Jumper Cables

Not all jumper cables are created equal. Many people go to the store, see jumper cables and just buy the cheapest ones. It's just copper connecting 2 batteries, right? Wrong. A professional set of jumper cables (1-4 AWG wire) should be able to start the stranded vehicle directly from the donor vehicle. A cheap set like this 10 gauge set (remember that in American Wire Gauge, smaller number equals thicker wire) has to sit for a while and hopefully actually charge the dead battery enough to start the stranded vehicle. Unfortunately, I've seen this take as long as 5 minutes. On a car with a completely bad battery, I've seen it not work at all.

So don't just go buy the cheapest jumper cables you can find, take a look, do 5 minutes worth of research and buy a higher quality set. A high quality set of jumper cables should last at least the life of the vehicle, if not your entire life as a driver. I typically recommend this about $20 set from AAA, but even a professional quality set of 1-2 AWG jumper cables should only cost $50-60 as of the writing of this article.

As always, stay safe out there. I'll see you on the road.