Electrical wire size to jump car engine

Apr 10, 2019 18 Replies

Today the car wouldn't start at a friend's house who had no jumper cables. He had some electrical wire though. We were just starting to jury rig something when his wife showed up with cables in her trunk.



If we did jury rig electrical wires, we were unsure of what size would work.



How can we determine what size electrical wire would work to jump a typical sedan in an emergency?


Aside from calculations, depends how long you wait to start as it charges, and condition of battery being driven.

Greg

Good cables are #4 copper.

Then, there is everything else.

If the cables are actually being used to jump - that is supply 100% of the current needed to turn the starter - do not go much below #6 wire, or you w ill have a melted mess on your hands. If you are simply putting a charge on the existing battery so that it will carry most of the load, then pretty m uch anything will do as a factor of size and time. A piece of 16 gauge Zip and 20 minutes will give some sort of charge, and so forth.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

You can also get enough charge into a car battery with a set of AA cells, according to youtube.

NT

The bible of all things possible (and impossible), and the font of all wisdom, real and imagined. Link, please?

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

e:

s, according to youtube.

sdom, real and imagined. Link, please?

Not sure, but I think he's being sarcastic. Plenty of goof videos. I saw one where a guy cut the plug end of an AC cord, connected a standard 9V bat tery to the wire, and ran a 20" CRT TV with it. He said it would only last a few minutes. I wonder how many people fell for that beauty.

w one where a guy cut the plug end of an AC cord, connected a standard 9V b attery to the wire, and ran a 20" CRT TV with it. He said it would only la st a few minutes. I wonder how many people fell for that beauty.

I believe that Tabby lacks the wherewithal to be sarcastic. But, give me 20

0 fresh AA batteries, wires, connectors and time, and I will make a jumper that works.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

It seems credible

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NT

saw one where a guy cut the plug end of an AC cord, connected a standard 9V battery to the wire, and ran a 20" CRT TV with it. He said it would only last a few minutes. I wonder how many people fell for that beauty.

200 fresh AA batteries, wires, connectors and time, and I will make a jumpe r that works.

I see you're being childish again. What's new.

Video unavailable This video is no longer available because the YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated.

Electroboom did that,

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GH

.

al

This was almost 50 years ago, but I jump started a 225 slant six in a 1970 Plymouth Gold Duster by parking my car with the chrome bumpers touching, an d some aluminum clothes wire. Luckily, I was wearing heavy gloves, because it started to droop from overheating, but it did let a coworker start his c ar after work. My car was a 1963 Pontiac Catalina, with the largest battery that would fit into the holder. It was below zero outside, so we didn't wa nt to stand there in a high wind, waiting to charge it from my car.

Operative terms from the OP:

"Jump" "Typical Sedan"

Nothing about taking an hour or more to cobble some sort of device from som e sort of material, that may or may not put sufficient a charge on a flat a nd/or dead battery (two different things) for eventual conventional startin g.

So: #4 copper cable. Less/not copper is a risk. Hot metal spatter or an exp lode lead-acid battery, or even a series of exploded AA batteries is no fun whatsoever.

Guys and gals: Give advice as if it were to a human being that you might po ssibly care about. And think about that advice as you give it. What you do for yourself and with only yourself at risk is fine. When you suggest that to another, own it and 100% of the potential consequences - even the possib le limitations of the recipient.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

And that video of the guy with the AA batteries is absolutely bull s*it. The key was watching him hook the string up backwards at first.

"I am a river to my people." Jeff-1.0 WA6FWi http:foxsmercantile.com

Or with a greater diameter.

t possibly care about. And think about that advice as you give it. What you do for yourself and with only yourself at risk is fine. When you suggest t hat to another, own it and 100% of the potential consequences - even the po ssible limitations of the recipient.

bzzt. Again. That's normal electroboom style.

Then that just means all his other videos are suspect.

"I am a river to my people." Jeff-1.0 WA6FWi http:foxsmercantile.com

ght possibly care about. And think about that advice as you give it. What y ou do for yourself and with only yourself at risk is fine. When you suggest that to another, own it and 100% of the potential consequences - even the possible limitations of the recipient.

t.

yawn.

Electroboom likes to poke fun at all the youtube videos that show impossible stuff. Like perpetual motion videos. I'm sure what you saw was tongue in cheek. Eric

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