Ever have copper clad aluminum jumper cables fail?

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rustypigeon

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I used to only have two sets of jumper cables for four cars. I have recently decided to put a set in each car. I just made a set out of 4awg welding cable. It cost me $50 to make a 15ft set. This will go in my beater car that I often drive to work. I now need one more set.

Looking at the cables available, I see that the vast majority of them are copper clad aluminum. They are dirt cheap at around $15 for 4awg. If I want copper, I will pay at least $60 for commercially produced cables.

I am trying to decide if it is worth it to spend the extra money on a seldom used item. In 25 years of driving, I have only used cables one time for myself. Every other time it was helping someone else.

I have read several reviews where people were unable to start their cars using CCA cables. Anyone have an issue with CCA? Should I just go for the 100% copper cables?
 
It will conduct electricity for the 4 minutes you use it each decade.

I knew an israeli guy who, lacking jumper cables, would just remove the other battery, invert it and touch posts. Anything you do is better than that.
 
Originally Posted By: Leo99
I was looking at something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EOL...=A3BVVW711G7EUD

There is some pretty cool stuff out now for emergency starting. I can't vouch for their effectiveness but they get decent reviews on Amazon.

For $70 you can get a portable battery charger with cables like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002X6..._rd_i=318336011



I believe consumer reports did a test of the LiIon jumper packs, and the result was that even the best of them couldn't start a car in freezing conditions (you know, when batteries tend to go flat), which I think makes them functionally useless for anything but charging your cellphone
 
Sure, aluminum will have a bit more resistance. So the voltage drop will be higher than the same gauge real copper. To overcome this, you could go to a heavier gauge version and have the same voltage drop with a cheaper and lighter cable.

If you were jumping cars daily, Id say copper. If not, save the cost and if anything, leave the two cars connected a but longer to allow the weak battery to charge a bit.
 
The store bought set is good enough for most.

There are some quality jump boxes in lithium as well as standard sealed lead acid battery configurations, but there are so many bad lithium ones they give them all a bad name, the good ones can easily cost a couple hundred dollars.
 
Pay the extra money for copper jumpers, especially for spousal unit's vehicle. AL jumpers are very poorly made, with lousy clamps. I used a pair once and had the clamps pull off the cables. One of my copper sets ,I pulled out of a dumpster. A couple of clamp jaws were broken from metal fatigue. I fixed them with a piece of flattened copper pipe. Judging by workmanship, I bet they are well over 50 yrs old. The other 2 pair are 20 + yrs
 
In that gauge, I'd think that the aluminum would be just fine.
FWIU, the main rap on aluminum wiring was its tendency to loosen up at switch and outlet box connections over time creating high resistance connections that could generate enough heat to cause a fire without tripping a breaker or blowing a fuse.
 
Yes, it failed on me a few years ago while I was in Texas. It was so hot out that the car ac had a tough time keeping up. After a 30 minutes shopping, I came out to a dead battery in the parking lot. I tried my cable (CCA) several times but it didn't work, so the professor who was helping me took out his old, beat up, good cable (he called it) for the last try. Boom, it starts instantly. He told me to throw my cable away and get a good cable. I went and got a new battery from Costco right away and got a good cable from Sears (a blue one). I haven't use that cable since.

Get a good cable if you want a cable.
 
I actually thought the prices on decent cable sets went down. Having had a farm a good couple sets was mandatory. I though I saw a set of 4 ga. 16 foot for about $25 at a local farm store chain where I had bought couple sets. I have at least 3 pairs that don't ever see the light day as I have got a large jump pack that is on sale at Amazon right now for $85. 1200 watt peak amp. Couple 12 volt power outlets and pair of 120volt inverter taps. Got used 3 times one morning in the camp to jump couple trucks and a camper genny. Display shows the volts of the unit being jumped before you switch to the pack.
 
Originally Posted By: MarcS
Originally Posted By: Leo99
I was looking at something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EOL...=A3BVVW711G7EUD

There is some pretty cool stuff out now for emergency starting. I can't vouch for their effectiveness but they get decent reviews on Amazon.

For $70 you can get a portable battery charger with cables like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002X6..._rd_i=318336011



I believe consumer reports did a test of the LiIon jumper packs, and the result was that even the best of them couldn't start a car in freezing conditions (you know, when batteries tend to go flat), which I think makes them functionally useless for anything but charging your cellphone

Except to "boot" a Toyota/Lexus hybrid(or any hybrid that isn't a "mild" hybrid like many of the Honda/Subaru/GM ones), I wouldn't trust Li-Ion jump packs. Lithium batteries don't like to be stressed or cycled too many times.
 
Originally Posted By: bioburner
I didn't think lithium liked the cold either?


They will generally discharge at low temperatures (though impedance and thus voltage drop goes up)... But dont charge them below freezing.
 
the few sets of cca cables i have tried were no good for a situation other than a dead but otherwise ok battery.they will allow you to charge it enough to start.
if it has to just work get the heaviest copper cables you can.
my #2 copper cables weigh 25lbs though.but will start a big v8 with a totally shot battery.
 
Originally Posted By: MarcS
It will conduct electricity for the 4 minutes you use it each decade.

I knew an israeli guy who, lacking jumper cables, would just remove the other battery, invert it and touch posts. Anything you do is better than that.
We used to do something similar in the old days of metal car bumpers-put the front bumpers together, use a piece of 18 gauge speaker wire to join the positive terminals together, wait a few minutes, then start 'er up. Amazingly never melted the wire!
 
I have a 20' set made out of real copper 2gauge copper. Got them when I had to deal with alot of poorly maintained equipment in the winter 15 years i paid around $80 back then now they are $180
They have been through [censored] and back and still work fine. Even lost under the snow for a winter. Ive started junk cars with no batteries at all in them no problem.
 
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Pick up 6 sets of booster cables for gifts.Husky brand at Home Depot 4 gauge,20 feet,copper clad aluminum wire cable construction,remains flexible even at -40%f.$1995 per set.Santa was real happy!
 
I had a cheap set of all aluminum cables. They didn't work all that well. I was better off to hook the batteries up just as normal and let the boosting vehicle (through the cables) charge the dead battery a bit before trying to start. Then the connection to the end clamps started getting iffy. So I threw them out. They were a waste in every way.

I replaced them with a fairly good set of copper cables. My vehicles are much more reliable nowadays so I don't use them very often but I do find they work much better. I expect premium cables would be even better.
 
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