Bennett. “Battery Protect can intelligently monitor and help eliminate battery drain so trucks are ready to meet operational needs, and avoid the high cost of a service call and possible downtime.”

Idle Smart says Battery Protect also is pre-programmed to start the truck at a default setting of 12.2 volts and run the engine for a recommended 20 minutes. Combined with its Cold Weather Guard product, Idle Smart says its products can show payback in 6-7 months. And using Idle Smart’s fully customizable and password protected display and menu format, fleets can change voltage and time settings to meet specific preferences, the company says.