WHY DOES YOUR VEHICLE NEED BOOSTER CABLE?
Have you ever got stuck in a car with a
dead battery in the midst of winter? A booster cable, or a jumper lead, can
help you find a way out of such unfortunate circumstances. This article will
will help you learn about booster cables, how to use it, and reasons to keep it
at hand.
What Is a Booster Cable/Jumper Cable? A
booster cable, also known as jumper cable or jump lead, has a thick electrical
cable, insulated wires with both ends thick clips, which help create a
temporary electrical connection. The function is to start a vehicle by
connecting the battery that went out of service with the battery of another
vehicle.
Booster cables typically have thick
insulation, such as EPR (Ethylene Propylene Rubber) or PVC, with excellent
resistance to weather, moisture, ozone, abrasion, and mechanical impact. The
wire also have stranded copper conductors or CCA conductors that make them
flexible, which is ideal for the type of application they typically serve.
The actual limit when using a jumper lead
is not voltage but current. In jumper cables, the amount of current that can be
safely handled depends on the quality and, most of all, the thickness of the
insulation. The thicker the cable, the more current it can handle. The bigger
the gauge of the cable, the more current and, as a result, the more voltage the
cable can handle.
In order for this voltage to really work,
the insulation will have to meet the same current requirements of high-voltage
conductors. To guarantee that the highest amount of current passes through a
jumper cable, choose a high-quality, heavy-duty, large jumper lead.
How to Use Jumper Cables?
Step 1: Position the Cars
To position the cars, bring two cars, the
good car and the dead car, close together but without them touching. At this
step, both vehicles should be turned off, with their keys removed.
Step 2: Attach Red to Dead
At this step, you should attach one end of
the red positive cable to the dead battery. The correct cable to connect will
have the "+" symbol or the letters "POS" on the battery.
Step 3: Attach Red to Good
Now, you should attach the red positive
cable to the donor car's battery.
Step 4: Attach Black to Good
Time to attach the black negative cable to
the good battery of the donor car.
Step 5: Attach Black to Dead (Surface, not
Battery)
At this point, you have to attach a
negative cable to the metal surface of a dead car. Instead of attaching the
cable to the dead battery, connect the cable to the unpainted, metallic part of
the dead car's engine. This will help to ground the circuit and will prevent
sparkles from appearing.
Step 6: Start the Donor Car
Start the engine of the good car and let it
run for a couple of minutes before proceeding. The recommended time is about
three minutes.
Step 7: Start the Dead Car
At this point, try to start the car with
the dead battery. If you succeed, leave the car idle for a few minutes so it
charges.
Step 8: Remove Cables in Reverse Order
If your dead battery has started running,
it is time to disconnect the jumper cables, starting with the black negative
one. When disconnecting, the cables should not be let touch each other or any
part of the car.
This is it. Now, drive your jumpstarted car
for 15-30 minutes before the battery recharges completely.
2024 01/15