Something about the Texas weather just zaps a cars battery.
It could be the 50 degree variances in temperature over a 24 hour period, but I'm no scientist.
(Case in point: On Wednesday it was 80 degree's and sunny out and on Thursday I woke up to a frosty 28 degree's)
Now I know I can't complain too much about the temperature as our brothers and sisters up north have it way worse than us.
But no matter where you are, there is one thing that you can keep in your car that can keep you from being stranded, no mater where you are.
I found out about this lifesaver at one of the many jobs that I held in my younger days.
A car dealership.
When I first started at the dealership I found out rather unhappily that if a car had a dead battery, It was my job to push it into a position where jumper cables could be used. Needless to say this not something I enjoyed doing. Then I was introduced to a portable “jumper box” and my job became infinitely easier.
The first day that my manager brought this little lifesaver to me I had absolutely no idea what it was, now years later I don't think I would have made it as long as I did without it.
I couldn't find the exact one that I had at the dealership, but I think I found one that should work pretty well.
The Good:
The battery in these things packs quite a punch. I could just start 10-15 cars before running out of juice and needing a recharge with the one we had at the dealership.
Some of them actually have 120v ac adapters that let you charge or run house hold items directly from the box.
Most of them have “idiot lights” that let you know if you have hooked up the jumper cables in reverse order which could damage the cars battery.
They can be charged via a 12v outlet like the cigarette lighter in your car or through a household outlet for a quicker charge.
Most of them are a slim design and will stash in the trunk of your car or behind a seat without any problems.
Portability, I cant tell you how many times I have parked a car, nosed up to a wall , only for it to be dead later and have no way to get a jumper cable to the battery. With one of these that isn't an issue, as long as you can fit you can get the car started, provided of course that the issue is the battery.
The Bad:
Weight. Many of these weigh in at over 20lbs which could be an issue for some people.
Price- while you can get some of these jump boxes from a local auto parts store for under $50.00, the battery will be lower quality and burn out quicker
That leads into the next problem, there is no real way to tell when the battery is going bad. One day it will just stop taking a charge.
The Bottom Line:
For anyone that does a ton of driving, especially alone, one of these jumper boxes can be a real life saver. One of these can keep you from being stranded on the side of the road for hours on end, watching as other motorists pass you by. Yes they are heavy and yes they can be expensive but having the ability to jump start your car and/or charge your cellphone to call for help will be much better than waiting for AAA.
Click below to grab one today: ( you can find them at any auto parts store, Wal-Mart, or Sears also)
Check out these related articles from our site:
What to Do When You’re Stranded in Your Car
How to Revive Dead Batteries
Welding with Car Batteries
