It’s dark. It’s raining. It’s cold. You just have to tick this last grocery shopping errand off the to-do list, and then you’re back on the road for a cozy weekend at home. You throw the wet bags in the back, jump in the driver’s seat, turn the ignition key, and nothing happens. With cold rain dripping off your hair, you realize now that you left the headlights on for the full forty-five minutes you were grabbing groceries. Why is it in these conditions that our car batteries always fail us? What is the best remedy when you find yourself in this predicament?
Portable and convenient, there are two popular options for when a situation like this arises: jumper cables or a rechargeable jump pack. Both have pros and cons, but jumper cables and jump packs successfully get you back on the road when your car battery is in good condition, but has accidentally been drained to too low of voltage to start your vehicle.
Your car battery has two main duties: to provide powerful voltage to the starter when you turn the ignition key and start the engine, and to provide a power supply to electrical components like the radio and windshield wipers. When the engine is running, the alternator charges the battery and provides power to the rest of the vehicle. This way, the battery can never drain its charge completely and is typically fully charged after driving to be able to start the car again. When the battery is in use without the engine running, the battery can be drained of enough power that there isn’t enough voltage to engage the starter to crank the engine. Let’s take a closer look at your options for getting a drained battery charged enough to start your vehicle and get you back on the road.
Jumper Cables
Jumper cables are an extremely popular safety item to carry in your vehicle in case of a no-start emergency. For a long time, jumper cables were the only option to charge a drained battery when caught by surprise away from home. A major advantage of jumper cables is that millions of people worldwide know how to use them and have them in their vehicles in case you happen not to have a pair. To jump your drained battery, the running car must first be parked safely near your vehicle, closely enough that the jumper cables can reach both batteries. Be careful not to let the red and black clamps at either end of the cables touch and accidentally make a sparking connection during this process.
First, place the red cable on the positive terminal of your drained battery. Next, connect the other end of the red cable to the positive terminal of the running vehicle’s battery. Following that, attach the black cable to the running vehicle’s negative battery terminal, and finally, connect the other end of the black cable to either your drained battery’s negative terminal or to an unpainted engine bolt portion of your vehicle’s frame to complete the electrical connection to the running vehicle. Now, try turning your vehicle’s engine on. A low battery should be charged enough from the other vehicle to spring your engine to life. If not, allow the running vehicle to continue charging the battery for several minutes and try again. Sometimes, pressing the running vehicle’s gas pedal slightly to increase the engine speed can send more power to the discharged battery than letting it idle on its own.
The primary disadvantage of jumper cables is that you have to find someone with a running vehicle who knows where their vehicle’s battery is placed, and also can park close enough that the jumper cables reach both vehicle’s battery terminals. The best cables are 4 or 6-gauge cables that are at least 20 feet long, which can be cumbersome and take up a lot of cargo space, especially if you drive a compact vehicle. The cables can also get dirty with each use, doubling the inconvenience of using them if your battery gets drained when you’re dressed nicely for work or a special event.
Rechargeable Jump Packs
Jump packs are newer to the vehicle safety and emergency market but have now been available for over a decade. Jump packs with a high-current lithium battery provide a powerful charge to your drained battery. The pros of a jump pack versus a pair of jumper cables are extensive. With a jump pack, you can jump-start your own vehicle without needing to flag down a stranger with a running vehicle to help you. They are compact, smaller than a coiled-up bag of jumper cables, and can even be carried on a motorcycle. They are also easy to use, needing only to be connected to your battery and turned on to work. You can practice a drained battery scenario ahead of time and learn the location of your vehicle’s battery to make a real emergency go smoother and faster. A jump pack brings confidence to remote travel and adventure vacations, where another vehicle coming along in the backcountry with jumper cables may not arrive for hours or even days.
Although jump packs are seemingly the better choice over jumper cables, a couple of cons can leave you stranded after all. Most importantly, a jump pack’s battery charge level must be checked regularly, as they perform best with a full charge. Depending on your vehicle’s engine size and the condition of your battery, you may only get one chance at a jump before your jump pack’s battery is too drained to provide another high-current charge for your vehicle’s battery. Like your vehicle’s battery, a jump pack’s battery also has a lifespan and must be kept track of to ensure its full potential in the event of an emergency. Be sure to buy a jump pack with enough charge for your vehicle’s battery size, and be sure to store it inside your vehicle where it is not exposed to the elements. It’s also good to store it where you’ll remember to check the charge level occasionally, especially as temperatures fluctuate to high summer heat or below-freezing winter weather.
Choose What Works Best For You
Given the pros and cons of each tool that can help get you out of a no-start pickle, we recommend you choose the easiest, most convenient option that fits your lifestyle best. Jumper cables are a proven emergency tool. Most come in reusable packaging to store your cables. Today’s jump packs could be considered equally reliable as cables when charged, some models having the added perks of including an LED flashlight, an air compressor for a flat tire, being able to charge other devices through a 12-volt charging port, and even having a voltmeter to test if the alternator is working once your engine is running. Jump packs are charged through a home wall plug, and some can be charged off the battery of another vehicle in a pinch. Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll have success with either jumper cables or a charged jump pack. If only good weather could always be guaranteed when experiencing a drained battery.