I've tried to jump start a car with a cigarette lighter charging device, and at times it has worked. In a few instances though, the device did not work and I had to use the old fashioned way of connecting the cables between the battery terminals.
Is there a reason why the cigarette lighter does not work in all instances whereas the cables do? Is the cigarette lighter device only able to supply a lower amount of current?
You're playing with fire trying to jumpstart the car via the cigarette lighter. The amount of current needed to start the car is WELL in excess of what the cigarette lighter circuitry and *in dash* wiring is designed to handle. It's very easy to cause severe underdash damage or even start an electrical fire. Get a good set of regular jumper cables and use only
*them*.DS
I kind of doubt he will start any fires, both vehicles should have the cig lighter circuits fused with usually a 15 or 20 amp fuse and the wiring is designed to handle that load. It won't work worth a damn but other than a blown fuse it really shouldn't cause any major problems. Bob
Unless the car's battery is just barely too weak to start the engine, you would have to leave the cigarette lighter device hooked up for a while for it to charge to get any results. The starter can draw hundreds of amps, and the cigarette lighter can only supply around 15.
A former client of mine used a 30-Amp fuse instead of the usual 20-Amp in hopes making progress. The wire melted most nearby wires, rendering the transmission inoperable. I asked, who changed the fuse? He replied, "The kids."
Exactly, it's only used to charge the car battery. =20 I used a battery from a Xootr eX3 scooter to get started once. Jumper cables, two hex key wrenches stock into the battery connector. I make contact with the 36V NIMH battery pack in short 10-second applications over a 5 minute period to pump enough charge into the car's battery to just start then engine (summer temps).=20
A thought: Given that the last three car batteries I've had all failed totally without warning, (change in battery technology?) A nice product would be a portable jumpstart box that would keep it charged from the car's electrical system when the car was running. Keep it in the trunk until needed. =20 Do these exist?
To reply, please remove one letter from each side of "@" Spammers are VERMIN. Please kill them all.
If not would be fairly simple to make. Or just add a second battery, doing it properly with isolators and such from an RV store. Monkey Wards used to have a dual battery with a little lever you lifted for one emergency start, dunno if anyone still makes them.
What would be really nice is some means of detecting that the battery is within a coupla weeks of going bye bye without warning. Dunno when the change took place, but somewhere in the mid 80's noticed that all of my batteries seemed to work perfectly with good start current and then suddenly just drop off the map with no warning. Prior to that, could always notice warnings such as low spin rate, etc.
Your trying to drink the ocean with a straw... The starter on your car can pull a couple hundred amps to start a cold engine. The cig lighter is typically fused around 15 or 20 amps. The cig lighter charger should work given a few hours to charge the battery, but for a jumpstart your much better off with the standard ol' jumper cables (thicker the wire the better they will do).
Steve B.
maybe the check engine light should come on when the battery is getting low. just add another sensor input to the onboard computer to see when the battery voltage is getting below 12.
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That's not true.. Your toilet doesn't flush using water flow from the pipes, it uses the pipes to fill the resevoir that flushes the toilet. It's just like jumping a car. You're using the jumper cables to charge the battery, not to supply all the power to the starter. That's what the cigarette lighter "jumper cables" do. I've jumped my car using 12 gauge wire.
-Bruce
It's kinda funny how no one ever admits that they screwed something up. It was always my kid that bumped a curb or melted a plastic fuel line with the trouble light while he was changing the water pump, or my wife who drove the damn car with the brakes grinding until the caliper piston popped out. lol. Human nature I guess. Bob
But if the battery is junk it won't start no matter how long the cig charger, booster, whatever, is left plugged in. Bob
Sorry, I didn't know you were PMSing.
If battery voltage drains below 11.9 volts when engine is off, this device automatically disconnects the load.
PriorityStart.
Don't let it get to you. I read messages carefully but still make mistakes. I admit, English grammers are a struggle for me. You might want to browse thru newsgroup structures if you havent done so. Also try checking a person's posts history when they interest you.
|"Robert Hancock" wrote: | |>Unless the car's battery is just barely too weak to start the engine, = |you |>would have to leave the cigarette lighter device hooked up for a while = |for |>it to charge to get any results. The starter can draw hundreds of amps, = |and |>the cigarette lighter can only supply around 15. | | |Exactly, it's only used to charge the car battery. =20 |I used a battery from a Xootr eX3 scooter to get started once. Jumper |cables, two hex key wrenches stock into the battery connector. I make |contact with the 36V NIMH battery pack in short 10-second |applications over a 5 minute period to pump enough charge into the |car's battery to just start then engine (summer temps).=20 | |A thought: Given that the last three car batteries I've had all |failed totally without warning, (change in battery technology?) A nice |product would be a portable jumpstart box that would keep it charged |from the car's electrical system when the car was running. Keep it in |the trunk until needed. =20 |Do these exist? | |To reply, please remove one letter from each side of "@" |Spammers are VERMIN. Please kill them all.
Rex in Fort Worth
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The cigarette lighter male-to-male thingy usually have a controller in the middle. The controller limits the current and gives I've tried to jump start a car with a cigarette lighter charging
So isn't it cheeper just to keep a very small 12vdc battery with barely enough cranking amps in the trunk than to buy those jumper set? And isn't it possible just to slap on some kind of diode so to keep this battery charged, so when you need it...just lift it out the trunk and swap with the main battery? Tib
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