To properly test these jump starters, we looked for a vehicle with a truly dead battery. The Autoweek fleet doesn't consist of just brand-new cars-there's a good group of clunkers out back that have been acquired over the years.
Jump starters at walmart portable#
If the jump starter is unable to sustain high amperage for 30 seconds to meet the standards of CA and CCA, the sustained amperage output is called "Starting Amps" or something similar.įiguring out the specs you need with these numbers can be very helpful in narrowing down which portable jump starter to buy. You'll want a jump starter with a CA and CCA rating near (ideally above) that respective number, which is usually around 400–500 for your average passenger vehicle. Your vehicle's battery also has CA and CCA ratings, typically located on the top. For those of us that live in cold climates, the CCA rating is especially crucial. CA measures this at 32 degrees F, while CCA measures this at 0 degrees F. The higher the number the more jump starts a unit will be able to do before needing a recharge.Ĭranking Amps (CA) and Cold Cranking Amps (CCA): CA and CCA measure much lower than the peak amperage rating because they measure continuous power over 30 seconds. It just won't deliver as many jump-starts as a fully-charged device.Įnergy (Wh): The total energy that can be stored in a unit, measured in watt-hours (Wh), indicates how much juice a unit can ultimately output.
In other words, a half-charged jump starter will deliver the same power, every time, until it's drained.
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Most of them can only deliver high amperage for somewhere between two and five seconds, followed by a power cut rather than 30 seconds of sustained amperage.Īdditionally, we reached out to the experts at Batteries Plus for some more clarification, and they said jump starters will typically list an approximate number of starts the fully charged device can complete until it needs to be recharged. However, jump starters with lithium-ion batteries cannot deliver high amperage for very long due to the risk of thermal runaway-a phenomenon that causes lithium-ion battery cells to go into an uncontrollable, self-heating state, which can result in fire. For units powered by lead-acid batteries, peak amperage is an initial jolt of power that the device delivers, typically for 20-50 milliseconds, followed by 30 seconds of sustained amperage, which is categorized as Cranking Amps (CA) or Cold Cranking Amps (CCA), depending on the temperature. The higher the peak amperage rating, the more powerful a jump starter is (at least initially). Peak Amperage (Current): This is the figure most manufacturers boast loudest about-but it doesn't necessarily mean bigger is better. If you have a fleet of vehicles that need some help waking up in the morning, get a portable power station.īut how much power does your jump starter need for your vehicle? It can be confusing trying to decide with all of the numbers and power ratings out there, such as peak amperage, amp hours, cranking amps, and so on. If you just want one to keep in the car in case of an emergency, get a portable jump starter. The question of which kind you need depends on how you'll be using it. Jump starters are small and easy to store in your trunk (or even glovebox), while power stations can be kept in the garage for repeated use. There are two basic types of car jump starters: portable jump starters and portable power stations. Show more Things to Consider When Shopping for a Jump Starter
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