What kind of wire is needed to light a car. Starter wire test: Kaluga lights up

01.10.2019

Cross section of wires.

Material

Lead wire length

Quite a lot of car owners have encountered such a problem as a heavily discharged battery, and the most unpleasant thing in this situation is that it becomes almost impossible to start the engine. But there is a way out. You can resort to the help of a start-up charger, if of course it is available, you can start the car, as they say, from a pusher, or you can “light up” a vehicle from another car with a charged battery, which is most often called a donor car. The latter option is one of the most common, but for its implementation, in addition to the donor machine, special wires are also needed. The logical question in this regard is the name of the wires for lighting. This device is most often referred to by the names: starting wires, crocodiles, cigarette lighter wires. The presence of such a tool in the arsenal of a car enthusiast will help reduce the likelihood that one day, due to a very low level of charge in the battery of your car, you will have to go by public transport. That is why we consider it appropriate to dwell on the question of how to choose wires for lighting a car.

The main task of the lighting wires is to transfer the starting current from the charged battery of the donor car to its “colleague”, the charge of which is at a level insufficient to start the engine, while the loss of current should be minimized. If we approach these requirements from the side of knowledge of physics, then it is obvious that wires that have low resistance and provide a minimum voltage drop can ensure the fulfillment of the above tasks. And, as is known again from physics, the resistance in the wires depends on their length, cross section and the material from which they are made. Accordingly, we can conclude that when choosing wires for lighting, we first of all pay attention to:

Cross section of wires. Speaking about this parameter, it must be taken into account that the higher it is, the lower the resistance, given the above theses, we can conclude that too small a wire cross-section will not contribute to the transfer of the current necessary to start the engine from the donor battery. The cross section of starting wires from 6 to 10 mm is considered optimal. square.

Material. The most suitable material for lighting wires will be one that has low resistance. A typical representative is copper. Therefore, first of all, it is worth focusing on starting wires made of copper.

Lead wire length . Here it is necessary to take into account two points that dictate the conditions of choice. The first is due to the fact that the length of the wires should be enough to make it possible to connect the terminals of the donor battery and the patient battery, while eliminating their removal from cars. The second one is again connected with the same resistance. The longer the wires, the higher it is, which negatively affects the transfer of inrush current. Therefore, it is considered that the cigarette lighter wire must be at least 2 meters long and not more than 4 meters long. In addition, it is worth paying attention to their insulation, it is better when it is made of materials that do not lose their elasticity at low temperatures and tolerate normally high temperatures, for example, silicone rubber.

When choosing wires for lighting, you should also pay attention to fasteners, the so-called. "crocodiles". First of all, it is worth giving preference to those wires in which this component element has a rather large surface in contact with the terminals, is able to provide reliable contact with them, and is made of copper. The method of connecting wires and mounting crocodiles is also important. Their spike is considered more correct.

Before choosing starting wires, it is necessary to clarify the indicators of the starting current for which they are designed. These data should be at least 200A. For greater confidence in the proper start of the car engine, it is better to give preference to cigarette lighter wires with an output voltage of 9V or more. A slight voltage drop is also allowed - for a one and a half meter wire 1.2 volts at a current of up to 100A.

Regarding the brands that produce this device, I would like to advise you not to deal with companies from the “no name” section, but still give preference to more well-known manufacturers.

In conclusion, I would like to note that before charging the battery with wires, i.e. before you “light up”, you need to turn off all electronics on both vehicles, and turn off the engine of the donor car. Separately, it is worth mentioning how to disconnect the wires after lighting. At the beginning, the negative wire is disconnected from the metal part of the patient's car engine, then the other end of this wire is disconnected from the negative terminal of the donor battery, then one of the ends of the positive wire is disconnected from the positive terminal of the same battery, and only then - the other part of the same red wire is removed from the positive terminal of the battery-patient.
That's all, we hope that our advice will still be useful to you.

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Imagine the situation: winter, frost, you go out into the street hoping to get to your destination in a warm car, get into it ... but the starter does not respond to turning the ignition key or pressing a button - the battery is dead. And then you remember that you forgot to turn off the dimensions or, leaving the car, sang your favorite song to the car radio, or, well, your battery capacity has decreased from time to time to such an extent that the starter simply does not have enough strength in the cold.

