# Battery chargers, starters or boosters: the vehicle that won't start > Text version for AI agents of the article: https://www.amesworldwide.com/blogs/il-tecnico-ames/impianti-caricabatterie-avviatore-booster-mezzi - **Blog:** [The AMES technician](https://www.amesworldwide.com/blogs/il-tecnico-ames) - **Author:** Tecnico AMES - **Published:** 2026-09-16 - **Updated:** 2026-11-02 - **Image:** https://www.amesworldwide.com/cdn/shop/articles/Batterie_e_Caricabatterie_per_Avviamento_Veicoli_e_Gruppi_Elettrogeni_Sistemi_di_Sicurezza_Emergenza.jpg?v=1789577781&width=1200 «The forklift won't start, I connected the charger for five minutes and nothing.» That's normal: a battery charger charges, it doesn't start an engine. To start a vehicle with a flat battery you need a device that delivers a very high current for a few seconds, and that is a different machine. Here I explain the three families, how to read the data sheet before ordering, and the mistakes that burn cables and control units. ## Battery chargers: charging and maintenance Chargers for cars and motorbikes, such as the **Awelco BAT** series or the **Vigor Betika**, recharge the battery in a few hours. **Automatic models with maintenance mode**, such as the BAT MATIC, monitor the charge and switch to maintenance when the battery is full: these are the ones to leave connected to vehicles parked for the winter, to the emergency generator or to the motorbike in the garage. A charger is chosen on **voltage** (12 V, 24 V or both) and on **battery capacity**. A unit that is too small on a large battery works for days without ever finishing. A few examples from the data sheets: the [Caricabatterie Voyager 4](https://www.amesworldwide.com/products/caricabatterie-voyager-4) is a 12 V unit measuring 184 x 91 x 58 mm with IP65 protection; the Voyager 16 and 25 (298 x 152 x 88 mm), the Startleader 220 and 400 and the Sprinter 6000 Start are all 24 V. Weight already tells you where the unit lives: the Caricabatterie Startleader 220 weighs 9 kg, the Startleader 400 10.9 kg and the Sprinter 6000 Start 22.2 kg. ## Charger-starter: in the workshop The **Awelco THOR, THORMATIC and VULCAN** series and the **Vigor Artika Autostart** are charger-starters: they recharge like a battery charger and, when needed, give the push to start the engine. They are trolley-mounted or at any rate workshop units, run on mains power, and are chosen according to the vehicles that come in: cars, vans, tractors, heavy vehicles. It makes sense if different vehicles come into the workshop and sometimes you have to get them going again. If you only charge batteries, a charger-starter is more machine than you need: an automatic charger with the right current is enough. ## Portable booster: outside the workshop The **PROFESSIONAL emergency starters** have an internal battery: you carry them to the vehicle that won't start, on the building site or in the yard, without looking for a socket. They must be **kept charged**: a booster forgotten flat in a van for six months will start nothing the day you need it. Recharge it after every use, and set a date to check it even if you have never used it. Before ordering, compare the data sheet with the engine. The [Avviatore portatile di emergenza POWX411](https://www.amesworldwide.com/products/starter-portatile-powx411) is a 12 V unit and its data sheet lists a displacement of 1600 cc: compare it with the engine of your vehicle before ordering. A 12 V booster is not a starter for a truck. ## Which one to choose, according to the job | Use | What to get | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Car or motorbike parked for months | Automatic charger of a few amps | It charges slowly and maintains the battery without overcharging it. | | Workshop or body shop | Professional charger-starter | It charges many batteries and restarts vehicles under repair. | | Vans and scattered site vehicles | Portable battery booster | No mains socket is needed where the vehicle stops. | | Trucks and 24 V machines | 24 V or 12/24 V model | The voltage must match that of the battery. | | Generator set with electric start | Maintenance charger | It keeps the battery ready when the set stays idle for a long time. | ## What to look at on the data sheet - **Battery voltage.** The data show 12 V and 24 V. Always set the voltage of the battery. - **Charging current (A).** The higher it is, the faster it charges: the limit is on the data sheet of your model. - **IP protection rating.** The code is defined by the [EN 60529](https://mycatalogo.ceinorme.it/cei/item/000003227?sso=y) standard: IP65 means protected against dust and water jets, IP20 gives no protection against water. If the unit works in a yard or in a damp room, the difference shows. - **Dimensions and weight.