TYPE S Jump Starter and Power Bank costco

In short, the Type S is a very good jump starter and very well priced compared to other online stores which may have questionable products. I have reviewed many lithium-ion jump starters over the years and this one is up there with the best of them due to its features and ease of use. If your car engine is 6L or less for gas (petrol) this product will be fine.

Table of Contents

• 1 Costco jump starter review
  • 1.1 PROS
  • 1.2 CONS
• 2 Specs
• 3 Using the Costco jump starter
  • 3.1 Engine dies after jump starting
• 4 How do you charge a Type S jump starter?
  • 4.1 At home:
  • 4.2 In the car:
• 5 How long will an 8000mAh battery last?
• 6 Conclusion

Costco jump starter review

Also comes with a micro USB cable not shown.

The Type S smart jumpstarter is new for 2022. It is perfect for people who have never used a jump starter before because it is smart and the LCD screen tells you what to do. Just turn it on and follow the prompts.

Like most products in Costco, it comes in the biggest box around. Once you tear into the packaging you begin to realize just how small this jump starter is.

It comes with a nice padded storage case which you can’t see in the packaging. It looks like the case is insulated so that will help when you leave the jump starter in the hot car. The only thing I don’t like about the case is that it is a very tight fit for all the items. (I guess they wanted a compact unit)

The Type S jump starter has a confirmed 8000mAh internal battery that can start most cars and trucks with 6L engines and 3L diesel engines. I like that it has rubber flaps over all the input and output connections. This gives it the IP 64 splashproof rating. I may even use it for my jet ski now.

You power up the jump starter by pressing the large rubber button and once you plug in the jump leads it will start to tell you what to do via the LCD screen. Pressing the power button again will turn on the LED light. The light has different flashing modes for when you are stranded and need to attract attention.

If you mess up the connection either via incorrect polarity or a short circuit the jump starter will beep and tell you to disconnect the cables. This is the only way to reset the alarm.

The battery clamps are very flexible 8AWG cables with the black clamp being longer than the red clamp.

Charging is easy with the included micro USB cable. Or you can use the faster USB C if you have one. I’m glad they included three different USB ports for charging the jump starter as well as smartphones and tablets.

You can check out the price of the Costco Type S jump starter here (Amazon).

PROS

• Small, portable, and light.
• Has USB charging capabilities.
• Can charge a smartphone 3 times or another USB device.
• Explains to you on the LCD screen how to jump-start your vehicle.
• Has a smart protection circuit to protect you and your car from incorrect polarity, over-voltage, under-voltage, and short circuits.
• Included USB car charger.

CONS

• The storage case is small and does not have much room for all accessories. You can cram them all in.
• Only one included Micro USB charge cable no USB-C cable. (Not a deal-breaker)

Check out the video below on how to use the digital LCD Type S jump starter.

Specs

BrandType SCountry of manufacturerChinaColourBlack/grayProduct DimensionsLength : 5.62 in / 143 mm 
Width : 3.11 in / 79 mm
Height : 1.18 in / 30 mm
Packaged: 285 x 290 x 60 mmProduct Weight426gModel NumberAC530171-120Suitable for the
following vehiclesUp to 6L gas engines
Up to 3L diesel enginesBattery Capacity8000mAh @ 3.7V, 29.6WhCharging OptionsUSB-C + USB-A
USB-C: 5V – 2.6A / 9V – 2A
USB-A: 5V – 2.4ASmart Phone RechargesAround 3 charges depending
on phone capacity.Jump-Starting Current350ACharging InputMicro USB and
USB-C 5V – 2AIntegrated Light TypeYes LEDPackage contentsType S Jumpstarter, Storage case.
Jump cables, Micro USB charging lead.
USB 12v car charging socket.
Costco jump starter Type S user manual.

Using the Costco jump starter

Type S Jump starting my Ford Focus

The TYPE S 12V Jump Starter has a smart LED screen that guides you through all the steps for jump-starting your car. Even if you do get something wrong, like connecting the jump leads back to front, the spark-proof clamps and safety circuit will protect you and the car.

This is one of the first jump starters that I have seen walk you through this process. To test it out I hooked up an old flat battery to my son’s Ford Focus and tried to jump-start it with the new Costco jump starter. Success first time.