What to do in this case? Push a car? Looking for a tug? Remove the battery and run to the nearest store in search of a charger? The easiest way is to find a more fortunate neighbor in the yard who started his car and ask him to light it. But not a cigarette, of course ... But use his car as a source of energy in order to start his car. For this purpose, starter cables, or, more simply, lighter wires, are best suited. Currently, there are a huge variety of types of wires for lighting up different current strengths and different price categories on the market. We decided to test the wires for lighting and took one of the most inexpensive ones, with the ability to transmit a current of 200 A.

So let's take a look at the wires.

Cost - 300 rubles

Production - China

The name evokes thoughts of cold snowy Finland, but our northern neighbors have nothing to do with the production of these wires. Packed in a round bag with a zipper, inside are additional thin cloth gloves. The packaging indicates that frost-resistant materials are used up to -40 ° C. The declared wire length of 2.5 meters corresponds to the actual one. The packaging also states that the wires are suitable for gasoline engines up to 1.6 liters and diesel engines up to 1.4 liters.

The positive and negative wires are connected together - a two-wire wire. The wire is connected to the "crocodile" by mechanical crimping. On the handles of the "crocodiles" - insulating pads.

"Crocodiles" steel, with copper coating.

The wire has 70 cores with a diameter of 0.3 mm, the cross section of each core is 0.0706 square meters. mm. We multiply this value by the number of cores and get the total cross section of each wire - 4.94 square meters. mm.

Cost - 380 rubles

Production - China

The wires are packed in a round bag with a zipper. The package has an icon indicating that frost-resistant materials are used up to -40 ° C. The declared wire length of 2.5 meters corresponds to the actual one. The packaging indicates that the wires are suitable for 2.5-liter gasoline engines and 2.2-liter diesel engines.

The positive and negative wires are separated. The wire is connected to the "crocodile" by double mechanical crimping. The wire braid has the AVS branding.

"Crocodiles" are steel, with copper coating, when the "jaws" are closed, their lateral displacement occurs relative to each other - as a result, the "crocodile" does not get a tooth on a tooth when closing. On the handles of the "crocodiles" there are insulating pads.

The packaging says that the wire uses 120 cores with a total cross section of 9.6 square meters. mm, which was confirmed by their calculation. The core diameter is 0.3 mm, the cross section of one core is 0.0706 square meters. mm, the total cross section of all cores is only 8.5 square meters. mm.

Nova Bright

Cost - 300 rubles

Designed in the USA, Made in China

The wires are packed in a round bag with a zipper. The length of the wire is not specified, when measuring it turned out that these wires are only 2.2 meters long.

The positive and negative wires are separated, the winding of the wires is transparent. The wire is connected to the "crocodile" by double mechanical crimping.

"Crocodiles" steel, with copper coating. On the handles of the "crocodiles" - insulating pads.

Having opened the wire insulation, we counted only 60 cores with a diameter of 0.3 mm, each of them has a cross section of 0.0706 square meters. mm. Thus, the total cross section of all veins is 4.2 square meters. mm (the smallest wire section of all those participating in the test).

Cost - 570 rubles

Production - Germany

The wires are packed in a round bag with a zipper. The package contains a detailed user manual and step-by-step instructions for use. The actual wire length of 2.5 meters corresponds to that indicated on the package.

The positive and negative wires are separated. The wire is connected to the "crocodile" by double mechanical crimping. On the braid of the wire there is a marking of the manufacturer ALCA.

"Crocodiles" are plastic, with copper-coated steel contacts, the contacts are attached to the "crocodile" with rivets. The wire has 120 cores with a diameter of 0.3 mm, the cross section of one core is 0.0706 sq. mm. The total cross section of all cores in the wire is 8.5 square meters. mm.

Cost - 4000 rubles

Production - Germany

The wires are packed in a rectangular cloth bag with a zipper. The packaging indicates that the wires are frost-resistant up to -30 ° C. The length is not indicated, but the measurement showed that the length of the wires with "crocodiles" is 3.5 meters - these are the longest of all presented.

The positive and negative wires are made separately, but in the middle they are connected by a plastic box, in which there is a surge suppressor. The wire is connected to the "crocodile" using a threaded connection. The wire sheath is marked DIN 72553 25 mm 2 .

