I'm sure some of you have needed to jump start your car because of a dead battery. Some people still use jumper cables and booster battery boxes. Has anyone used one of the small booster packs ( like pictured ). I was wondering if it's possible to jump start our cars using one of these small jumper boxes thru the cigarette lighter socket without doing any kind of damage to the electrical system?

 

Hi
that looks like a lithium pack battery power source. I was advised by the largest roadside service in Queensland that their service people are instructed to only use the battery terminals due to the possibility of damage to the electronics in the car by using the cigarette lighter etc.
I am by no means an expert and would suggest wider research.
cheers

 

I have successfully used such "power bank" on my X350 by connecting to the battery terminals when the battery became weak and unable to crank the starter. Easy, clean and handy, no need for traditional long and heavy jumper cable. There are many brands and designs out there. Go for those that have safety features like reverse polarity.

 

I bought one two years ago after borrowing one from a friend that rescued my X350 from the basement of a parking lot. That occasion fully demonstrated the beauty of a light-weight, easy-to-use battery booster which also charges your mobile phones and notebook computer. However, the product I bought is the kind expected, cheap "Made in China" commodity selling for less than US$40 - cheaper than some of the power banks for your smart phones. Used it a few times and stored away for a few months, and then found a crack on the power plug cover, and the protective cover of the metal clamps deformed probably due to use of low quality plastic. My point is thumb up for the technology, and be a smart consumer by reading more reviews before deciding to buy one. There are many product reviews on the web.

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Firstly, the cigarette lighter sockets are not "live" unless the ignition is on, so plugging a charger into one will not work unless you switch the ignition on and then the charger will be running the whole car which would reduce the current available for charging the car battery. Secondly, even if you could charge the car battery that way you cannot jump start a car via the lighter socket because the starter motor draws hundreds of amps and the wiring for that must be very large, like the car battery cables and like proper jumper cables. To jump start the car you should connect your jumper device to the battery.