So I was sitting in line at the Wells Fargo branch yesterday listening to the guy in the next lane and slightly ahead as he argued with the teller because the check was made out to Mr. and Mrs. Name, but only he had endorsed it so there was a problem, and he was irate. Then I heard him yell, "It's stalled." He gets out, mad, opens the trunk, and takes out what looked like very short jumper cables. He pops the hood, does something with the cables, gets in the car, and it starts easily. He then drove off with both trunk lid and hood up. Like I said, he was mad.?ÿ
The question is, what were the very short jumper cables for? Maybe "stalled" was the wrong word, but that is what he said, like it was a common occurrence and he knew just what to do.
Probably a lithium ion battery "car starter".
@flga
Love those things - they have gotten me up and running in many situations, from field trucks to commuter cars to motorcycles. There are a lot of different sizes available.
A lot of them also have USB connections to charge your phone or even run a laptop.
Has saved my butt several times and jumped a few others along the way, car batteries that is, not butts. Considered essential gear in my survey rig.
Back in the "old days" almost everyone had a real spare tire, air pump, tire plug kit, and jumper cables. Car wouldn't start, dead battery? No problem. Just hook up the jumpers to your dead battery and stand there, like the fool you are for having a dead battery in the first place, and in a short time some friendly gearhead would pull up and say "NEED A JUMP" and you say "I'd appreciate it" and the next thing ya know yer off again until it stalls. Nowadays the thing to start your car is smaller than a bag of '70's weed.????
I bought one about 4 years ago, for the purpose/hope of running a Trimble 5600 robotic total station, instead of a car battery. It didn't last more than an hour. So it has sat around with only the occasional use as a USB charger. Then, Lo, about 6 months ago we were at the supermarket and got a flat battery in the car (lights left on). Hitched a ride home, leaving the others in the flat car, with the intention of returning in our other car, together with two of the TS car batteries and a set of cables. Hitched ride gave me time to think, remembered the power-pack, luckily it was charged up, took that as well, didn't know if it would work, used it, bingo. One of the sweetest moments of my life (given all the crap I've bought over the years that doesn't work).
Back in the "old days" almost everyone had a real spare tire, air pump, tire plug kit, and jumper cables. Car wouldn't start, dead battery? No problem. Just hook up the jumpers to your dead battery and stand there, like the fool you are for having a dead battery in the first place, and in a short time some friendly gearhead would pull up and say "NEED A JUMP" and you say "I'd appreciate it" and the next thing ya know yer off again until it stalls. Nowadays the thing to start your car is smaller than a bag of '70's weed.?????ÿ
I did that just last week. I was going to buy a battery for my wife's truck. Knew it was bad. I just had to stop at Kroger to get some ham sliced. Had jumper cables in the truck. A church lady just couldn't wait to jump me off. Next stop to the parts store?ÿ for a new battery. 😎 Learned that from the 70's.
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coulda been jumping past the solenoid too- haven't done that in a long time, but my old F150 and ranchero would both fry their solenoids on the regular.?ÿ 351 windsor would eat solenoids and starters like pez.
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i never got dedicated cables to do it, though- always used a couple of screwdrivers.