"Crocodiles" are massive cast brass, with a plastic coating, in "crocodiles" the technology of double contact is applied - a wire stretches from one "jaw" of the "crocodile" to another, with its help both sides of the "crocodile" pass electric current - this increases the contact area and , respectively, the ability to transfer more current through the "crocodiles".

Each wire has 320 cores with a diameter of 0.3 mm, the cross section of one core is 0.0706 square meters. mm, the total cross section of all cores is 22.6 sq. mm (the largest wire section of all presented).

Cost - 400 rubles

Developed in St. Petersburg, made in China

The wires are packed in a polyethylene package with a top. The set comes with a cloth bag with a drawstring at the top. The packaging indicates that double contact technology is used, that is, the current flows to both “jaws” of the “crocodile”, and there is also a sign indicating frost resistance at a temperature of -40 ° C. During the measurement, the actual length of the wire was 2 meters, which corresponds to declared. These are the shortest wires presented in the test.

Positive and negative wires are structurally made together. The wire is connected to the "crocodile" by mechanical crimping. The wire braid is marked AIRLINE SA-200-02 200A.

"Crocodiles" are plastic, with copper-coated steel contacts, the contacts are attached to the "crocodile" with rivets. In "crocodiles" - upon examination, we were really convinced of this - double contact technology was used, just like Heyner wires.

Each wire contains 120 cores with a diameter of 0.3 mm, the cross section of one core is 0.0706 square meters. mm, the total cross section of all cores is 8.5 sq. mm (ALCA and AVS have exactly the same cross-section of wires).

Let's start testing.

First, we froze the wires for a day at a temperature of -40 o C, then took them out and checked the insulation for brittleness. To be honest, the results surprised us: half of the lighter wires have insulation that loses its elasticity in the cold - and this is for a thing that is mainly used in winter!

When tested for frost resistance, the wires under the American brand Nova Bright showed the worst result - the transparent insulation of these wires, when trying to straighten them from a coiled coil, began to crack and fly off in pieces. Perhaps the insulation of such wires is intended for hot California, but not for cold winter Russia.

Alca and Heyner wires also could not withstand frosts down to -40 ° C - their insulation became brittle and cracked at the bends. However, it is worth noting that the manufacturer of Heyner wires on the packaging warns in advance that frost resistance is provided only up to -30 ° C. When frozen to the specified temperature, Heyner wires did not cause any complaints, and the external insulation retained its properties.

Tiikeri, AIRLINE and AVS wires can be safely bent - their insulation remains soft and flexible, despite the severe frost. However, these wires on the packaging indicated that their insulation was made of frost-resistant material.

The next test was to check the wires while trying to load a current of 200 A. In fact, the results of the second test are very predictable for those who know Ohm's law. After all, the larger the cross section of the wire, the more it can pass through itself.

During load tests, the Nova Bright wires, due to the small cross section, could not pass more than 100 A through themselves, while the voltage drop at the output was 6.2 V, that is, even if the voltage in the network of the “donor” car is 14.5 V, only 8.3 V will come to the discharged battery of the “recipient” car, which is clearly not enough to start. At the same time, the wires get very hot both themselves and at the junctions with the "crocodiles".

The Tiikeri wires, which showed themselves so well in frost, also could not pass the necessary current through themselves due to the small cross section. The maximum that the ammeter showed was 120 A, while the voltage drop was 5 V, which also would not allow the car to start. The wires get very hot.

Because of its cross section, the Heyner wires had a voltage drop of only 1 V - you can safely start the car without waiting for the battery in the “recipient” car to recharge. The wires remain cold.

The ALCA and AVS wires showed the same result - a voltage drop of 3.6 V, which is on the verge of starting the starter. At the same time, the wires heat up at the junction with the "crocodiles", and after a couple of seconds this place becomes hot. And for ALCA wires, this connection even began to smoke.

The voltage drop of the AIRLINE wires at a load of 200 A was 3 V, while the wires remain cold, and their junctions with the “crocodiles” heat up a little - the additional wire affects the second “jaw” of the “crocodiles”. You can start your car without waiting for the battery to charge.

