The Easiest Way to Start a Car
I was raised to think that jumper cables are essentially part of your car. I may not have always remembered that every single piece of the perfect car kit should be in the trunk, but a couple of jumper cables were always there because, damn it, why not? They are cheap enough and easy enough to keep on hand. But that only solves half the problem – you’ll still find someone with a running machine to lend you some juice. Unless, of course, you have a portable launcher.
Why and how to jump by car
For a quick reminder of what it’s like to jump in a car, here’s what you do when your car’s battery is dead. In a traditional gas-powered car, the battery is only there to start the engine and to control small additional functions such as headlights and radio. Gasoline powers the engine, and the engine recharges the battery while driving. The perfect little system – until you leave the lights on overnight and the battery runs out. Now your car won’t start.
The process of jumping through the car is quite simple, you can print it on the bag that holds your connecting cables, like this . (This has been my secret for all my 20 years helping one unfortunate friend or stranger after another. Did I remember the entire procedure? No. Did I quickly read it from my bag as I unzipped the cables? I bet.)
Start with “red on low” (positive terminal on dead battery), then connect positive to a good car, negative to a good car, and finally connect the last clip to some bare metal, like an engine block. Then get into the dead car and turn on the ignition. If this doesn’t work, you may have dirt on the battery contacts; erase it and try again. After your car starts, don’t forget to drive it for a while to let the engine charge the battery again. We have a more detailed guide to car jumping here .
Electric and hybrid cars are, of course, different and beyond the scope of this article. We have some basic information here , but rely on your vehicle’s owner’s manual.
How to get the jump when you need it
If you are a rescuer with a good car and connecting cables, you are all set. But if you have a dead car and cables, the old fashioned way you have to look for a kind stranger who can move his car next to yours. In a busy parking lot, this is not a problem: just ask anyone who is nearby.
If you are alone, do not forget that you can call a taxi or Uber; most drivers will happily take your money to sit there for five minutes while you plug in the jumper cables.
But now we come to the easiest way: these days you can buy a cheap brick-like portable battery that you already use to charge your phone. The only catch here is that you need to check regularly to make sure it’s charged, as the charge will drop below a usable level after a few months in the trunk.
Our friends at Jalopnik like the THOR 1000 , which costs about $40, but there are many other models with different power and additional features. The manual for THOR shows how easy it is to use: just plug in the supplied jumper cables and then start your car. Not stopping strangers, not maneuvering cars, because for some reason you ended up in the most inconvenient corner of the parking lot. Just plug it in, start your car, then pack it up and go.
A portable battery usually also includes a flashlight and a USB port for charging your phone, so it can help you in more emergencies than just a dead car battery. These days, I still have those traditional jumper cables in my trunk, but when I go on a trip, I make sure to take a fully charged portable starter battery with me.