Not all jumper cables are the same. They’re made with varying specifications and characteristics for different intended uses. Some of these characteristics include insulation, cable length, clamp type, and wire gauge.
Caution: Always use safety glasses when working around car batteries.
Using the appropriate jumper cable gauge ensures that your battery receives the power it requires to start. The gauge defines the thickness of the wires. This will be indicated by a gauge value ranging from 1 to 12.
Transferring larger voltages will require thicker wires. If you use thin wires to transfer large voltages, your vehicle might not receive enough voltage to startup properly. Additionally, wires can heat up when they transfer too much voltage.
Copper cables are far better than aluminum cables. If you’re building your own set of jumper cables, welding lead works better than just about anything else because it’s made with a lot of small wires for flexibility.
Copper cables are far better than aluminum cables. If you’re building your own set of jumper cables, welding lead works better than just about anything else because it’s made with a lot of small wires for flexibility.
–Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician
Further, current travels on the outside of each wire and not through the center, so a lot of small wires will have more area than a few larger wires, which are also quite stiff.
As with gauge, thicker is the way to go in terms of insulation. Do note that thicker wires don’t necessarily have thicker insulation.
Also, contrary to what you may see in movies, you won’t get electrocuted by a 12-volt battery with jumper cables, anyway. However, if the wire gets hot, you might get burned if you touch a bare cable that has been heated by current flow.
If you have a vehicle with a large engine, such as a truck or RV, you should look for 2-gauge cables. Heavy-duty vehicles, such as semi trucks, might require cables with a gauge rating of 1.
Anyone who has ever had to jump-start a car understands how difficult it can be to align the two vehicles in order to connect the cables. A longer pair of cables will allow you to park the charging car in a more convenient location. When the cars are facing each other, a set of 10-foot jumper wires should suffice, although this isn’t always possible. If you want the charging car to park behind the stopped one, you’ll need at least 20 feet of wire. However, longer jumper cables will be more expensive, heavier, and hard to handle.
If you’re looking for jumper cables, make sure that the clamps are able to securely fasten themselves onto the batteries. Otherwise, they can come loose and electrocute you. This means they should have a strong spring that allows them to latch onto the battery’s terminals.
Alligator clamps are probably the best because they have teeth on their clamping surface that help keep them in place. The clamp handles should also have a thick layer of rubber to protect you from getting electrocuted and so you can securely grip them.
While these advantages might seem like marginal gains, they can all add up to improve your overall experience when it comes to jump-starting your vehicle.
A pair of high-quality jumper cables is a lifesaver when you’ve got a dead battery under the hood. The good news is that here at CarParts.com, it’s extremely easy to find the best jumper cables for your ride.
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Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.