jumper cables

[Special K]

I was looking at jumper cables the other day and noticed they make them in several gauges of wire. Does it matter much which wire gauge I get? Should I get the lowest gauge just to be safe, or is it overkill? I think the lowest I saw was an 8 gauge.

 

[amdskip]

Personally I would spend the extra and get the heavier cables. I don't care to get shocked with cheapo cables.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Get the largest guage (lowest number) that you can buy. I have seen instances where cheap, thin, cables were not capable of passing enough current to jump start a car, but when I hooked up using my larger cables the car with the dead battery started right up.

9 times out of 10, the cheap cables will manage to get a car started, but that 10th time can be damn inconvenient.

ZV

 

[glen]

SEARS has 6 gauge, 18 ft. $36.99



SEARS has 4 gauge, 20 ft. $44.99
SEARS has 8 gauge, 14 ft. $29.99

 

[Pacfanweb]

Bigger is better in this case.

Also remember when you hook them up...the negative cable is the last one you hook up, and the first one you take off.

 

[Wolfie]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Bigger is better in this case.

Also remember when you hook them up...the negative cable is the last one you hook up, and the first one you take off.

haha On wich car? Just thought I would try to catch yeah on that one. Oh, and don't connect the Neg to the dead battery either. This could cause issues when you take the cable off. Always conect the neg cable on the dead car to a good grounded part of the engine that is not rubber mounted and not insulated from the rest of the engine.

Special K
The larger the better for two reasons. 1) As Zenmervolt said, the larger the cable, the easier it is to pass the required amps. (Try touching a cable after tring to start a car with the smaller ones, and then try it with the larger one. Tell me what one has less heat.)

2) The connectors don't tend to break off the larger cables either like the cheaper ones. And try to find ones with copper. Aluminum has a tendency to get hotter. And I have seen some that have melted the outside coating.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: Wolfie
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Bigger is better in this case.

Also remember when you hook them up...the negative cable is the last one you hook up, and the first one you take off.</end quote></div>

haha On wich car? Just thought I would try to catch yeah on that one. Oh, and don't connect the Neg to the dead battery either. This could cause issues when you take the cable off. Always conect the neg cable on the dead car to a good grounded part of the engine that is not rubber mounted and not insulated from the rest of the engine.

Special K
The larger the better for two reasons. 1) As Zenmervolt said, the larger the cable, the easier it is to pass the required amps. (Try touching a cable after tring to start a car with the smaller ones, and then try it with the larger one. Tell me what one has less heat.)

2) The connectors don't tend to break off the larger cables either like the cheaper ones. And try to find ones with copper. Aluminum has a tendency to get hotter. And I have seen some that have melted the outside coating.

Why are you not supposed to connect the negative cable on the dead car to the battery's negative terminal? Isn't the car's frame at the same potential (ground) as the battery's ground?

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Special K
Why are you not supposed to connect the negative cable on the dead car to the battery's negative terminal? Isn't the car's frame at the same potential (ground) as the battery's ground?

When a car battery (lead-acid) charges, it gives off hydrogen gas. There is a risk of spark when you remove the ground cable from its connection and under certain conditions this spark may ignite the hydrogen gas and cause the battery to explode.

Note that this is a very, very small risk, but it is a risk and there's no reason to take it when you can connect to a grounding point on the car's frame.

ZV

 

[steppinthrax]

Why invest in jumper cables. Invest a little more and get yourself a emergency battery/jumper. A couple of companies make these. A lot of times you don't have someone who can jump for you. I also feel kind of strange asking people to jump start. Most people feel it may damage their vehicle (although highly unlikely).

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax
Most people feel it may damage their vehicle (although highly unlikely).

"Most"?

 

[Eli]

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Yes.

It isn't going to matter for the majority of cars with little 4 cylinder engines.. But when you're dealing with 50 - 150A+, the wire gauge makes a huge difference in available amps.

Originally posted by: amdskip
Personally I would spend the extra and get the heavier cables. I don't care to get shocked with cheapo cables.

You aren't going to get shocked by a 12V automotive battery. Ever.

 

[steppinthrax]

Originally posted by: jagec
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: steppinthrax
Most people feel it may damage their vehicle (although highly unlikely).</end quote></div>

"Most"?

In todays day and age you always have to worry about someone claiming you damaged their car. When in fact it was something else entirely different that damaged it.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

I actually stopped carrying cables, too much liklihood of jacking up the computer. I just let AAA cover it now. But yes, wire guage matters alot, because you're going to be feeding that dead battery as fast as the good vehicle can charge it. And in the case of my truck, I have a 136A alternator. So it'll be pumping the current down quite quickly, to the point that the wire's resistance is a major factor.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
I actually stopped carrying cables, too much liklihood of jacking up the computer.

Popular myth. Unless you hook the bloody things up ass-backwards you're not going to harm anything.

