I have a jump starter- should I still carry jumper cables?

[smiper]

I purchased one of those self-contained jump starters (non-affiliate link), and I've had good success with it. It only uses about 7% per jump. I imagine that's a logarithmic curve, but I easily have a few jumps per charge. I also religiously recharge anything I use, and I check everything in the house every six months. I don't do any serious travel where I expect to run into a Fuso or an F750 or a diesel locomotive (that was a joke). I have limited storage space in my '06 4runner.

Do I still NEED to carry jumper cables, or can I reclaim that space?

 

[Grassland]

I find the space and weight of jumper cables to be minimal and have no plans to remove mine when I get a booster pack.

That being said, the booster pack can always be with you, and another vehicle might not, nor can it necessarily get close enough to reach with cables.

 

[calicamper]

Booster packs are great but I found out the hard way they can be finicky and deny you juice when the starter battery doesn’t register enough volts to be detected. Which case the old jumper cables were a needed item to save the day

 

[Terra]

I agree, I carry both. So far I have not used the booster to jump my truck but have used it a few times to help strangers. You should see the puzzled look on their faces - after I ask them if they need any help - when I come back without carrying jumper cables or driving the truck next to their vehicle.

 

[jadmt]

I would venture that I have used those jump packs more than anyone else. We carried them in our patrol cars to give jumps. Here is what I found..they worked about exactly 50% of the time. they were kept charged all the time so it was not the state of charge of the jump pack but the state of charge on the vehicle being jumped that mattered, It did not matter whether a truck or small car if the battery was really dead they would not start.. I have one in my car and have them in my daughters' cars but I also carry jumper cables. I trust the jump packs 50% lol..

 

[smiper]

I didn't realize that they wouldn't work if the dead car is like, dead dead. Glad I asked!

 

[ThundahBeagle]

I'm thinking more and more to pick a jump starter up. Seems prudent, especially if you are caught out there alone.

But to be fair, jumper cables dont take up much space at all, and even they wont work if the battery is dead to the point it just wont take a charge. That point is just lower for cables than it is for a pack because the cables dont contain a chip to tell it otherwise

 

[burleyman]

When using cables or a jump pack for a battery that the source cannot both charge and crank, remove one battery cable, attach cables/jump pack, start engine, quickly reattach battery cable.

If nervous about the above, for various reasons, be patient. Typical starting batteries will only accept a limited number of amps for charging, in my experience, less than fifty amps after an initial short inrush that quickly reduces. Start the charging vehicle, attach cables, be very patient. With both cables and a jump pack, less patience is required.

If the battery is really, really flat, there may be very little charging current, therefore the jump pack could work. A clip around dc ammeter is a valuable tool. So is one of the below devices I first saw in the 1950's and own one from then, and two more since at give away prices, different brands, but with the same scales. Amazingly, all relatively accurately read the typical 5 amps from a 100w 12v system solar panel.

Starter Current for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for Starter Current at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

 

[alia176]

I have a dual battery system in the landruiser and I still carry jumper cables. I've had to use them to jump start someone else's car. One of the end of the jumper cable has been converted to hold a welding rod. This is one of those worst case scenarios where multiple batteries are connected in series so that field welding can be performed and we can all go home!

 

[calicamper]

I’ve seen people use a 9v battery to trick a jump pack into energizing a dead 12v starter battery.

 

[Praxguy]

Booster packs are great but I found out the hard way they can be finicky and deny you juice when the starter battery doesn’t register enough volts to be detected. Which case the old jumper cables were a needed item to save the day

This is the correct answer. Don’t let what happened to me, happen to you. A crank battery dead because of extreme cold, and battery jump starter denied me juice because its voltage was near zero (confirmed with volt meter). Jumper cables are a must.

 

[billiebob]

Old school here, I just carry booster cables, zero use for carrying another battery.
If you use your jump pak more than once every 10 years, you have other problems.

The only time I needed a boost in the past 20 years was when my 10 year old battery went dead from leaving the lights on.
With a new battery I can leave the lights on for hours and still start my car.

 

[Florida Native]

I’ve used the jump packs on a dead dead battery. Usually there is a boost button or something similar and/or you may need to leave it hooked up for a minute or two before trying to start the vehicle.

But, don’t believe the percent display… I used once dropped to 93%, second time dropped to 80%. Third time was a no go. Moral of the story… charge after every use and whatever you do, don’t expect more than two jumps out of it.

I like having backup, so the only vehicle I don’t carry both jumper cables and jump pack is a stick shift. But I, like you, am contemplating dropping the jumper cables from the other vehicles.

-Mike

 

[IdaSHO]

With the camper loaded we always have back up battery power, can "jump" the truck with the camper bank, and can charge/recharge the truck bank, the camper bank, or both with solar.
So we don't carry cables any longer. Instead, we carry a small lithium jump pack. But the pack being an absolute last resort for us, its use is primarily for jumping others.

That said, something that I don't think has been mentioned is how particular some vehicles are and can be to jump starting.
So I very much prefer to have the ability to offer a jump pack to a driver in need, rather than chance any sort of problem associated from jumping it with our truck.