PriorityStart! passively monitors battery voltage and detects a drain on voltage (lights left on, door ajar, 2 way radio, GPS, computer, short in system etc..). If a drain is detected, PriorityStart! disconnects the battery, preventing deep discharge, saving starting power, i.e. minimizing the dangers associated with a dead battery such as getting stranded in a dangerous situation.
PriorityStart! saves down time (Man hours, service calls, upset customers etc.) and prevents damage to computer, and electrical system (Jump starting can do major damage to electrical system). It maximizes battery life and protects the alternator (not allowing the battery to go dead you get the maximum life out of the battery, and the alternator is designed to keep the battery going, it’s not designed to charge a dead battery).

Please note: The PriorityStart! is a “Low-Voltage Automatic Battery Disconnect Switch”. It is not a “Battery Booster”, and it does not put power back into a dead (or low) battery. Therefore, for optimal performance, we strongly recommend that it is installed with a new battery.

The short answer: No. If you have a damaged or dying battery, it will not be able to hold a charge. The PriorityStart! will still detect a drain, and still disconnect at the 11.7 volt threshold. However, if the battery is bad, the voltage will continue to drop, not leaving any starting power. Remember: Our unit removes the electrical load going into the battery, but if the battery drops in voltage on its own (i.e. bad/damaged battery), there is nothing that our automatic battery disconnect switch can do. For this reason, we strongly recommend installing the PriorityStart! with a new battery.

The amount of Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) does not affect the operation of the PriorityStart!; however, it can only handle 1000 Starting Amps, (Heavy Duty ProMax H.D. Unit handles 1600 starting amps) – amps that the starter will pull. The continuous current rating is at 250 amps (400 amps on the Heavy Duty model).

PriorityStart! attaches as easy as 1, 2, 3… 1: Attach positive vehicle cable to top of unit. 2: Attach cable from PriorityStart! to positive post on battery. 3: Attach ground wire to negative battery post. NO HARD WIRING! Universal, fits both top or side post. Installation time typically 10-15 minutes.

On Dual Battery Installations, one PriorityStart! unit will handle most dual batteries configurations. Since there are a number of variables to the proper installation, please contact BLI direct for assistance at 509-467-4203. Additionally, you may email us at techsupport@prioritystart.com with details on your application. We then may be able to send you an instructional diagram.

Every vehicle, or piece of equipment, new or old, requires a functioning battery to supply power – or it won’t start! The fact is, when you get in your vehicle you rely on it to start. PriorityStart! assures that battery power will be available when you need it (According to the AAA (American Automotive Association) dead batteries are the number one cause of all road service calls).

If you experience a dead battery, you have lost not only time and money, but could be stranded in a potentially dangerous situation. Jump-starting can be dangerous to not only the vehicle but also the individual. Also, by preventing deep discharge, you maximize the life of the battery. One deep discharge can costs half the life of the battery.

Using battery starters, dangerous jumper cables, or questionable cigarette lighter devices means you have already had a “dead battery”, and done irreparable damage to the battery.

PriorityStart! prevents the battery from deep discharging by disconnecting the battery at a factory preset level. Enough power is left to start the engine. Simply step on brake pedal or operate light switch, and the battery is automatically reconnected.

Yes, but usually a new battery is not immediately available and a new battery will not provide the safety, convenience or starting protection of the PriorityStart!

The PriorityStart! not only protects the owner, their time and safety, but it also protects the security system on the vehicle. If you experience a dead battery, the security system is inactive. With PriorityStart! if the battery drains below 11.7 volts it then disconnects the battery, but when the owner or would-be thief opens the door or attempts to start the vehicle, the battery system would be automatically reconnected, thus reconnecting the security system or gate lift.

No 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.

No. PriorityStart! incorporates a heavy-duty contact and gear drive system that disconnects and reconnects the battery only when required. The contact resistance is less than 1 milliohm (ten thousandth of an ohm), and, in the closed position, exerts a clamping force greater than 100 linear pounds (40% more in Heavy Duty (H.D.) unit). The net effect of these features is an electrical connection superior to even a normal battery post/cable clamp connection.

PriorityStart! is an electro-mechanical device, thus when it operates you may hear the gears engage, this is normal. The quiescent draw is 12mA (milliamperes) in the connect mode, 9mA (milliamperes) in the disconnect. This is similar to a small LED, or a “negligible” draw.

As it is very important to install the unit in the correct order, the same goes for uninstalling. All you have to do is follow the installation instructions in reverse order – starting with removing the ground wire.

PriorityStart! is suitable for any vehicle or engine-driven device which uses a standard 12 or 24-volt battery (handles 1000 starting amps – ProMax H.D. heavy duty model handles 1600 starting amps). We always recommend testing if your application falls out of normal applications.

