Starting Your Car With Jumper Cables

Using jumper cables is the low-tech, least expensive method a stranded motorist can use to restart their battery. It's not enough, however, to just buy a pair and throw them in your trunk. You have to know how to use them and the best time to do that is not when your car's battery is dead.

You should familiarize yourself with the procedure so that, when your battery dies, you won't be standing there like a bonehead when an obliging driver comes along to help you. You can't depend on the other driver to know what to do.

It's not just a matter of grabbing the cables and clamping them onto the battery any old way. There's a certain order (dead car first) and you have to make sure you hook up the positive cable to the positive battery post, etc. There are basic safety precautions you need to take, as well.

But, of course, none of that is any good if you don't have a good set of jumper cables in your car! You're no longer restricted to stiff, heavy-duty cables that can be difficult to wield; you can purchase "smart" cables that prevent you from killing your battery or hurting yourself if you inadvertently hook them up incorrectly.

Road Power 08120 12' Battery Booster Cable

Features of the Road Power cable include 200-amp heavy-duty copper-plated steel clamps, T-Prene insulation and 12 inch 10-gauge no-tangle cables made from flexible copper wire.

Michelin 5100 Smart Jumper Cables

Green indicator lights on the these 8-gauge cables ensure correct connection preventing sparking or shorting. When the clamps are connected the polarity adjusts automatically.Built-in surge protector prevents damage to your vehicle's computer and electronics.

Coleman Cable (ECI08660) Booster Cable

Featuring glow-in-the-dark polarity indicators, the Polar-Glo™ clamp is ergonomically designed to be handled easily by everyone. Fits both top and side post batteries firmly and easily. 20 foot length allows vehicles to be parked front to back.

Superior 75-6100 Safe-T-Boost, The Intelligent Booster Cable

The Intelligent jumper cables cannot be hooked up wrong so you never have to worry about battery damage. Patented circuitry adjusts polarity, preventing errors even withinexperienced users.

How To Jump Start Your Car With Battery Cables