Jump Starters and Starting a Flat Battery

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Jump Starters and Starting a Flat Battery

How a lithium jump pack works, the correct procedure, safety and battery care

A portable jump starter removes the need for a second car and a stranger, and the procedure matters because getting it wrong damages electronics or causes an explosion.

How they work

A lithium pack delivers a short burst of high current to turn the engine over. Peak amps make the headline; the cranking amps figure and the engine size it is rated for are what matter.

Match the rating to your engine, and note that diesels need considerably more than petrol engines of the same size.

The correct procedure

Ignition off and everything electrical switched off. Red clamp to the positive terminal, black clamp to an unpainted metal earth point on the engine block or chassis rather than to the negative terminal.

Earthing away from the battery keeps any spark away from the hydrogen that a charging battery gives off. That is the reason for the rule.

Start the engine, remove the clamps in reverse order, and drive for a decent run rather than switching straight off.

What not to do

Never let the clamps touch each other or any metal while connected. Never jump a frozen, leaking or visibly damaged battery. Never smoke near one.

Check the vehicle handbook, since some cars specify a dedicated jump point and some hybrids and electric vehicles must not be jumped this way at all.

Looking after the pack

Recharge it every few months, since it self-discharges and will be flat when you need it. Keep it out of extreme heat and cold, which reduces output in winter exactly when it is needed.

What else to carry

A tyre inflator, a torch, a warning triangle and a high-visibility vest, which are legally required in several European countries. A foil blanket and water take no space.

Check the spare or the repair kit is present and that you know where the locking wheel nut key is.

Cold weather

Batteries lose capacity in cold, which is why failures cluster in the first frost. Have the battery tested before winter, and take short-journey cars for a longer run occasionally.

Keep the jump pack indoors rather than in the boot, since lithium output drops in cold too.

Check the pack is charged before a long journey rather than after a breakdown.

Read the manual before you need it, since nobody reads instructions at the roadside in the rain.

Check the clamps and cable for damage before each season, since these live in a boot.

Why the battery went flat

Repeated flat batteries mean a fault — a parasitic drain, a failing alternator or an old battery. Have it tested rather than jumping it weekly.

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