How to choose battery jumper cables for car?
Emergency equipment that should be available in your car is battery jumper cables or a battery jumper wire. Battery jumper cables have an essential role when your vehicle is running out of battery. Yes, with battery jumper cables, we can use them to "borrow" electrical energy from another car battery to start your car engine.
In general, when we buy a car, either new or used, battery jumper cables are not provided for free. Therefore, we need to purchase aftermarket battery jumper cables to complete it.
Because there are so many models of battery jumper cables available in the market, we need to be very careful when choosing and buying battery jumper cables. At least, the battery jumper cables that we will buy can provide safety and ease of use. In this article, we want to share tips on choosing jumper cables for car batteries that are safe to use. Here is how to choose battery jumper cables
1. Choose battery jumper cables with a larger diameter
The first thing to remember when choosing a battery jumper cable is the diameter of the cable. The size of the cable diameter greatly affects the battery jumper cables' ability to transmit the electric current used to start the engine.
For example, a battery jumper cable with a cross-sectional area (cable diameter) of 0,47 inches has a maximum current capacity of 263 amperes. Meanwhile, a cable with a cross-sectional area of 0,70 inches has a maximum current capacity of 344 amperes.
Please note that heat will appear in the copper wire on the jumper cable when a massive amperage of electric current flows. If we used a small wire jumper cable, the cable would be too hot, causing the insulation to melt and burn the cable. It surely can be dangerous if used to jump-start car batteries. Therefore, choosing a battery jumper cable with a larger cable diameter is highly recommended.
2. Choose a longer battery jumper cable
In addition to the large cable diameter, choose a battery jumper cable with a longer cable size. The longer the battery jumper cable size, the more straightforward it will be to jump-start the car battery. The minimum size that is still worth considering for choosing a jumper cable is 120 inches long.
Choose a jumper cable with a minimum length of 120 inches or more. The longer, the better. The length of this jumper cable significantly affects our ease of use when jumpering car batteries.
A longer jumper cable will provide enough distance to jump-start the car battery when the car park position is in a narrow and limited area. For example, parking in the basement corner or one-way road conditions.
Providing a longer jumper cable will not be stunted by the car's dimensions and the battery's position when doing the battery jumper.
Read more:3. Choose a brand with a high-quality battery jumper cable
The last tips on choosing jumper cables for car batteries is to choose high-quality jumper cables. A high-quality jumper cable has at least the following characteristics:
- The price offered is generally more expensive than the same jumper cable of comparable size.
- The shape and material of the battery head clamp are made of sturdy and robust material and is not easily bent.
- We can consider the safety of the jumper cables from the insulation material behind them. The jumper cable insulation rubber looks strong, elastic, and can withstand leakage of electric current.
- In addition, the clamp is also provided with an insulating cover so that it is safer to use.
- The product finish looks neat, sturdy, and made with great precision.