If you own a car, you might need a jumper cable. If you don’t have a pair of jumper cables, you are inviting inconvenience into your driving life. A jumper cable is simply a set of two thick wires. The commonly red and black wires which offer a heavy duty service packed with alligator clips on both ends. These cables will be used to jump start the car’s dead battery without bringing it to a professional mechanic.
Jumper cables are one of the most important safety equipment every car owner should have. It can help jump start a battery even if you have a dead one. The average battery lifespan of a car is five years but many batteries fail much less time than that. Even a perfectly workable battery can also be drained in just a few hours when left them in a dome light causing the car incapable of turning on. Without a jumper cable, you won’t be able to survive when an emergency situation arrives.
A jumper cable is important when your car battery dies. With it, car owners can have some good sort of convenience. These cables are probably something with seldom use than any other tools you will need in your daily life but it will save you during emergencies. For better use of the equipment, here is how you choose the best.
Specs to Check
The best jumper cables have great specs. Purchasing the best cables is a wise investment. They don’t have to be too pricey. Most of them may only cost a few dollars that will have paid you back many times without having to call for roadside assistance in the long run.
• Thickness
It is said that more power goes and charges faster if you use a lower gauge so an 8-gauge wire is considered to be sufficient enough. Using big jumper cables can also create a more solid grip especially for the big alligator clips.
• Length
When it comes to the measurement lengthwise of the wire, a length of 12 inches would be good enough. This is the basic length to cover some regular purposes. Such length might also prevent car owners from being stuck in a position when the vehicle needs to be pushed a bit far.
• Clamp Durability
To have the best jumper cable, don’t forget to check the clamps. The clamp should be sturdy. It should have durability that lasts to make it stay better than the rest. The clamps should also be rubber-coated to prevent deadly electrical shocks.
• Clip Material
A clamp that is made with solid copper transmits better electricity than those simply copper played kinds. Copper plates may also wear off the steel substrate after extreme wear and tear and that transmit electricity no more. In this case, a very cheap clamp may not work as good as you wish.
• Width
When it comes to the width of the wire, a thicker one can be the best choice. However, you should be aware of choosing thicker gauge wires because most of them are labeled with deceiving words to attract users. The gauge amount should also be checked for a wiser purchase.
• Insulation Type
Choosing thicker wires are known to provide better insulation than choosing to have thinner types. If you got cheap insulation, it would crack quite easily especially if you stay in a colder climate. Moreover, such type becomes pretty hard to use because it never straightens out. Remember that better ones always retain its pliability no matter how much coiling or recoiling is done.
Additional Considerations
Aside from what being mentioned above, there are lots of additional important things to consider. If your car has no volt meter then it will be good to have a voltmeter to make sure that the two batteries are properly connected to the jumper cables. This can also help diagnose battery problems a lot easier so you can use the jumper cables a lot better.
But bear in mind that if you have noticed that your car battery is dead that it can’t start your vehicle; stop trying to reduce the risk of further electrical system damages. For a safer car handling, visit Autofella.com.
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