Jump Leads

5 metre High quality colour coded Jump Start Leads with fully insulated cast brass clips. Best quality for trade use on HGV, Bus , Diesel Vehicles,Excavators, Construction Plant and Agricultural Tractors. Ideal for breakdown recovery operators and Commercial vehicle workshop use. Approx 1000A surge

Use for terminating battery cable where a quick connection method is required

Typical use for making up specialist jump start cables , battery charging cables for quick connection to car van 4x4 forklift. Recovery vehicle jump lead plug

Typical use to repair heavy duty jump leads where the clamps have become unserviceable. Also useful for manufacturing your own heavy duty jump leads set using welding cables. Also use for Welder earth clamps

Country of Origin
The Jump Leads we sell are manufactured in the UK. West Midlands Region.

Special Order Manufacture
Special Order Jump Leads can be manufactured to suit your requirement whether for 24 volt or 12 volt applications. Please enquire.

Essential breakdown equipment for winter motoring survival.
Battery Booster cables are used to supply extra power to  jump start a vehicle which will not start due to a weak vehicle battery.

Our own service van jump lead set is custom made with 70mm² highly flexible welding cable and heavy duty clamps to reduce voltage drop and with extra length to allow access to vehicles parked in awkward positions. We find drivers don't usually think about the vehicle not starting after being parked overnight.

The broken down vehicle may be jump started from either another vehicle or a spare fully charged battery.

Safety precautions when boost starting using jump leads:

	Warning : Lead acid batteries can emit hydrogen gas which is both flammable and explosive.
	Battery Acid is Highly Corrosive and can cause burns.

• Avoid creating sparks or flame near vehicle batteries.
• Always follow the manufacturers recommended procedure for jump starting ,this can usually be found in the vehicle owners handbook.
• Use of a surge protector can lessen the chance of voltage surges which could damage sensitive electronic components.
• Check that the charging system of both vehicles operates at the same voltage.

• Incorrect connection of jump leads is likely to result in damage to other components such as Alternator diodes, Control Units, Electronic components.

Procedure for connecting  jump leads:

• Always follow the vehicle manufacturers recommended procedure for using jump leads
• Make sure the two vehicles are not contacting metal to metal
• Check both vehicles operate at the same battery voltage
• Connect the jump leads one at a time
• Connect the Positive (Red) lead first
• Always attach to the charged / donor battery first
• Complete both connections with the first lead before making the first connection with the second lead
• Negative Earth vehicles : If the above procedure is followed correctly the fourth and final connection will be to the negative/ earth connection of the discharged battery at a good chassis ground point remote from the discharged battery

Procedure for Starting

• Start the engine on the donor vehicle and run it for 2 or 3 minutes at fast idle. In Zero temperature conditions this period should be extended.
• With the engine of the donor vehicle still running attempt to start the vehicle with the discharged battery
• If nothing happens rechecck all connections
• After starting the vehicle with the discharged battery run the engine at fast idle for several minutes

Procedure for Disconnecting leads

• Detach the clip connected to the earth point first, disconnect the other end of this lead from the donor battery
• Disconnect the second lead firstly from the vehicle that had the discharged battery and then from the donor vehicle.

Do not disconnect the jump leads with the engine of either vehicle running at above idle speed, this can cause damage to charging circuits and other electronic devices

We provide a mobile breakdown callout service for auto electrical problems based around the Telford Shropshire UK area  (*subject to callout availability)

Possible reasons why jump leads may be needed to start a vehicle:

Low battery voltage
Cold weather can cause a drop in the specific gravity of lead acid battery electrolyte with a loss of sufficient battery voltage to enable vehicle starting. The battery may need removing from the vehicle for recharging or a replacement battery may be needed.
Accidentally leaving the lights or radio switched on will cause a discharge of current and can mean a flat battery.

Vehicle battery charging system faults :
A faulty charging system may mean your car battery is not being recharged properly eg Alternator faults, wiring faults ,loose connections , high resistance connections, etc, these need further attention.

Vehicle starting system faults :
Corrosion may cause high resistance in wiring connections eq corroded battery terminals, loose connections , can result in a slower than normal cranking rpm making a vehicle engine difficult to start. These need repair.

A worn starter motor can increase the load on the vehicle battery and current demand during starting.

Winter weather = Low temperature =  Cold engine :
Metal contracts as temperature decreases which can increase friction between contacting surfaces making the engine more difficult to rotate under cold weather conditions, this in turn increases the load of the starter motor during cranking requiring greater battery voltage to acheive sufficient cranking rpm.  Water ingress into components such as the alternator can freeze and cause component damage resulting in a discharged battery. Jump leads won't solve the problem in this instance but may assist in getting the vehicle engine started so testing can be carried out.

Using jump leads to aid diagnostics

Jump leads may be used as a temporary link to aid vehicle diagnostics where main cables are suspected of having high resistance.

Typical examples : 

HGV truck : A bad cab to chassis ground connection causing erratic dash guage operation was confirmed by connecting a jump lead between cab and chassis as a temporary link. A new cable was then made up and fitted.

Van Breakdown: 

 Starter motor cranking slow : A jump lead was used between battery negative and engine block to confirm diagnosis of voltage drop during starter  motor operation caused by a defective chassis to engine earthing cable. A replacement cable was subsequently fitted.

Car Breakdown :

 Renault Clio breakdown attended suspected by the customer to be an immobiliser fault as the vehicle starter motor did not crank the engine when the ignition key was turned. A quick check at the starter motor using a simple test light proved that the ignition switch was operating correctly however the starter motor did not operate.  Placing a jump lead between the battery negative terminal and metal casing of the engine and trying the starting procedure again , the vehicle engine started instantly proving a fault with the negative lead to the engine which was examined and found to have corroded through. A replacement battery negative lead was manufactured on site and fitted to the vehicle resolving the problem.

Your Review of the Products we Market:

The battery jump leads we market online are delivered directly from a trade only distributor based in the UK that also manufactures battery booster cables .We have a close working partnership with the supplier / manufacturer. The premium quality level of the products is always maintained to a high standard as the same supplier also supplies government and defence establishments and major high street retail chains. If you have any comments about products you have purchased , or product suggestions please , or bulk quantity supply, let us know using the contact enquiry form

Booster Cable Specification : Buyers guide
When considering the purchase of a new set of booster  leads check the cross sectional area of the copper core cables making up the jump leads. Generally bigger is better.

Tricks of the trade :

Some manufacturers use thick insulation around a small diameter cable core to disguise the quality of their product. The products we sell are specified by cross sectional area of the copper cable core. Heavier gauge core cable will allow more amps current flow.

Manufacturers may rate by continuous current rating or maximum current rating (surge). The maximum current rating specified by some retailers relates to surge current for a short time period. We specify by continuous current rating though the surge current rating is often much higher.

 To put this into perspective the free run current required by an average car starter motor can be around 40 to 100 Amps. During  cold start of a stationary engine the peak current draw measured to achieve initial rotation  using an oscilloscope and current clamp could be as high as 800 amps.