Does Jumpstarting A Car Really Work Longterm?

Before answering the question of whether jump-starting a car is sustainable, let's jog our memories about the events at the SEMA Show that takes place annually in Las Vegas, particularly the 2019 event. Most of the cars were being prepared for display some days before the day of the show.

The cars that could start up were always put on and off. Trunks, hoods, and doors weren't closed, and the batteries eventually became discharged completely.

Some cars made it to the shows with charged (or partially charged) batteries, but after sitting idle for weeks on display, the batteries got drained completely. The owners of these cars had to walk to battery dealers around, asking if they could get jumper cables, chargers, or even new batteries.

Well, the jumper cables were to be the last resort if everything else failed. There's no problem with borrowing batteries or buying new ones, the problem is with the jumper cables.

The jumper cables, also known as jump boxes, are great tools in matters of emergency, but you can't use them as a substitute for having your battery fully charged. They are like asking for someone to help you with one gallon of gas that won't take you too far.

It's just the same way jump-starting your car won't take you far. First, allowing your battery to always drain completely before recharging it will eventually damage it. Jump starting a completely drained battery doesn't do any good to the battery because it won't get fully charged.

Second, a more serious problem may arise if you mistakenly reverse the polarity. This may end up damaging your alternator and other electronics.

Even if you are forced to jump-start your car, don't drive it for long before you have the battery charged fully. In fact, after jump-starting your car, the next step should be to drive to the place where the battery can get charged.

The secret to prolonging your car battery life is to keep it fully charged. If the battery is more than four years old, better plan on a replacement. If you need car battery repair, we invite you to bring your vehicle into our auto repair shop today!