ZV

 

[Demon-Xanth]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Popular myth. Unless you hook the bloody things up ass-backwards you're not going to harm anything.

ZV</end quote></div>

Good to know

Edit:
My dad now has my jumper cables in his diesel pickup, if he ever has to give a small car a jump it'll be like that Nitro commercial. 2 large batteries+160A alternator=electrons will be inconvinienced in large numbers.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Popular myth. Unless you hook the bloody things up ass-backwards you're not going to harm anything.

ZV</end quote></div>

Good to know

Edit:
My dad now has my jumper cables in his diesel pickup, if he ever has to give a small car a jump it'll be like that Nitro commercial. 2 large batteries+160A alternator=electrons will be inconvinienced in large numbers.

Is the truck still a 12-volt system? If so, they all it means is he'll have plenty of "ommph" to give a jump with.

 

[Wolfie]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Special K
Why are you not supposed to connect the negative cable on the dead car to the battery's negative terminal? Isn't the car's frame at the same potential (ground) as the battery's ground?</end quote></div>

When a car battery (lead-acid) charges, it gives off hydrogen gas. There is a risk of spark when you remove the ground cable from its connection and under certain conditions this spark may ignite the hydrogen gas and cause the battery to explode.

Note that this is a very, very small risk, but it is a risk and there's no reason to take it when you can connect to a grounding point on the car's frame.

ZV

What He ^ Said. And believe me. I have seen it happen. But it is a rare case when it does.

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Get the largest guage (lowest number) that you can buy. I have seen instances where cheap, thin, cables were not capable of passing enough current to jump start a car, but when I hooked up using my larger cables the car with the dead battery started right up.

9 times out of 10, the cheap cables will manage to get a car started, but that 10th time can be damn inconvenient.

ZV

the bigger the better

Most people who have the smaller gauge ones don't use them properly. They are more for hooking to a running car for a short period of time to "charge" the dead battery some as opposed to a straight "hook up and crank" jump.

 

[Gibson486]

I have cheap jumper cables. They will only work when i try to jump from the same type of small car (a Civic to an Sentra....you get the picture). If I try to jump from a truck or something, it wont work.

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: Gibson486
I have cheap jumper cables. They will only work when i try to jump from the same type of small car (a Civic to an Sentra....you get the picture). If I try to jump from a truck or something, it wont work.

The laws of physics don't determine which car they will or will not work on.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Gillbot

Originally posted by: Gibson486
I have cheap jumper cables. They will only work when i try to jump from the same type of small car (a Civic to an Sentra....you get the picture). If I try to jump from a truck or something, it wont work.

The laws of physics don't determine which car they will or will not work on.

Well, they do, but not like that.

ZV

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: Gibson486
I have cheap jumper cables. They will only work when i try to jump from the same type of small car (a Civic to an Sentra....you get the picture). If I try to jump from a truck or something, it wont work.

There's probably a crappy connection somewhere, that when you hook it upto a truck the taller height pulls on it differently from a lower height.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax
Why invest in jumper cables. Invest a little more and get yourself a emergency battery/jumper. A couple of companies make these. A lot of times you don't have someone who can jump for you. I also feel kind of strange asking people to jump start. Most people feel it may damage their vehicle (although highly unlikely).

your "emergancy battery" is slowly losing its charge over time, and may or may not work when you need it. if it's not rechargable, it will also be compromised if you "waste" it on a stranded friend or stranger. i've used my cables maybe 10 times, but never once for my own cars. it feels good to help people out, and the cables are maintanence-free.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: steppinthrax
Why invest in jumper cables. Invest a little more and get yourself a emergency battery/jumper. A couple of companies make these. A lot of times you don't have someone who can jump for you. I also feel kind of strange asking people to jump start. Most people feel it may damage their vehicle (although highly unlikely).</end quote></div>

your "emergancy battery" is slowly losing its charge over time, and may or may not work when you need it. if it's not rechargable, it will also be compromised if you "waste" it on a stranded friend or stranger. i've used my cables maybe 10 times, but never once for my own cars. it feels good to help people out, and the cables are maintanence-free.

So you take the jumper battery out about 3 times a year and charge it overnight. Big deal. They don't "slowly lose their charge", unless you're talking about a LONG time.
Plus, they simply work better than jumper cables. Lots more convenient, too.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
So you take the jumper battery out about 3 times a year and charge it overnight. Big deal. They don't "slowly lose their charge", unless you're talking about a LONG time.
Plus, they simply work better than jumper cables. Lots more convenient, too.

Depends on what you mean. I've never had jumper cables fail to work, so I'm not sure that I'd say it works "better". Jumper cables also take up zero trunk space (they can fit inside the spare wheel) and weigh a lot less. Overall I'd rather have the jumper cables.

I'll agree though that the portable battery units can be more convenient if you're in an out-of-the-way area and don't have anyone around.

ZV