And when it’s not used for such purposes, it can charge USB-compatible electronic devices.įor the foreseeable future, I’ll keep jumper cables in my trunk/cargo compartment, although I hope to not have to jump a car battery for a while. If I had to buy a portable jump-starter, it would probably be something like the PowerAll ( $100 via Amazon), which is a 12 Ah portable battery bank that can deliver up to 400 A of power to jump-start vehicle batteries. There are also wall-pluggable battery chargers, but that’s not a feasible option for those of us with communal parking lots and without private garages.Īn Amazon search shows that prices start at $65 and go up to about $140 for beefier units. It worked a LOT quicker than any of those times when I jumped my wife’s older car using regular jumper cables and my own vehicle. I’ve never used one, but one was used on my car earlier today. These days, there are also plenty of portable jump pack options, ranging from ones that can fit in your pocket and also charge USB devices, to those with built-in air compressors for filling up flat tires.Ĭar battery jump starters don’t require a second vehicle, and look to be quicker and easier to use than jumper cables. Eventually I will order some new longer cables. One time, my wife’s car was in the parking lot and flanked on all sides, and it took some creative maneuvering with my car for the jumper cables to reach. If you cannot reach your cables, or your cables are too short, that’s a problem. Most car manuals will have step-by-step instructions about how and where to hook everything up. You need jumper cables, another car with a good battery, and a favorable environment. The next three times, with a new battery, were because she didn’t drive much when she was pregnant, couldn’t drive for some time after giving birth, and I neglected to keep it active enough. I drove it around a couple of times during the winter, but not enough in the spring or summer. The first time, it was because the battery was a little old and about due for a replacement. In the past year, I jumped my wife’s old car 4 times. Service centers, such as Pep Boys, are not so quick as I unfortunately learned today, even if you make an appointment through their online portal. They’ll bring a service cart right out to the parking lot and get things done in no time. Whether you’re replacing the battery yourself or having it replaced, the easiest way to start the process is to drive over to a parts supplier or service shop, and that requires a jump start.Īs an aside, parts suppliers such as Advance Auto can swap in a replacement battery with a free installation in about the same time as you could do it yourself. We just didn’t want to deal with that potential risk or cleanup effort, or the “I told you so” and “you did what to my new car?!” conversation that would follow. There’s a minimal risk of acid spilling out if a car battery is kept upright, but there’s still a chance. Luckily, they brought along a portable jump pack and I was ready to go in a few minutes.Īnother potential option would have been to use my wife’s car to drive over to the parts store to get a replacement battery, but we decided that I shouldn’t (couldn’t) do that with her brand new car. The battery is old, and I worried it was too worn to accept a charge. We ended up calling Geico for a free jump, and AAA would have been another option.
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