Image typesauto.com

1. To use this jump starter press the mode button to power on the unit. It will display the battery level as a percentage. Make sure it is over 50%.
2. Insert the jump cable clamps into the 3 pin port. It can only go in one way. The LCD display will read ” Clamp cables to battery”

1. Connect the RED clamp to the positive terminal of the battery. Connect the BLACK clamp to the negative terminal of the battery. Always connect the red cable clamp first and then the black cable clamp.
2. Check the LED status on the protection circuit. It will be green if good. If it is flashing red and beeping you may have a polarity issue or a short circuit.
3. Once the cable clamps are secure the Type S jump starter will display “Ready start vehicle ignition”
4. You now have 90 seconds to try and crank the vehicle over. During this time the jump starter is putting energy into the battery. After 90 seconds the Costco jump starter will stop.
5. To try again disconnect the jump starter wait 60 seconds and go back to step 1.
6. Do not try and start the vehicle more than 3 times otherwise you could overheat the Type S jump starter. You may have another issue such as a faulty starter motor, bad fuel, short circuit, ignition problem, faulty spark plugs, air filter bad, fuel pump problem, etc.
7. If the vehicle starts the jump starter LCD will display “Successful jump unplug cables”
8. Remove the RED positive cable first and then remove the Black negative cable clamp.
9. Unplug the cables from the jump starter and recharge the unit for next time. The Costco jump starter will self-power off after 30 seconds.
10. Keep the engine running for over 25 minutes to charge the battery or recharge it using a 12v battery tender smart charger.

Costco jump starter polarity protection status LEDs

Costco Just Starter Type S Fault codesLow Power, charge at least 50%50% Jump Starter battery below 50%Low Power, charge at least 50%Jump Starter battery below 50%Alarm beepingUnplug, Start over possible short or
a wrong connectionThe device is too hotCool before use temperature of the jump starter
is above 55°CBattery Protected Start OverA short circuit event has happened,
unplug the jumper cables and try again

Engine dies after jump starting

If your engine dies or stops shortly after jump starting you may have a faulty charging circuit. This could include a faulty alternator, fuse, voltage regulator, wiring, connections, or loose cables.

You will have to do some fault finding or take it to a mechanic to diagnose the problem.

How do you charge a Type S jump starter?

Charging options with miro USB or USB-C

At home:

• Plug included Micro USB or USB-C Charging Cable into a USB-A port on a computer. You can also use a 2A USB wall adapter for fast charging (not included).
• Connect the Micro USB or USB-C Charging Cable into the Micro USB Charge Input Port on the Jump Starter.
• Disconnect the Jump Starter when it is fully charged. Do not leave it connected for long periods.
• Store the Jump Starter in a safe place when not in use.

In the car:

• Plug included Micro USB Charging Cable into included 12V USB Charger then connect to 12V socket in the vehicle.
• Connect the Micro USB Charging Cable into the Micro USB Charge Input Port on the Jump Starter.
• Disconnect the Jump Starter when it is fully charged. Store the Jump Starter in a safe place when not in use.

How long will an 8000mAh battery last?

An internal 8000mah battery indicates that it has the ability to supply power of 1000ma (1 amp) to a USB device for a maximum of 8 hours. So an 8000mAh will last 4 hours if the power draw is increased to 2Ah.

So if you were looking to charge an iPhone 11 with a battery capacity of 3,110 mAh you will get around 2.5 charges from the Type S jump starter.

Conclusion

This Costco jump starter type S is very good. It works on my Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus. The fact that it charges via micro USB ad USB-C means I can always get it charged as these cables are everywhere.

Everyone should have a jump starter in their car and these cheap Costco jump starters make it easy. I love how it tells you what to do. Makes life simple for those that have a flat battery but don’t know how to use a jump starter.

Type S does have a more expensive model called the Qi that supports wireless charging for mobile phones. I don’t need this feature so I just settled for the cheaper unit. Check out this post if you would like to learn more about the best jump starters with wireless charging.

Now if you are after something smaller again for like storage on a motorcycle, these mini pocket jump starters will do the job just fine.

Mathew S

I am a qualified Industrial Electrician for the past 20 years and I love to share my knowledge on home repair jobs.

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