Updated · Batteries
Jumper cables: simple, but you need a donor
Cables have no battery to charge and nothing to wear out except the clamps and insulation. They work as long as another running car can park close enough. That's the catch late at night, in a near-empty lot, or in a garage space where no car can pull up nose to nose.
Thicker is better, and gauge numbers run backward: 4-gauge cable is heavier than 8-gauge. For most cars and pickups, 4- to 6-gauge cables around 16 to 20 feet long give enough reach without losing much power.
Jump starter packs: no second car
A jump pack is a rechargeable battery, usually lithium, with its own short clamps. You connect it to your battery and start the car yourself. Many also charge a phone and have a flashlight.
Most packs protect against reversed clamps and sparks, which makes them friendlier for first-timers. The tradeoff is upkeep: a pack that sat dead in the trunk for a year won't help.
Heat and lithium packs
A parked car in a Texas summer gets far hotter inside than most lithium packs are meant to be stored. Heat shortens their life and, in a damaged pack, can become a fire risk. Check the storage temperature range in the pack's manual.
- Keep it out of direct sun, in the trunk or under a seat, never on the dash
- Recharge it every few months and after every use
- During the hottest weeks, bring it inside if you can
- Stop using any pack that is swollen, cracked or gets hot while charging
Picking one that will start your engine
Peak amp figures on the box are hard to compare between brands. A more useful guide is the engine size the maker says the pack can start, for gas and for diesel. Pick one rated above your engine, not right at it, because a cold or heat-worn battery makes the job harder.
For cables, skip the thin, lightweight sets. They heat up and may not pass enough current to start a larger engine.
When neither one helps
A pack or cables can only bring back a drained battery. If the battery has a dead cell, the starter is the problem, or the alternator isn't charging, the car will keep dying or won't crank at all.
If you'd rather not wrestle with clamps by the side of the road, call us at any hour. A technician can jump the car, and if the battery is done, replace it right there.