Some examples:

• Automobiles, Light trucks, Recreational vehicles.
• Fleet vehicles, Van conversions, Motor homes.
• Construction vehicles, Mining equipment, Forklifts.
• Industrial vehicles, Farm vehicles, Delivery vehicles.

Environmental design limits for PriorityStart! is -40.F to +185.F. The product has been in service in both North America and Foreign markets, since 1996, without a single report of failure from any temperature extreme.

Size of unit: 5″L X 3″W X 1.25″D – Retail packaging dimensions: 8.5″L X 5.5″W X 3″D. The complete unit, including cable, and packaging weighs approximately 1.5 pounds.

No. PriorityStart! is designed to provide battery protection when the engine is NOT running (ignition switch in the off position). It will not disconnect the battery when the engine is running, even though the battery voltage level drops below the factory-set safe threshold. Circuits within this product recognize an “engine running” condition by sensing electrical “noise” (30 millivolts) created by fuel injectors, fuel pump, fan motors, etc., and will not disconnect the vehicle battery. If a vehicle alternator or alternator belt fails, the “engine running” circuitry recognizes the condition and prevents disconnection at the 11.7-volt threshold, allowing the vehicle to continue on the reserve capacity of the battery. In such a situation you are entirely dependent on the reserve capacity of the battery.

PriorityStart! fits the majority of standard vehicle batteries. Installation is simple — only three (3) connections.

No, PriorityStart! is totally automatic.

Yes, it can be easily transferred.

No, a battery can go dead from abuse or aging, but PriorityStart! maximizes the life of your battery. Remember, one deep discharge (which PriorityStart! prevents) reduces a battery’s life by 30-50%.

No. We recommend that the vehicle is started every 30-60 days and run for at least 15 minutes. A battery can still discharge on its own if it is left for periods of time. The PriorityStart! will still disconnect at the appropriate threshold, even in this situation, but the voltage can continue to drop on its own not leaving any starting power.

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.

SecureStrap is made to PriorityStart! specifications to exceed under hood temperatures, and maintain its tensile strength through years of installation. SecureStrap is impervious to all under-hood fluids, such as battery acid and petroleum products. The material utilized (Ethylene Propylene Terpolymer) has been used for decades in hazardous and chemical industries. SecureStrap is made by a chemical firm that supplies their specialty products to schematically hazardous industries.

The manufacture does not recommend jump-starting any battery. Jump starting can cause major damage to the electrical system on the vehicle. Jump-starting a unit with a dead battery, and letting the alternator charge the battery is extremely hard on alternators. While charging, or jump-starting, a battery that has been completely discharged will seemingly revive it; please note that permanent damage has been done. A battery subjected to this abuse may load-test satisfactorily; however, much of its original capacity is lost forever.

Repeated episodes of this nature will result in a battery which will start the engine, once jump-started, but will FAIL to hold a charge after even a few minutes of nominal drain.

If you are charging the battery using a battery charger (i.e. trickle charger), please consult your vehicle’s owner manual on battery charging. Do not charge thru the PriorityStart! unit. Be sure to connect any cables from the charger directly to the battery posts (NOT the top post on PriorityStart!). As a precautionary step, please temporarily remove the ground wire (on the PriorityStart!) from the negative terminal of your battery.

Before troubleshooting any situation mentioned in this guide, listed below are some basic principles that should be checked first before you continue any further:

• Check all connections on the unit and on the battery posts. The PriorityStart! requires a very secure and tight connection.
• Make sure there is no corrosion. Make sure the battery posts are thoroughly clean.
• Note the history of the battery. If a battery is older—or even if it is new and has been depleted fully only one time—it may never hold a charge as well as it once did; and this can create further problems for you.
• If your situation allows—you may choose to test the unit in question on an alternative vehicle (using the same testing procedures provided). This will usually specify where the problem lies: Either (a) the unit or (b) the vehicle.

Any 12-Volt battery (universal for top post or side mount). Available in a 12-Volt marine application (wing-nut application). Also available in a 24-Volt unit.

Some electrical accessories that draw a high amount of current (especially if it is running for a continuous amount of time such as high amp alternators [e.g. 200 amp or higher], lift-gates, winches or other similar accessories) may damage the PriorityStart! unit if it is wired directly on its top post. (Call technical support if questions on this.) The unit is not meant for such applications. These high drawing accessories should be placed on the least path of resistance–that is, wired directly to the battery. You may still use the PriorityStart! in this situation, but remember: Anything that is left directly on the battery will not be protected (thereby disconnected) by the unit. Units found damaged from such use can void the warranty. Please note: The PriorityStart! is rated for 250 continuous amps.

Yes, unless your vehicle has temporary or back-up memory, radio and clock settings will be lost and need to be reset.

