Article on car battery life offered surprises

Car battery life

I recently read an article from Consumer Reports on car battery life to assess whether or not to recommend it to all of you. Well, not only can I recommend it, the article — How to Make Your Car Battery Last Longer — actually offered some surprises.

Battery testing

The first is a suggestion I wish I’d followed in the past, which is to test your car’s battery periodically. I’ve complained in this space about the fact that the warning light that actually looks like a car battery is in fact a charging system light and does not warn of a dying battery.

Lock the car?

The second was a suggestion to lock your car even if its in a secure garage. Evidently some cars leave some systems powered when left unlocked to stay ready to go. So, locking the car minimizes power drain. Good idea.

Jump box connection protection

But the bigger surprise came from a suggestion to buy a jump-starter. These have already been on our minds given the recent creation of jump start videos for electric vehicles (EVs). The quote that got us thinking was “Many have electronics to protect against mistakes like connecting the leads backward.”

So we did some digging, but not only did this turn out to be true, we didn’t find a jump pack that doesn’t protect against getting the connections wrong! The image to the right essentially shows how this works.

And getting this wrong when a driver is cold and maybe a little panicked is not that big a surprise. And in gathering information on jump starting EVs, we’ve found too many examples of connection points that aren’t even on the batteries themselves!

Other protections offered by a jump box include the aforementioned reverse connection protection but also short circuit protection, overcurrent protection, overheating protection, and overcharge protection.

Pricing

The price ranges we ran into are enormous. They ran from $38.99 to $388.99, and I promise that is not a misprint. With a full charge, most of these packs will jump start dozens of cars or trucks, far more than the average person would likely need.

Every one of the devices we found included a flashlight function and the ability to charge portable devices — you know — your cell phone. Many, but not all of them will inflate the tires on two cars a single charge as well, so look for this feature.

A good jump pack will likely run near $100, and it looks like a really good idea to have one…

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The material on these pages is provided for information sharing purposes only and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business, nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Remember — only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

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