About giving people jump starts… does it wear out one’s battery significantly, like to where he or she will have to replace it considerably sooner than if he hadn’t given… say 5 jump starts to people over the life of the bettery? I’m asking because I have a friend who has given me somewhere around 5 jump starts in the last year, because I can’t remember to turn my lights off. I’m starting to fear for his car battery’s safety…
And also, I seem to remember reading about a device that could be used to jump start your car with a contained charge…
1)what are these called?
2) How do they work? Are they just a big capacitor?
3) If they don’t charge from the alternator/battery, are they just single charges, and you have to buy refills for them?
4) Where can I get them? I want one, for the sake of my poor friend. And his poor battery. (I’m guessing eBay, but I’m looking for some information before I go on a mad purchasing rampage. (ahahahahaha)
If the car providing the jump is running, its battery should have no problems. If it’s off, could be more of a strain.
This is hard on your battery. You might want to consider one of those “light reminder” devices (or a VW, whose headlights go off when you switch the ignition off – great idea).
Not if I understand your question in the OP. This thing on ebay is a battery charger that needs to be plugged in to house current. The “engine starter” feature is a high amperage setting for those who want to start the car up right away, rather than waiting for the charger to revive the battery (that can be hard on a battery, by the way–slow charge is usually best).
As Reeder mentioned, these are batteries–compact gel batteries with jumper cables and clamps attached, in a housing with a carry handle and a place to store the clamps. They can be recharged by the car’s alternator if you leave them connected after the car starts, or by their own little plug-in charger.
They’re typically available at stores that sell auto parts, auto supplies, or tools.
But in reference to the OP–as others mentioned, the jump starts don’t affect your friend’s battery. They might affect his patience.
I just bought a portable booster for $40.00 at Wal-Mart because I drive back and forth between the coast and inland and I’m always leaving my lights on because the weather can be different e.g. raining there, sunny here on the island. I’ve already used it once and it was great!!! No more depending on having someone with a car available to start it with cables. all you do is charge it for 24 hours and then every three months or after you use it.
They are portable batteries. But you can get some really nice ones with a plug that does 110volts, light & air compressor etc. So you can run your laptop, tv, camcorder etc from them. ABout $75 but I haven’t looked around at them & they are sold by ratings, 150, 300, etc.
Since you’re going for eBay, I think this is what you’re looking for; it has a compressor for your tires, and can jump-start too (as well as providing 12VDC power supply for cell phone, laptop, etc). It’s basically a battery, and can be recharged when spent by using an AC adapter that you plug into the wall (which is also included). The seller has several listed, so there shouldn’t be a rush…
The life of a battery decreases significantly the deeper it is discharged between charging cycles. As long as a vehicle is running, the power is actually supplied by the alternator, with the battery acting as a “buffer” to deliver power smoothly in conjunction with the alternator’s voltage regulator.
When your battery goes “dead” from leaving your lights on, the battery itself is probably not completely discharged (else it would likely not last very long at all), but rather, has fallen below the minimum necessary voltage to turn over the vehicles starter, or operate the vehicle accessories (typically 12V - most of which will run down to 9-10 V or so).
A jump start does not immediately restore the charge in your vehicle’s battery, but rather, allows the starter in your car to draw power from the donor vehicle - once your car is running, your own alternator begins charging your depleted battery. This is why, once you receive a jump start, it’s a good idea to let your vehicle run for a while, lest you shut it off and not be able to restart because the battery charge is still too low.
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