If the cable coming from the starter, or even the positive cable going from the PriorityStart! to the battery post, is loose in any way, you can either (a) change the connections and/or posts on the PriorityStart! with one found at a local auto parts store that is a tighter fit, or you may call our offices and request a metal “shim”. A shim is flexible piece of metal that can fit around a smaller-styled post that allows the connections to fit securely.

The positive cable attached to the PriorityStart! can be easily replaced with a longer (or higher gauge) cable. Simply pull back the boot and loosen the bolt. The ground wire can also be lengthened as well with a different wire or a soldered-on extension. These changes will not affect operation of the PriorityStart!. Additionally, you may place the unit facing any direction if it makes installation more convenient.

Yes. The PriorityStart! is a mechanically driven device. Inside is a gear-driven system powered by a small motor. During the first installation of the unit, you should hear the PriorityStart! engage. The unit is usually purchased in the disconnected position. During installation, it will force a connection. Each engagement or disengagement may last 3-4 seconds.

Very Important: Make sure the battery is actually depleted. Many mistake the battery for being dead, when in fact, the PriorityStart! has disconnected at the appropriate disconnect threshold. When the unit disconnects, all power in the vehicle will turn off and it may appear that the battery is depleted—when in actuality, it is waiting for a voltage change of at least 0.2mV (microvolt) in order to reconnect (or reactivate). You can verify this by measuring the voltage directly from the battery terminals with a simple volt-meter. If you do not have a volt-meter, you may wish to temporarily remove the unit from your battery and try to start the vehicle without the unit. If your battery does not appear to have been discharged, see the next topic: “Unit will not reconnect.” Otherwise, continue reading.

It is important to note that the PriorityStart! only draws between 9-12 milliamperes—an extremely small amount. Therefore, it can not be the cause of any discharge of the battery if the unit is being used per instructions.

The first diagnostic step in this situation is always to follow the recommended testing procedures mentioned earlier. It will simply tell you if the unit is functioning properly and disconnecting when the voltage level drops. Please continue reading after this test has been completed. If the unit appears to be working correctly so far, the following information contains possible reasons why the battery was found discharged:

If you have installed the PriorityStart! on a battery that has been damaged—or is just too old—you are still at risk of a dead battery. In our experience, we have found that this is the most common reason why a battery will be found discharged—even with a PriorityStart! attached. Remember: The PriorityStart! isolates the battery from the electrical load—thus preventing an electrical draw from discharging the battery. It is not designed to put life back into a bad battery (that may discharge on its own). In this case, the unit will still disconnect at the proper threshold—but there will not be any starting power left when it is reconnected by the user. You may test this out by slightly altering the test procedures found above: Once the unit disconnects at 11.7 volts, do not reconnect the unit. Rather, leave it disconnected and monitor the battery’s voltage at periodic intervals (e.g. every hour, overnight, etc.). If the voltage is continuing to drop—even after the PriorityStart! has disconnected off the electrical system, then the battery is discharging on its own.

Make sure that any electrical accessories that you wish to have monitored by the PriorityStart! are attached directly to the top post on it. Specifically, any wires attached to the positive side of your battery terminal before the PriorityStart! was installed should now be attached to the top of the unit. The PriorityStart! cannot monitor what is not on it. You can still be at risk of a dead battery if this instruction is not followed! [Note: It is important to remember that the PriorityStart! will still disconnect at the proper voltage level–even if these instructions are not followed–however, it will only stop the problematic electrical drain if the accessory, terminal blocks, or any other part of the electrical system is wired directly through the unit itself.]

Circuits within the PriorityStart! could be recognizing a condition being created by an after-market accessory. We use a special “engine run” circuit inside of the unit. It is a safety feature that keeps the PriorityStart! from disconnecting a battery on a running vehicle. It will NOT disconnect the battery when the engine is running, even though the battery voltage level may drop below the factory-set safe threshold. Circuits within this product recognize an “engine run” condition by sensing electrical “noise” created by fuel injectors, fuel pump, fan motors, etc., and will not disconnect the vehicle battery. However, you may have an after-market accessory that can be emitting false “engine run.” In order to correct this, you may need to purchase the ProMax unit which has a special electronic filtering ability. If you are able to identify what accessory is interfering—you may want to take note of this for future reference.

The PriorityStart! is not meant as a solution for vehicles in long-term storage. You will note that in the provided literature it states that we recommend a car to be started every 60-90 days and ran for about 15 minutes. Although, the PriorityStart! will still disconnect at the appropriate threshold–many batteries can not handle being left for months (or even just weeks) at a time and may discharge on its own. This is a completely natural occurrence for most batteries.

On occasion, there are some aftermarket accessories that “store” a small amount of power. In this situation, the device may self-activate therefore causing the unit to read this as a voltage-change–thus reconnecting the unit on its own. It is important to identify what accessory is causing this to happen so that you can take the appropriate action. If this situation occurs repeatedly over a short time, the battery may be become discharged.