Outcome:

AVS and AIRLINE

Good frost resistance of wires - even in severe frost, their insulation remains soft and flexible, although AIRLINE has a slightly lower voltage drop due to the double contact on the "crocodiles". But they are also the shortest in the test, which can sometimes cause some inconvenience. Both wires will allow you to start the car without agonizing waiting in the cold.

We really wanted to put the Heyner wires in the first place of all presented. They coped with their task of conducting current best of all thanks to the largest cross-section of the wire. Electrical contact is provided by both "jaws" of massive cast "crocodiles", but the insulation has a frost resistance limit, which limits the use of wires in especially cold regions. But it is also offered to pay for such wires more than others.

Insulation loses its elasticity during frost - during further operation it can cause a short circuit. In addition, although they can pass a current of 200 A through themselves, strong heating occurs at the connection of the wire to the "crocodile". The wires we tested had smoke coming from this connection.

The manufacturer of these wires at least did not save on wire insulation - it does not burst from frost. But starting a car without a painful wait in the cold will not work.

Nova Bright

they absolutely cannot fulfill their function as wires for lighting - in cold weather, the insulation cracks and crumbles, not to mention the fact that the wires are unable to pass a current of a little more than 100 A through themselves.

How to "light up" a car

The positive terminal of the light wire is red and marked with a “+” sign, respectively, it must be connected to the “plus” on a discharged battery, and the other end of the wire must be connected to the positive terminal of a charged battery. The black wire is first connected to the negative terminal of the charged battery, which is marked with the “-” sign, and the second end of the black wire is recommended to be connected to any unpainted part of the engine of the “recipient” car, otherwise the battery of the “donor” car may quickly run out. After we start the car with a charged battery and wait a few minutes (ideally 10-15). We turn off the engine, turn off the ignition and try to start the engine of the “lighted” car. If the battery is not sufficiently charged, it is better to pause for at least one and a half minutes, and then let the engine of the “donor” car work for a few more minutes.

If the “lighting up” was successful, then we warm up the engine for several minutes without pressing the gas pedal, since due to an increase in the generator speed, a power surge may occur and the electronics may fail. After we disconnect the wires for lighting in the reverse order, that is, first of all, remove the black wire from the engine. Next, we throw off the "crocodiles" from a charged battery. There is also the option of “lighting up” the car while the engine of the starting car is running, however, in this case, undesirable consequences are possible. An overload of the generator or failure of the electronics is not ruled out. Therefore, the best option is to “light up” with the engine of the “donor” car turned off.

P.S. Frosts will soon begin in the main part of Russia, so prepare your car for winter in advance, check the condition of the battery, remember if you filled (or added) water instead of antifreeze into the cooling system, and also replace the washer fluid in the washer reservoir with winter.

And one more thing: for a more confident start of the engine in winter in frost, before starting, let the battery warm up a little - blink a few times with a high beam or give it a small load in another way.

Almost every motorist has come across a situation where you urgently need to go, but, alas, the engine will not start. Most often, the problem is obvious: the battery is dead. This is especially true in winter, when the temperature drops below minus 15 degrees. There may be several ways out in this situation, but the most universal is “lighting up” from another car. And for this, the motorist needs to have starting wires.

Starting wires are used to supply starting current to the terminals of a discharged car battery. The current source can be either another car or a charged battery. Starting wires can be useful not only to you, but also to another car that gets into a difficult situation, so you should always have them with you. At first glance, it may seem that there is nothing to study when choosing starting wires: it's such a trifle! But you need to keep in mind that there are enough low-quality starting wires on the market that can, at best, burn out or even ruin your battery. Therefore, it is still worth figuring out what parameters to choose starting wires.

What is the difference between starting wires

Length

When choosing the length of the starting wires, it is necessary to keep in mind a number of features. On the one hand, it must be taken into account that the shorter the length of the wires, the lower their resistance. At the same time, when the wire is lengthened, voltage losses increase. On the other hand, in urban conditions, in a situation where the car is in a tight parking lot, and the “donor” car can only drive up from the side of the trunk, a wire length of at least 4 or 5 meters is required (depending on the length of the car).

On sale most often there are starting wires from 2 to 5 meters long. Residents of megacities should purchase wires 4-5 meters long, while everyone else should be guided by the rule: the longer the wire, the greater the voltage loss.

