Jumper Cables Versus AAA

[Rich Konopka]

Sorry for the long message.

This week my battery died on me because I accidentally left the door ajar. I had to run out for an appointment and had the Mrs. call AAA to have them do a quick jump. While I was out, my wife sent me an urgent text message to get home and deal with AAA. They came out and could not even open the hood on the car, find the battery, or knew how too start the car (key less ignition). Thank goodness the wife has great common sense. He wanted to sell her a new battery because mine was supposedly dead. I am not sure if it was incompetence or the hard sell to take advantage of a woman who was in a vulnerable situation. I was able to get home quickly and I sent them packing.

I had used my "Heavy duty" jumper cables and had some difficulty because of the terminals on the Ford were huge and the clamps could not get a real snug fit. I was able to get the clamps seated to jump the car and get it started and the battery has been fine since.

Has anyone ever run into the situation where the clamps could not fit on the terminal? I did some researched and saw some jump cables with "Parrot " clamps. Would the parrot clamps work with large terminal? Any advice is appreciated !!

Thanks

[Todd Burch]

Never had this issue (cable clamps not fitting the terminals) but have had the other (being upsold without warrant). I carry a very large set of cables, so maybe that's why. However, I haven't had to jump that many late model cars either, so maybe things have changed.

Todd

[Eric Skell]

I have a set of cables with the big heavy ends where they also rotate out to give extended reach. I have never had an issue jumping anything from trucks to sub-compacts. As to AAA, please file a complaint with them regarding the service you received. I have AAA because my wife works an hour from home, so there are times I can't get there to help her. I wouldn't want her to get the service that you received.

[W Craig Wilson]

My first encounter with clamps not fitting terminals was those miserable side terminal batteries tha GM likes for a while. Had to by a new set of cables to fit and guess what - first time I tried to use them, found they would not hold on a regular terminal!

My current set of cables has two different types of clamps. After the plastic insulation on one end broke away, I replaced that pair with some from an auto parts store. Magic! - My cables now work for any jump situation - just swap ends if one side has trouble

[Rich Konopka]

I have a set of cables with the big heavy ends where they also rotate out to give extended reach. I have never had an issue jumping anything from trucks to sub-compacts. As to AAA, please file a complaint with them regarding the service you received. I have AAA because my wife works an hour from home, so there are times I can't get there to help her. I wouldn't want her to get the service that you received.

Eric, my wife called AAA and filed a complaint. We are debating not renewing our membership. Her Ford has an extended "all inclusive except tires" maintenance plan that also covers towing by any Ford dealership no matter where she is.

[Chuck Wintle]

Eric, my wife called AAA and filed a complaint. We are debating not renewing our membership. Her Ford has an extended "all inclusive except tires" maintenance plan that also covers towing by any Ford dealership no matter where she is.

just a bit more information...my mechanic says that a rundown battery should be removed and charged rather than have the car recharge it....too much strain on the alternator.

[Myk Rian]

just a bit more information...my mechanic says that a rundown battery should be removed and charged rather than have the car recharge it....too much strain on the alternator.

I'm not so sure about that. Alternators are capable of 140-170 + amps these days. A lot more than any battery charger I know of.

[glenn bradley]

The following is just my opinion on an off topic situation. First, AAA will have a record of that call and who handled it. Report them. Second, my neighbor who is in the biz has side terminal adapters, parrot clamps and pigtails with any other doo-dads required to accommodate an unexpected situation. I would think anyone expected to support these sorts of calls would be likewise equipped . . . probably presumptuous . Certainly not all drivers will be familiar with all cars or conditions. The selling thing was out of line. I have had AAA for too many years to remember and they come in handy once in a great while. I jump my own batteries if required because it is just faster. If I, or the kids, breakdown halfway to Death Valley, I call AAA.

[Mike Henderson]

just a bit more information...my mechanic says that a rundown battery should be removed and charged rather than have the car recharge it....too much strain on the alternator.

The only "strain" would be if the alternator overheated from supplying too much current while charging the battery. However, I believe most alternators have current limiters built into the control circuitry to protect the alternator. So charging a battery should not overheat the alternator.

I can't think of any other "strain" that could occur on the alternator.

Most devices that supply power (like an alternator, or a power supply in a PC) have a design lifetime that is based on rated load. When you operate them at reduced load, the lifetime is significantly longer. My guess is that the designers specify a lifetime for the alternator that based on something like 100,000 miles, at rated load.
Added note: lifetime is a bell shaped curve. Some units will fail early and some will last a very long time. The center of the bell is the average life - and you want small standard deviations (a very sharp bell curve).

Mike

[Dave Lehnert]

When you call AAA for a jump they send out a truck that just happens to have a bed full of car battery's to sell. He ran a test and said the battery was shot and could not be jumped. I did not question the test because the battery was old and it was time to replace anyway. The price of the battery came out the same as the auto parts store.
It's crazy how they mount a car battery in some cars. I use to have a car where the windshield fluid tank was molded around the battery. had to take the car apart just to replace.

[Craig Matheny]

I had an encounter with AAA on a battery issue 2001 sebring they ran a computer test showed the printout and the battery was bad, I new that already but I wanted to have them replace it as it was raining and the way the battery is installed in a sebring is under the car in the wheel well. The cost was 45.00 labor and 80 something for the battery it wasn't untill they where finished did my wife understand why I would let someone work on my car.

[curtis rosche]

kinda off topic, but when jumping your car, should you disconnect the "extras" youve attached to your battery like audio power wires? im not sure if it makes a power surge or not, but i know from the school robotics team, you always disconnect a battery before charging it, we fried 3 COGNEX vision system at a few thousand a peice before we realized why.

[Joe Angrisani]

....I had used my "Heavy duty" jumper cables and had some difficulty because of the terminals on the Ford were huge and the clamps could not get a real snug fit....

A great little trick when the terminals are a bear is to use needle nose vise grips on the terminals, then attach the jumper cables to the vise grips. Use your brain and don't let the vise grip on the positive post touch ground.

[Mike Null]

I've had two occasions recently where I left the sliding door on my van ajar and awoke to a dead battery. I have heavy duty jumper cables purchased many years ago but it's not a sure thing to get them to fit on the battery posts. I also have a battery charger from years back when I had a motorcycle. It's amazing how well that little gadget works and how easy it is to attach. (obviously you must be near an outlet)

[Jason Roehl]

just a bit more information...my mechanic says that a rundown battery should be removed and charged rather than have the car recharge it....too much strain on the alternator.

Correct. I've seen more than a few people kill batteries, only to have to replace their alternator shortly after.

I'm not so sure about that. Alternators are capable of 140-170 + amps these days. A lot more than any battery charger I know of.

You should double-check that. From what I've seen, alternators have trended towards smaller and cheaper, with less capacity. Standard on my full-size Ford truck(s) with a very large battery was 95A output, with a 130A alternator available (pulled off of heavier-duty trucks, but same form factor, so they fit).

Now, cars start much more easily (better sensing and fuel delivery technology), so they can use a smaller battery, and even though there are more electronics in the car, they're more efficient overall--more LED lighting versus incandescent backlights everywhere. Copper (windings in the alternator) is also very expensive, and you're in dreamland if you think the bean counters don't moonlight as car designers.

I keep jumper cables in all my vehicles. Even if my wife doesn't know how to use them, hopefully a good Samaritan would.