# Jump starting a car questions

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car-questions/408249>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 16, 2007, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car-questions/408249 "2007-06-16T13:57:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car-questions/408249/41 "2007-06-19T10:31:54Z")

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Yeah, as much as I’d like to take credit for that trick, I can’t. I guess he was the “hero” for a few minutes and it was funny to hear the tale. Good bs’er but I think this one was probably true.

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**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car-questions/408249/42 "2007-06-19T11:05:29Z")

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[QUOTE=Rick]  
**Quality of jumper cables?** Bigger is better, size does make a difference. I also have 4 ga. cables.  
[/QUOTE]  
Any suggestions on where one might find some quality jumper cables and not the run of the mill whimpy kind? My dad has a good set but when I asked him where he got them, turns out he MADE them decades ago when he was learning to weld. Not helpful. All I’ve found have been cheap sets that don’t really instill a whole lot of confidence when hooking everything up.

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**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car-questions/408249/43 "2007-06-19T11:27:00Z")

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Swipe Dad’s set when he isn’t looking, replacing them with a set from Pep Boys… You could make another set, from 4 gage cable.

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car-questions/408249/44 "2007-06-19T13:45:21Z")

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[QUOTE=Cyberhwk]  
Any suggestions on where one might find some quality jumper cables and not the run of the mill whimpy kind? My dad has a good set but when I asked him where he got them, turns out he MADE them decades ago when he was learning to weld. Not helpful. All I’ve found have been cheap sets that don’t really instill a whole lot of confidence when hooking everything up.  
[/QUOTE]

After reading this thread yesterday, I got a 20’ 4-gauge set at KMart for $50. Of course I have no idea what that really means but they’re nice and heavy. 🙂

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