Current and voltage

This parameter indicates the current strength allowed for the wire. The current strength is calculated in amperes and depends on the volume and type of car engine. When starting the engine, the starter consumes a very large current, which on some cars can reach up to 800 A, so for a passenger car it is better to count on a starting current of at least 200 A. Your starter should focus on this characteristic. It’s the same with voltage: it all depends on the parameters of your battery, but 12 V is most often suitable.

Wire thickness

This is an important parameter, since the larger the cross-sectional area, the greater the current strength of the wire will withstand. Unscrupulous manufacturers often increase the thickness of the insulating material to make the wire appear larger. But in fact, the copper core is thin and not of high quality. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the soldering at the clamp, where you can see the thickness of the core. The optimal diameter is 9.5 mm. It is also important that the wire is copper.

"Crocodiles"

The so-called "crocodiles" are clips that stick to the car battery terminals. When choosing starting wires, you need to pay attention to two important characteristics.

The first is the connection of the starting wires and clamps. It must be soldered, as voltage loss is possible at the joints due to increased resistance.

Second, the wires must be connected to both halves of the clamp. Also, the alligators must be insulated to avoid overheating or sparking. One more thing: the larger the contact area of the "crocodile" with the terminal, the better.

Insulation

Poor-quality insulation can begin to crumble or crack. This is especially true in cold weather. The insulation must withstand temperatures from -40 to 80 degrees, be flexible, elastic and durable. An important factor is its thickness: too thick insulation will deprive the wire of flexibility, which will increase the storage space.

Color

No, this characteristic is important not only for the external attractiveness of the starting wires. Color is needed so as not to confuse the poles: red is usually denoted by "plus", and black - "minus".

Criterias of choice

There are a huge number of models of starting wires on the market, but not all of them are of high quality. To select the optimal model, it is necessary, first of all, to focus on the characteristics of your starter - this is the only way to understand the necessary parameters of current and voltage. The next step is to decide on the length. And in the end, you need to check the wire itself so that it is of good quality: good insulation, a large cross-sectional area of \u200b\u200bthe copper core, the quality of copper, the size and quality of the "crocodiles".

For daily commuting in the big city it is worth paying attention to starting wires 4 - 5 m long and with a current of 400 - 700 A.

Residents of small towns and villages better to choose among

Jump leads (also called car jump leads) are commonly used to supply starting current to the terminals of a dead car battery. The current source (in other words, the “donor”) in such cases, as a rule, is another car or a fully charged battery.

Click to enlarge.

Wires for car lighting.

Some motorists, having no wires, remove their battery, put a battery from a donor car or another charged one in its place, then, after starting and warming up the engine a little, they unplug the terminals while the engine is running, and reinstall the standard battery. This is an extremely dangerous operation for the following reasons:

if the car's generator gives increased voltage, at the moment when the battery terminals are disconnected while the engine is running, abnormal voltage is applied to all electrical equipment of the car, which can damage electronic control units, lighting, and other devices;
"Free" terminals at the time of switching the battery can lead to a short circuit;
battery disconnection-enabling operations increase the likelihood of battery polarity reversal, both standard and donor car, which is extremely dangerous;
removing the battery terminals can lead to problems with the immobilizer, burglar alarm and car radio setup (again, on two cars).

How to choose the right starting wire

It should be understood that a poor quality starter wire is most likely not able to pass enough current to turn the crankshaft. It also does not provide good contact of the clamps on the battery terminals, which leads to burning of the metal of crocodiles. The "crocodile" itself can also quickly become unusable on a low-quality product.

In addition, for engines of different volumes, a certain minimum voltage value is required, which is directly affected by the cross-sectional area. Therefore, when choosing a wire for lighting, the following criteria are taken into account:

