How many times have you walked out to your vehicle, slid into the driver’s seat, turned the key and panicked when nothing happened? A drained or dead battery is one possible cause of your problems. And unless your neighbors are always home, you can’t always bank on having someone to help jump your vehicle.
Having a portable jump starter can save you time and frustration. And what is this wonderfully handy device? As they say in the U.K., it does what it says on the tin. A portable jumper consists of a battery, a handle and a set of cables with battery clamps. With one of these devices, you don’t have to hope for a kind stranger to help give you a jump. Check out this brief guide and learn how to use and store a portable jumper for years of dependable use.
How To Store Your Jump Starter
Sometimes, a dead battery happens at the worst time – after exiting the grocery store, your workplace or in the middle of running errands. Having it in your car can spare you some major headaches. With that said, you should not keep the device in extreme temperatures if possible. For best results, the ambient temperature where you store it should stay between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you live in super cold or hot climates, consider leaving your starter indoors when temperatures plunge or skyrocket. You can always put it in your trunk before you leave home. Also, be sure to regularly check its power levels and charge when needed.
How To Properly Connect Your Jump Starter
Having a portable jumper is half the battle. Using it properly ensures that you can power your battery and get back on the road. Fortunately, this isn’t difficult. You connect the jumper in the same manner as you would using jumper cables. A quick review of jump-starting technique can be useful. Wear protective gloves and eyewear if possible Then turn your ignition key to the OFF position, apply your parking brake and follow a few simple steps:
- Make sure that battery terminals and jumper clamps are clean.
- Open and secure your vehicle’s hood.
- Identify your jumper’s connectors – red for positive and black for negative.
- Hook the red clamp up to your battery’s positive (+) terminal.
- Connect the black negative (-) clamp to a clean, unpainted non-moving piece of metal on your vehicle.
- Check your jumper clamps to ensure they’re secure.
Next, power on your portable jumper and try to start your engine. If this is successful, remove your jumper clamps. Allow your vehicle to idle for several minutes to charge your battery.
Last-Minute Tips
Maybe you’re careful about keeping up with your vehicle’s maintenance. Checking your battery is a thing you regularly do. Or…maybe not. Either way, the battery is a critical component. If it’s not healthy and functional, you’re not going anywhere. Besides caring for your battery, it’s important to know how to jump start a car. And with a portable jumper, you always have dependable jump starting right at your fingertips.
