Maxwell Start Module

[JimT]

Just wanted to provide an update for future reference and others.

After nearly 8 months since the Maxwell ESM died I've been starting from batteries again without issue. Overnight usage on my setup usually drops the voltage down to 12.4v, sometimes 12.3 or 12.2v. Overall starting the truck has been acceptable.

Also in this time I've been watching for availability for a replacement solution to the Maxwell. That would be the Skelstart ESM I mentioned in the first post. A simple search turned up 2 online retailers selling the unit in the US, though you can clearly see the labeling is only aimed at the metric using world. So recently instead of trying one of these online shops I directly contacted C8 Energy, the Official North American distributor, looking for official retail locations. The first response was within a few hours and after 24 hours and a handleful of emails they sent me a Paypal invoice and directly shipped me a unit from their warehouse in PA. This was last thursday and friday. I recieved the new unit around noon today (the following monday), before I could even request a tracking number.

So far the installation looks nearly identical to the Maxwell unit. I'm off for a couple weeks so I'll get around to installing this thing soon and will report back. The only real difference I see so far is the Maxwell ESM claimed to output 16v to the starter while this Skelstart ESM claims to output 14.1v max. As such I need to check the size of the cables from the ESM to the starter to make sure they are sized correctly for this new product. Both products have cable sizing charts in their installation manuals, though the Skelstart is written in metric so I'll need to convert to AWG.

For now I'm pleased enough with the customer service to recommend their business.
C8Energy: https://c8energy.com/skelstart/
Use the form at the bottom to contact someone if your looking for a retail solution. I dealt directly with Mike, but there may be other people, so use the form for initial contact.

There are 2 online retailers I found on EBay (I don't shop on EBay), Unviversal Truck Parts and Driveline America, both CONFIRMED to be official distributors for C8Energy. As for price, Universal's own website (NOT ebay) matches my cost direct from C8. I have not dealt with those sellers, so I'm only including this note so others know they are legit distributors, nothing more.