Cable diameter, because the resistance depends on it. The resistance decreases as the cross section increases. Thus, a wire that is too thin will simply not be enough to start the engine. The minimum is considered to be 6 mm, which is suitable for cars with a small (up to 1.5 l) engine size, but the option with 9-12 mm in diameter is optimal.
Wire length also affects the resistance, so you should take a cable 2.5-4 meters long - so it will not be so short that it does not reach the hood of another car, and not so long as to negatively affect the transfer of current from one battery to another.
Wire and clamp material- they should be made of copper, since it has the least resistance compared to other materials. The winding must be made of silicone or frost-resistant rubber in order to be resistant to environmental influences - often "lighting" is done in the cold, when the elasticity of materials can vary greatly. With temperature differences, the flexibility of the cable can also change, so attention should also be paid to the rigidity of the insulation. "Crocodiles" must be at least copper-plated.
Connecting the cable to the "crocodile" must be done with high quality, since this is usually the most vulnerable spot. Ideally, the connection should be made by soldering - this will avoid voltage loss.
Clamping area "crocodiles" can be written in a separate paragraph, because even if the cable is expensive and of high quality, but cannot catch on the battery terminals, you will not be able to start the car. The teeth of the clamps should fit together and their springs should be strong enough to provide a good grip.
Two-color wires- this is necessary for the convenience of connecting and ensuring the safety of drivers, so as not to confuse the order of connection. Traditionally, the positive is the red wire and the negative is the black wire.

An example of wires with a bad connection of crocodiles with a cable.

Which wires are better for lighting

Let's single out several brands that are distinguished by consistently high quality products:

AVS and AIRLINE (China);
Heyner and Alca (Germany);
Lampa (Italy);
Phoenix and Autoelectric (Russia).

But even their cables are not ideal. And, nevertheless, in terms of price-quality ratio, they are leaders in the market. It is noteworthy that Russian products surpass the products of German and Italian manufacturers in a number of parameters and at the same time have several times lower cost.

"Start", "START", NPP "ORION" (Russia);
King Tools, Smart Power Berkut, Nova Bright, Tiikeri (China);
AkkuEnergy, Heyner (Germany).

In tests, they showed the maximum voltage drop, and some even refused to work due to the loss of contact in the very first seconds of launch. When buying a starter cable, be sure to ask about the warranty and ask for a cash receipt. If the product turns out to be of poor quality, then you can return it back within the time limits established by law.

How to "light up" a car

This question can arise at any time, but it becomes especially relevant in the cold season. After all, at low temperatures, even new batteries are discharged much faster. There are a number of nuances that you need to know before you "light" the battery from another battery. In particular, technical equipment, procedures, precautions. We will cover all this and more in detail.

Scheme of lighting a car.

Algorithm on how to properly give a “light” to a car. The sequence of actions will be as follows:

Let the engine of the donor car run for about 5 minutes at 2000-3000 rpm before the procedure. This is done in order to recharge the battery.
Turn off the engines before "lighting up", turn off the ignition, as well as all electrical appliances of both cars!
Connect the ends of the "positive" wire first to the battery of the donor car (from which the "light"), and then to the recipient car.
Connect the ends of the "negative" battery cable. First, to the "minus" of the battery of the donor car, and then to any metal surface cleaned from paintwork (for example, an engine block) or to a protrusion on the car body. However, remember that at the time of starting the engine, there is a possibility of a spark on the “minus”. Therefore, observe fire safety, and "light up" in the open air or in a well-ventilated area. If you did not find a suitable protrusion, then connect the wire to the "minus" of the recipient's battery.
Be sure to observe the polarity! One wire should connect two "pluses", and the second - two "minuses". If you reverse the polarity, a short circuit will occur, and there is a high probability of failure of the entire electronics of the car!
Sit on the steering wheel of the recipient vehicle and try to start the engine. If the battery of the donor car is in order, and you did everything right, then the engine will start without problems.
Set the engine speed to 1500-2000 rpm, let it run for about 5 minutes so that the battery gains some capacity.
Disconnect the wires from both batteries in reverse order (that is, first disconnect from the recipient, and then from the donor, first the “negative” wire, and then the “positive”), pack them, close the hoods of the cars.

If it was not possible to “light up” the car within a few seconds, then try to do the following:

With the wires connected and the engine and ignition off at the recipient, start the donor engine.
Let it run for about 10 minutes at 2000-3000 rpm. This will charge both batteries.
Turn off the engine, ignition and all electrical appliances of the donor. Try again to start the recipient's engine.

Thus, it is not difficult to “light up” a car from another battery correctly. Now let's look at a few common mistakes that inexperienced car owners make. We have tried to rank them in order of safety priority.

