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.