The PriorityStart! must have a direct load draw (or change) in order to reconnect. In many vehicles, turning the key in the ignition is not enough for the unit to reconnect—or it simply may not be seen due to the presence of an electrical relay—or other complicated wiring. The unit requires at least a 0.2mV (millivolt) electrical load change in order to reconnect. A decal is included in the paperwork with the unit, with instructions of either pushing your foot on the brake pedal, or operating the headlight switch.

In rare cases, the headlights or brake pedal may not be providing the required “direct load draw”—thus not reconnecting the PriorityStart!. There are other options. One incident [with a Ford Winstar] showed activating the cigarette lighter triggered the device to reconnect. In another incident [on a 2006 Chevy Impala] the power seating activated the PriorityStart!. (Remember to try both driver and passenger side seating). Fleet Customers: We found by using a spotlight—if installed, the PriorityStart! will almost always activate. If the cigarette lighter, power seating, spotlights, or any other accessory does not work—continue reading:

The Ground Wire Trick: It is possible to force a reconnection by removing the ground wire (black wire on PriorityStart!) off of the negative terminal of your battery and immediately placing it back on. [Please note: When following the above, do not disconnect any other connection other than the ground wire. Additionally, do not do attach and re-attach the ground wire repeatedly]. Any interruption with this wire, will force the unit to reconnect immediately—you will notice the gears/motor activating inside for approximately 2-3 seconds. This confirms that the PriorityStart! is working properly; however, it seems the unit is not detecting the direct voltage draw direct to the battery that is required for an automatic reconnect. Please call customer service at (509) 467-4203. If nothing happens after re-attaching the ground wire to the negative post, and you have already confirmed that the battery voltage is at a normal level—yet the car still will not start: please call customer service at (509) 467-4203. Otherwise continue reading:

You may choose to install an aftermarket ON [OFF] push-button switch. A 1.5A switch could be wired between the ground wire and negative cable as a redundant means of reconnection under the dash allowing the driver to simply push the switch to reconnect. More information and a provided schematic is located here.

The PriorityStart! has built-in “engine run” protection to prevent this from happening. If this situation ever occurs, it usually has nothing to do with the way the unit operates, but rather with faulty or loose cabling, a bad alternator, a broken belt, or a weak battery.

It should be noted: “Even when the engine is running, if the battery voltage drops below 9 volts, the engine is at risk of stalling” (BCI; Battery Council International). Again, this condition has nothing to do with the operation of the PriorityStart!. Rather, It is a condition created by a marginal battery, or too heavy of a load draw on the operating battery and alternator.

This situation may occur if the PriorityStart! has been (a) overexposed to excessive heat or current, (b) improper jump-starting, or (c) if any positive cable is unintentionally grounded [possibly causing an electrical arc]. These events will contribute to this situation as the internal workings may have been damaged. As this is usually not a manufacturers defect—it is not covered under warranty. (i.e. “The warranty does not extend to any …failure caused by misuse, abuse, improper installation, use of the product with equipment for which it was not intended.”).

You may contact us for a return as we can internally identify the possible cause. The warranty status will be determined only after this point.

If there are any live accessories wired directly to the battery terminals (effectively bypassing the PriorityStart!), it may cause the unit to reconnect on its own as the unit might be picking up a voltage change. Remember: The unit is constantly looking for a voltage change intentionally activated by the user in order to reconnect. (The unit requires at least a 0.2mV (millivolt) electrical load change in order to reconnect.) In these situations, something has effectively bypassed the unit causing this electronic interference to act as a reconnection device.

Ideally, the entire electrical system should be ran through the top post of the PriorityStart!. Anything attached to the top post will be shut off completely and would be unable to cause this type of “live” interference. Additionally, you would want to identify what accessory has been left live as this may cause a future problem.

On occasion, there are some aftermarket accessories that “store” a small amount of power. In this situation, the device may self-activate causing the unit to read this as a voltage change—thus reconnecting the unit on its own. It is important to identify what accessory if causing this to happen so that you can take the appropriate action. If no live accessory is found, you may contact us as (509) 467-4203 and we will provide you further instruction.

There is a 12-month manufacturer’s limited warranty on all PriorityStart! units. Only units found with a manufacturers’ defect are able to be repaired or replaced. As the warranty states:

“The warranty does not extend to any defect, malfunction, or failure caused by misuse, abuse, improper installation, use of the product with equipment for which it was not intended, or unauthorized alterations or repair.”

To check if your unit is under warranty, please see our warranty lookup tool.

Return Procedures:

• Call or E-mail to Receive R.G.A. Number (or click here).
• Dated Proof of Purchase mandatory if not bought directly from BLI.
• All customers are responsible for freight expense [Customer to BLI]
• Returns may take 4-6 weeks to process
• Repair/Replacement occurs after defective unit returned