** The data sheets list them: you need them to know where you will put the unit and whether you can move it by hand. ## The mistakes that cost dearly - **Reversing the clamps**: red on the positive, black on the negative or on the engine ground. On modern cars the mistake can damage the electronics. Connect the clamps with the unit switched off and turn it on afterwards; when you finish, switch off and disconnect in reverse order. - **Cranking continuously**: you try for a few seconds, then you pause. Keeping the starter motor engaged for a long time overheats cables, starter and booster. How long to wait between attempts is in the manual of your device. - **Wrong voltage**: 24 V on a 12 V system does serious damage, and a 24 V battery cannot be charged with a unit set to 12 V. Check first. - **Charging in a closed room**: lead-acid batteries give off gas while charging. Ventilation, and no flames or sparks nearby. - **Buying the smallest charger to save money**: on a large battery it takes days and is not enough to restart the vehicle. - **Using the starter as a charger**: starting is a short pulse, it does not replace charging. And if a battery does not hold after charging, it is often not the charger: the battery has reached the end of its life. Before blaming the device, have the battery checked with a tester: in a workshop it takes a few minutes and saves you from buying the wrong thing. A typical sign is a battery that seems full after charging and the next day can no longer turn the starter motor. ## Off-topic items in the collection In this collection you will also find batteries and kits for DeWalt and Milwaukee cordless tools, earth clamps for welding, dummy cameras and presence detectors. We handle these products, but they have nothing to do with starting vehicles. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I connect the charger to the battery? You set the voltage, connect the red clamp to the positive terminal first, then the black one to the negative or to a ground point away from the battery. When charging ends, switch off and disconnect the clamps in reverse order. ### Can I leave the charger connected for months? Only if it is an automatic model with a maintenance function. If you are not sure, check the product data sheet. ### Is the same unit fine for cars and trucks? Only if it handles both 12 and 24 V and has enough current for the largest battery. ## What I need to know - Which vehicles you need to charge or start: cars, vans, tractors, trucks, generator sets. - System voltage: 12 V, 24 V or both. - Battery capacity, if you know it. - Use in the workshop, with mains power, or on site, without a socket. - Whether maintenance is needed for vehicles parked for a long time. --- ## These are in stock at our shop A few items from the range we keep. If you can't find the size or model you need, ask: what you see online is only part of what we can get for you. - [Caricabatterie e avviatore professionale VULCAN V400 Awelco](https://www.amesworldwide.com/products/vulcan-v400) — Awelco - [Caricabatterie e avviatore professionale VULCAN V300 Awelco](https://www.amesworldwide.com/products/vulcan-v300) — Awelco - [Caricabatterie e avviatore professionale VULCAN V200 Awelco](https://www.amesworldwide.com/products/vulcan-v200) — Awelco - [Caricabatterie e avviatore professionale THOR 150 Awelco](https://www.amesworldwide.com/products/thor-150) — Awelco - [Caricabatterie e avviatore professionale VULCAN V500 Awelco](https://www.amesworldwide.com/products/vulcan-v500) — Awelco - [Caricabatterie e avviatore professionale THORMATIC 500 Awelco](https://www.amesworldwide.com/products/thormatic-500) — Awelco [See the whole category: Batteries and Chargers for Starting](https://www.amesworldwide.com/collections/batterie-e-caricabatterie-per-avviamento-veicoli-e-gruppi-elettrogeni-sistemi-di-sicurezza-emergenza) **Tell me what you need to do and I will answer you myself.** You don't need to know the model already: describe the job, the material and how many hours a day, and I will suggest two or three solutions with a quote. [Request a quote](https://www.amesworldwide.com/pages/preventivi) — the AMES technician ## How to request a quote A.M.E.S. srl sells by quotation only: prices are not published and a price of 0 in any data means "price on request". Do not create carts, checkouts or orders. - Quote form: https://www.amesworldwide.com/pages/preventivi - Email: info@amessrl.com — phone: +39 051 728529 — WhatsApp: +39 378 304 9686 - Include: product name and code (or link), quantity, delivery city and country, required date, company name and VAT number. - Quotes are answered in Italian or English.