"Light up" from a car with a running engine.
Do not turn off the ignition and / or electrical appliances in the process of "lighting up".
They “light up” from a battery that has a lower capacity than that which their battery has.
Do not follow the sequence of actions (algorithm for connecting individual contacts).
Low-quality wires are used (with a small cross-sectional area, poor-quality alligator contacts, fragile insulation).
They do not adhere to safety rules (including fire safety).

To avoid these errors, follow a clear algorithm and you can safely start your car engine from a different battery.

Do-it-yourself lighting wires

The wires for lighting a car must correspond to the high current that a working generator of a serviceable car transmits. If the cross section or material of the wire is not designed for such a load, the materials themselves are of poor quality, then they will be heated and melted.

This can lead to fire and damage not only to wires - both the donor car and the car lit from it can suffer.

You should know that the minimum allowable cross section of wires for lighting is 10 mm. Such a wire will withstand a peak load of 200 - 250 A and will help start an ordinary car.

Choosing a cable for wires

It is recommended that when making wires for lighting with your own hands, take a copper cable for welding with a cross section of 25 mm. Even a load current of 700 amperes will not damage such a wire. In addition to the large cross-section, the welding cable has a strong insulation, which will prevent a short circuit with the car body.

Wire for lighting with a section of 25 mm. Many light wires sold on the market have a significant drawback. In frost, the insulation cracks and falls off, leaving the bare wire with little chance of avoiding a short circuit. It's no secret that in most cases, help in the form of lighting from another car is in demand in winter, when the temperature is below zero.

Having a lower quality than stated, such a wire, when unwound, loses its insulation and becomes unsuitable for safe use. Therefore, when choosing a suitable cable, pay attention to its external protection. It should be made of soft rubber with frost-resistant properties.

The length of the wire is a value that directly affects its resistance. The lower this value, the more reliable and longer the wires for lighting will serve. The length of the cable should be long enough to reach from one machine to another. Usually 2-2.5 meters is enough.

Choice of clamps

When making wires for lighting with your own hands, you need to pay special attention to the clips (crocodiles), with the help of which the wires come into contact with the battery terminals and the mass of the car. Resistance also depends on the quality of the "crocodiles". Preference should be given to those clamps that have copper contacts or at least a copper coating.

Crocodile clips for lighting wires. It is better if the contacts are hidden in a plastic insulating case - there is less chance of getting a short circuit in the electrical wiring of cars. You will need to purchase 4 clamps. Try to pair them with different colors from each other. So it's easier not to make a mistake when connecting. When choosing, be guided by the clamps for connecting the mass of welding machines - they are more reliable and withstand current flow up to 600 amperes.

Assembly of wires for lighting

So, you have two pieces of wire and four clips of different colors. You will need a sharp knife to strip the ends of the wire and some plastic zip ties. Attach clips of the same color to one of the wires. Use zip ties to secure the wire in the clamp. Repeat this procedure with the other wire. That's all - now you have your own lighter wires.

Do-it-yourself wires for lighting are ready. With your own hands you have assembled an indispensable accessory for the winter road. It should be noted that high-quality frost-resistant wires cost about 1600 rubles. When collecting wires for lighting, you will spend on average the following amounts.

Test drive of ignition wires, comparison of starting wires and fittings and an attempt to light a powerful truck.

Autoprofi wire test results in the magazine "Behind the wheel"

In the magazine "Behind the wheel" with a test of lighting wires.

ALLIGATOR starter wires

Aluminum light wires with copper coating and frost-resistant plastic insulation (remains flexible down to -40 °C). On the non-contact side, the clamps are completely insulated with plastic.

Length 3 m. Current strength - up to 600 amperes. The wires are suitable for vehicles with petrol and diesel engines, including models over 4.5 liters.

Length 2.5 m. Current strength - up to 400 amperes. The wires are suitable for vehicles with petrol (up to 5 l) and diesel engines (up to 4.5 l).

Length 2.5 m. Current strength - up to 200 amperes. The wires are suitable for vehicles with petrol (up to 2.5 l) and diesel engines (up to 2.2 l).

Starter cables AUTOPROFI

Autoprofi starter wires are made of thick copper-coated aluminum wire with thermoplastic insulation. Conform to SAE J1494 standard - voltage drop no more than 2.5 V.

Starting wires in case of overheating will not lead to burns. The maximum heating of the handles is not higher than 66 degrees in 10 seconds.

AP/BC-1600S