Do Gas Stations Sell Jumper Cables? (Answered)

No one likes disappointments with their cars but sadly, this is an inevitable occurrence. So long as you drive a car, sooner or later you will have a dead battery in your car. What do you do when your car’s battery goes dead suddenly?

You might need to make use of jumper cables to jump-start your car. What if you don’t have jumper cables in your car, where can you get them? Do gas stations sell jumper cables?

Yes, most gas stations have jumper cables for sale in their automobile stores.

What is a Jumper Cable?

Jumper cables are popular tools in cars used for starting a car with a dead battery.

Jumper cables are a pair of insulated wires containing adequate energy with crocodile clips at both ends to connect the dead (weak) vehicle with another vehicle, that has the same system voltage or to another battery.

Jumper cables are sometimes called jump leads or booster cables.

The process of using a jumper cable to supply energy from an auxiliary source to a car with a disabled battery is known as jump-starting.

The car with the dead battery is able to start with supplied power from the auxiliary source, which can be the battery of another car or other automobiles.

Uses of a Jumper Cable?

A jumper cable is used to supply power to a car with a dead battery from an external source. It is used to recharge a dead battery and jolt it back to life.

Imagine you want to go home after a long day at work and you get into your car, try to start the car and you discover that your car has a dead battery.

How would you feel? That would hurt so bad. It could be caused by some lights being left on or maybe your battery got worn out.

This is why it is necessary for every car owner to have a set of jumper cables. Owning them is not enough, you should be able to use them appropriately.

How do you use jumper cables to jump your battery? The handling of the cables should be done properly. Ensure the red and black clamps do not touch. Keep them apart from each other when you’re preparing to jump the battery.

If the red and black clamps come in contact when they are heated, it will cause one or both of the cars to short and sparks will be created.

Using jumper cables in the wrong way is dangerous due to electrical hazards. Hence, it is important you know the right step to take in the jump-starting process.

Firstly, bring both cars close to each other by parking them hood to hood. Open the hoods of both cars and look out for where the batteries are placed.

Some batteries are covered in plastic so remove the plastic in order to see the battery posts clearly. You will be working with the battery posts.

The battery posts are at opposite ends of the battery. They are the positive (+) and negative (-) posts. On many batteries, the positive posts are represented in red color so look out for that.

When you have identified the positive and negative posts, clean them properly to make them free from dirt and impurities.

Now, get the jumper cables set and connect the end of one of the red clamps to the positive (+) post of the disabled battery. Connect it firmly. Take the other end of the red clamp to the positive (+) post of the good (auxiliary) battery.

Do not do the same for the black clamps of the jumper cable. Connect one end of the black clamps to the negative (-) post of the working battery firmly.

Instead of connecting the other end of the black clamp to the negative (-) post of the disabled battery, connect it to any metal surface of the dead car. This will serve as earth/grounding for the electrical connection.

Now, start the engine of the working car and leave it on for a few minutes. After which you should start the engine of the dead car and leave it idle for a few minutes also.

When you are satisfied, you can turn the engine of the dead car off and turn it on again. If it comes on without any problems, you can disconnect the black clamp from the negative post of the battery.

Then, disconnect the red clamp from the battery of the good car and the previously-disabled battery.

This is the proper way to jump a car’s dead battery. During the process, you should leave the car’s engine running for a long time in order to recharge the battery.

However, after jumpstarting the car, you should let your car run for a long time to recharge the battery more.

Is There a Difference in Jumper Cables?

Yes, there is a noticeable difference in jumper cables. Jumper cables vary by gauge and by length. It is advisable to get an extra-long cable when you are purchasing a new jumper cable. They last long longer and they are more durable.

Do Gas Stations Sell Jumper Cables?

Yeah, gas stations sell jumper cables but they might not be ideal and appropriate for you. The ones they sell are smaller in size and length. You can get really durable and lasting jumper cables at an auto parts shop or at the shopping mall.

Gas Stations That Sell Jumper Cables

Many gas stations sell jumper cables. Listing all of them in this article is an endless process. You can search around your neighborhood and locality for gas stations that sell jumper cables. It is usually $20 for many of them.

If you cannot get it at a gas station in your area, you can pay a visit to the automobile store, you will definitely get it there

Can I Jump Start My Car at a Gas Station?

It is generally not ideal to jump-start your car at a gas station. Why is that so? Jump starting is an electrical process, meaning that there is a risk of sparks being produced.

If a spark is produced close to a fuel pump in a gas station, you risk causing a major explosion. That is a great hazard and you do not want to put others in danger because you want to jump-start your car. Do the jump-starting at a proper location, not a gas station.

Advantages of Jumper Cables to Every Vehicle

There are benefits of having jumper cables in your vehicle. With jumper cables,

• Never Afraid of a Dead Battery: When you have jumper cables in your car, you drive with more confidence and fewer worries.
• Recharge Your Dead Battery Quickly: As much as you know that you have jumper cables in your car, you know that whenever your car’s battery goes dead, all you will have to do is to find a car with a good battery and you can start your car using the other car. It is that simple.
• Maintenance of Your Car’s Battery: Jump-starting your car’s battery is a way of recharging it using a working battery. Doing this consistently will make the battery last longer. It will be more durable and you will have less work to do on it.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, jumper cables are essential tools every car owner should have within the car. You don’t know when you will need them. Jumper cables have saved people a lot of stress and time when their batteries went dead along the road. Get one today and save yourself the stress of tomorrow!