I learned to drive at a time when a dead battery was no big deal. Most of us were still driving cars with manual transmissions. That meant we could grab a neighbor to help us push, then pop the clutch and start the car. But even when automatic transmissions became the norm, jumping with a set of jumper cables and a running car was no big deal.
Those days are long gone. Today, portable jump starters are the way to go. They are the best option at a time when cars are extremely complex. Push-starting is no longer an option unless you are still driving a pre-1980s car with a manual transmission. If you are driving a modern car with sensitive electronics, it is wise not to use jumper cables.
Push Starting: A Lost Art
I was somewhat incredulous when an older brother explained to me how he could get his 1961 Volkswagen Beetle started without ever turning the key. I was astounded when I saw it in action. But then I learned the science behind it. Then it all made sense.
Push starting is a lost art because we simply don’t have to do it anymore. But the principle is fairly simple. You put the car in neutral and then start pushing. Once the car is rolling, you put it in gear and pop the clutch. This forces the engine to turn over just as if you had to use the onboard starter. It creates a spark, combustion begins, and you’re often running.
The problem with push starting is that it only works with manual transmissions. You can’t push-start a car with an automatic. And who still drives cars with manual transmissions these days. We do not need push-starting anymore, so almost no one knows how to do it.
Starting With Jumper Cables
Although jumper cables were available when I first learned to drive, they weren’t the norm. Every car owner didn’t have a set. But that began to change as automatic transmissions took over. People who had previously learned how to push-start their cars had to learn how to use jumper cables instead.
It is not hard in principle. On the dead vehicle, we connected the positive cable to the positive terminal and the negative cable to the negative terminal. Then we would make the same connections on the running car. Wait thirty seconds, turn the key, and the dead car would spark to life.
Somewhere in the late 1980s or early nineties, we figured out that it was safer to connect the negative cable to a metal part on the dead car’s body or chassis, instead of using the negative battery terminal. It is just a safer way to do things.
Just as push starting had as disadvantages, so did starting a car with jumper cables. The biggest disadvantage is that you need someone’s help. You need someone with a running car willing to pull up alongside and help you out.
The Era of the Jump Starter Has Arrived
The 2020s mark the start of the era of the portable jump starter. Brands like Clore Automotive offered both consumer and professional-grade jump starters that are as easy to use as a phone charger. Most models are compact and lightweight as well. Push-starting is out of the question, and a jump starter replaces the need for jumper cables and a running car.
I admit to missing the old days of manual transmissions and push-starting. But I also appreciate the speed and convenience of the modern jump starter. Its time has arrived.