One of the best things about being free is being able to go out on the road and see new places.
But there may be times when your battery dies out in the middle of nowhere and you can’t move until someone gives you a jump start. But, do you have jumper cables?
Most modern cars don’t come with jumper cables out of the box. You might be able to get a set as an add-on from the car dealer, but even high-end luxury cars in the United States don’t come with them by default.
It’s very important to remember to buy your own jumper cables in case your battery dies.
Even if your car doesn’t have jumper cables or doesn’t work well with them, there are other things you can do to make sure you don’t get stuck with a dead battery in an unfamiliar place.
Some of these extra options are power packs or battery packs, as well as memberships to roadside assistance.
When Did Cars Stop Coming With Jumper Cables?
In the past, very few cars came with jumper cables as standard equipment.
Jumper cables were usually only included in high-end luxury cars like Bentleys and Rolls-Royces as part of their roadside kit.
In case of an emergency or accident, this kit also had safety reflectors, wheel chocks, flashlights, and other useful items.
On the market for cars, however, it is very hard to find a brand that comes with jumper cables.
In fact, you may only be able to get jumper cables if you ask for them before you buy the car or if it comes with a “off-road” or “emergency” package that you can choose.
What To Do When Your Car Doesn’t Have Jumper Cables
If you forgot to turn off your headlights and now have a dead battery, this is the worst time to realise that your car doesn’t have jumper cables.
If you’ve looked in all the usual places, like the trunk, the side pockets of the cargo area, and under the seats, but haven’t found anything, you can try a few other things.
Call someone. This can be a good choice if you’re not too far from home and your friend lives close by. Call them and see if they can bring jumper cables to get you back on the road.
Call for help on the road. If you have a membership for roadside assistance, you should be able to call them to help you jump start your car. They usually have their own jumper cables on board, but depending on where they are, the wait can be very long.
Ask a Stranger. If your friend is far away and you don’t have roadside assistance, you may need to ask a stranger if they have jumper cables and can help you start your car.
Use a pack of batteries. If you have a battery pack, you won’t have to ask anyone for help, but make sure it’s fully charged before you need to use it.
Is It Ok To Use Jumper Cables on New Cars?
No matter what brand or model of car you have, it has a battery, and you can jump-start that battery to get it going again.
Even though your car didn’t come with a set of jumper cables, that doesn’t mean you can’t use them on that car.
It is always better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.
Voltage surges are the biggest worry for newer and more expensive cars.
Since most newer cars have a lot of electronics and computerised features, putting the jumper cables together wrong or revving the other car too much can cause voltage surges that can damage or short out the electronics.
This is easy to avoid if you turn off the other car when you jump-start it, or if you leave it on but at a slow idle and don’t rev the engine at all during the jump-starting process.
This will stop a voltage surge from happening and help make sure your electronics don’t get damaged.
Can You Jump a Car Without Jumper Cables?
If you don’t like the idea of getting a jump start and having to rely on strangers or risking damage to your electronics, a battery pack is another great option.
These tools don’t need jumper cables, and they have fail-safes built in to stop voltage surges.
Even newer cars with a lot of electronics are perfectly safe to use with them.
A battery pack is a great investment, and a new one won’t cost you very much.
You can find them at most stores that sell parts for cars and at online stores like Amazon.
Some battery packs come with a small air compressor that can also be used to fill up tyres with low air pressure.
A battery pack is very easy and safe to use. All you have to do is connect it to your dead battery and it will work like the other vehicle.
Some battery packs can trickle power into your battery, and it may take a while for the battery to get enough charge to start the car. Other battery packs will let you start the car right away.
Make sure you know which battery pack you want to buy before you go shopping.
Conclusion
Even though it might seem strange that cars don’t come with jumper cables, these important pieces of equipment are cheap and easy to buy on your own.
When your battery dies and you don’t have roadside assistance, having jumper cables on hand can save the day.
Investing in a battery pack or a trickle charger can also be a good idea.
These pieces of gear are not very expensive and can get you back on the road quickly.
This is a great thing to hear if you are lost in a place you don’t know, stuck somewhere at night, or can’t get in touch with friends or family to help you out.
Just make sure your battery pack is always fully charged so it can get you going when you need it most.
