Battery boost

[DerbyDad03]

I pay a lot more than that for AAA to bring their jumper cables to me. ;-)

[Stormin Mormon]

Thank you, you are correct. I did a rewrite above, and hope to be more clear.

[Eagle]

Really? State Farm comes out to tow Me or jump start Me for nothing.

[clare]

But they are not "good 25 foot" cables. Likely neither good nor 25 ft

[Vic Smith]

I always used thick cables to start carbureted cars - back in the day. But letting thinner cables charge the dead battery for 5-10 minutes works fine with fuel injection, assuming the car doesn't have other problems. The mistake many people make is not having a good connection on the side mount battery terminals. You have to make sure the alternator on the charging car has a load on it. Until you hear that you're not connected. Not always easy to hear if there's a lot of traffic around. My cables are hanging in the garage, a 25' foot set of heavy and a 20' set of medium. Haven't used them at least 10 years.

[Don Y]

Keep ours in the trunks of the cars. The first time the car doesn't start, you check the date stamped on top of the battery. If more than 3 years (regardless of the grade of battery), you pull the battery and get it replaced. Batteries simply don't last in the heat, here.

[And, if you buy a battery that covers the first 36 months "in full" -- prorating after that -- you usually don't pay for the replacement... or the replacement for the replacement... or the replacement for the replacement for the replacement... :> ]

[Ed Pawlowski]

How much does that free lunch cost you?

[Vic Smith]

I kept a pair in the trunk until maybe 5 years ago - old habit. Came to realize I just don't need them. I've been getting at least 5 years from a battery. Never had one pro-rated.

[clare]

Unless the battery tests good - then you don't pay for (or get) a replacement under warranty.

[clare]

If you have to boost a car from behind, you need the long cables. Just pull in the driveway behind, pull out the cables, connect and go.

I don't carry 25 footers any more either - but did for yeas when I was in that business. On my Ramcharger I had plugs on the fender so I didn't even nave to lift my hood

[Don Y]

First battery I bought, here, was like a 100 month battery. Deader'n a doornail after ~4 years. Prorated value would still have me shelling out $50 for another of the same.

So, since then, we've been buying $50 batteries at Costco.

Well, more accurately, we bought *one* $50 battery and have been returning it every few years for a free replacement! Anybody here with half a brain (and the ability to remove two cables from a battery!) does the same sort of thing. The heat just kills the batteries in short order.

Unfortunately, you never know if the battery is going to give up the ghost in your garage (where the cables might be stored)

*or* somewhere away from home (where you'd have to rely on AAA, etc.). So, I just lay the jumpers in the spare tire wheel well "tracing" the outline of the spare. That way, I know where to find them!

Heat also wreaks havoc on tires! Most (concrete) driveways are covered with tire tracks -- as if someone had skidded on them (just the rubber melting off the treads!)

[Women don't seem to understand the concept of NOT turning the wheel unless the car is ROLLING!]

[Don Y]

You've obviously never dealt with Costco! :> They are very customer friendly; drop off the battery, show proof of purchase, go grab your replacement battery off the shelf -- and be sure to take your *new* receipt for the NEXT return! :>

[Eagle]

Oren explained on 12/31/2015 :

You offering? lol

I've used the roadside service option a few times, and it's well worth the yearly $30.00 for the service. I have to pay up front for whatever I need, [tow, jump battery, etc] but get it back in mail. Most insurance outfits offer this service.

I wouldn't know, Oren... :D

[Eagle]

$30.00 a year...coffee included. ^^

[Eagle]

[e-mail] has brought this to us :

The set I have in the garage is at least 6 foot long, and I've used them several times to jump My '68 Chevy C10.

[Eagle]

The problem with jumper cables in the car/truck is you have to jump from a second battery, and have to flag down a passing car/truck to jump from. Here in So. Cal. that isn't a good idea due to the nut cases here. This is the reason I am posting about "battery boosting", and having that all important second battery to jump from.

[Eagle]

Yep, and anything else you aren't happy with that came from Costco.

[Eagle]

[e-mail] explained :

Battery terminals on the fenders? Did you install that?

[DerbyDad03]

My daughter has her car parked in the garage of the house she rents at college while she takes some roads trips with her sister. It'll be there for about 10 days. Had I known that she was going to put it in the garage, I would have told her to back it in.

Since she didn't, I told her to try and start it the night before she needs it to get to school. If it doesn't start, I told her to make sure she tells AAA that it is in a garage, front in, just to ensure that they bring a booster pack or long cables.

The battery is less than 3 years old, so I don't think she'll have a problem, but I just want her (and AAA) to be prepared so she's not late for her first day of the new semester. She's got jumper cables in the kit I built for her, but they are not long ones.

[Eagle]

Oren was thinking very hard :

Interesting web site. Thanks Oren.