Jumper cables: Need to buy some new ones. Recommendations?

[Dkretden]

I have a 2020 3.6L Rubicon with the tow package (if that matters).

I need to get some jumper cables. Anyone have a favorite brand or type/size of cable that you could point me to?

thanks in advance.

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[Errick]

I have a 2020 3.6L Rubicon with the tow package (if that matters).

I need to get some jumper cables. Anyone have a favorite brand or type/size of cable that you could point me to?

thanks in advance.

Get good quality, preferably solid copper stranded 4ga 10 footers or longer. Be careful of copper coated aluminum jumpers.

 

[69 ORIGINAL]

I have a 2020 3.6L Rubicon with the tow package (if that matters).

I need to get some jumper cables. Anyone have a favorite brand or type/size of cable that you could point me to?

thanks in advance.

Consider a lithium jumper battery. More compact and does not require another car to jump you. Relly, great if you are out on the trail or a dark and lonely road late at night. We got this one. Works GREAT! and can be taken as carry-on luggage under TSA rules. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015TKUPIC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Dkretden]

Consider a lithium jumper battery. More compact and does not require another car to jump you. Relly, great if you are out on the trail or a dark and lonely road late at night. We got this one. Works GREAT! and can be taken as carry-on luggage under TSA rules. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015TKUPIC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thank you. I have a nico GB70 model already. There is still some debate on these boards if it will actually start a 2020 3.6L with ESS. Some say yes, some say no. The 2018 like you have is supposedly ”not jumpable” with your pack if your aux battery is shot. (Maybe a firmware update makes it jumpable?). Have you tried yours Nico and does it jump your 2018 3.6?

that said, I am really looking for jumper cables to have as a backup.....

 

[69 ORIGINAL]

Totally understand, I have cables too. I have not used the NOCO for the Jeep, I use a Yeti 1000 for my onboard power needs like fridge, lights, other stuff. So, I don't rely on the main battery for auxiliary uses when the engine is not running. I have used the noco to start a 5.7L 381 HP V8 Toyota Sequioa last winter in Taos that was so dead it wouldn't even click. I guess everyone's got an opinion. but if the Noco could start the Sequoia, I'm crying foul on the board haters. I guess if you let the Noco drain down to the point of not being charged, it probably would not work! But when charged, yhea, it works.

 

[bbq4133]

Thank you. I have a nico GB70 model already. There is still some debate on these boards if it will actually start a 2020 3.6L with ESS. Some say yes, some say no. The 2018 like you have is supposedly ”not jumpable” with your pack if your aux battery is shot. (Maybe a firmware update makes it jumpable?). Have you tried yours Nico and does it jump your 2018 3.6?

that said, I am really looking for jumper cables to have as a backup.....

What's the theory with it not jumping? Is the battery under the hood not the main battery that starts the motor, or is the aux battery the starter battery?

 

[MarkY3130]

Totally understand, I have cables too. I have not used the NOCO for the Jeep, I use a Yeti 1000 for my onboard power needs like fridge, lights, other stuff. So, I don't rely on the main battery for auxiliary uses when the engine is not running. I have used the noco to start a 5.7L 381 HP V8 Toyota Sequioa last winter in Taos that was so dead it wouldn't even click. I guess everyone's got an opinion. but if the Noco could start the Sequoia, I'm crying foul on the board haters. I guess if you let the Noco drain down to the point of not being charged, it probably would not work! But when charged, yhea, it works.

Nobody is claiming the jumper doesn’t have the power to start the Jeep. It’s that the Jeep has very odd starting logic and isn’t allowing the jumper to start the vehicle. Not worth getting into on this thread, go find the lengthy and numerous other threads that discuss it.

 

[Dkretden]

What's the theory with it not jumping? Is the battery under the hood not the main battery that starts the motor, or is the aux battery the starter battery?

There is a huge battery thread on the 3.6L and lots and lots of thoughts and opinions, and some examples of folks not being able to start a 2018 3.6L with Jumper box. But, it seems that some 2019’s and 2020’s report that they can (and have) started with a jumper box.

the idea is that in 2018 Jeep used the aux battery to start the engine. If it is shot, hooking up a jumper pack to the main battery will not start the vehicle. What will start it is jumper cables to the main battery (kept on for a few minutes before cranking as per the owners manual) which will flow juice to the aux And allow the Jeep to start.

it Is speculated that this “logic” changed sometime in 2019 and some 2019’s and 2020’s start off the main battery so jumper packs are supposed to work. Others continue to say that they will not.

but, I would like to keep this thread to jumper cables..... favorite brands, recommendations.....

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

Brand isn’t important with jumper cables. Get the heaviest gauge all copper cable that you can (at lease 4 AWG as mentioned) in the length long enough to be useful but not longer than necessary.

 

[Mad Hatter]

Adding to Chocolate Thunder's comment: In the "length long enough" category, if you park nose-in in a garage--especially a one-car garage, you want at least the length of the vehicle to be jump-started plus say 4 feet to reach the battery in the starting vehicle you have parked nose-to-tail behind the vehicle with the dead battery.

You might say, ha, I have a two-car garage and I can skimp on length. I can always jump side-by-side. Well, consider a parking garage with cars on either side of you, whose owners haven't had the courtesy to wait for you to arrive to your dead battery.

"Plan for the worst, hope for the best" is an excellent planning rule.

In the case of the JLU, it is variously-reported as being 188.4" or 15.7' long. I wouldn't go less than 20' in buying a new set of cables. Of course, YMMV.

Good luck, I hope you never need the cables or the battery pack! (Speaks someone who just replaced the second battery on his 2011 MDX for reasons of old age, luckily encountering the problem in his driveway...)

 

[ConqSoft]

I went with these. Seem decent enough, and pack relatively small.

CARTMAN Booster Cable 4 Gauge x 20Ft in Carry Case UL Listed (EVA Case) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VHGBVW2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_M.SvFb0GH8QE3

 

[Dkretden]

I went with these. Seem decent enough, and pack relatively small.

CARTMAN Booster Cable 4 Gauge x 20Ft in Carry Case UL Listed (EVA Case) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VHGBVW2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_M.SvFb0GH8QE3

Thank you for this recommendation. I was actually looking at these before I posted the thread. What I was having trouble understanding is why these were $30 and others were $100 or more.

the poster above made that clear (once I knew what to look for) — copper clad (less expensive), all copper (more expensive).

now that I know one of the key “price drivers” I am now going to need to do more research to see what makes most sense for me.

if anyone has anything else to add, please do. All info is helpful.

 

[James_a]

I went with the quick connect approach using:

Warn quick connect booster cables
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQQPK2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and an Anderson Power pole connector permanently connected to my battery:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CQDQ7Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Makes for a nice quick connection which I also use with my portable ARB twin compressor which I modified to use the same Anderson power pole connector.

 

[Medsker]

I went with these. They are copper clad but are 1 gauge. I've started cars with them that other cheaper cables couldn't start and these would fire it right up. I also carry a ARB lithium jump pack.

Link

 

[HHIJL]

I went with these. They are copper clad but are 1 gauge. I've started cars with them that other cheaper cables couldn't start and these would fire it right up. I also carry a ARB lithium jump pack.

Link

My cables are 1 gauge x 20ft and so far have cranked everything I've connected to. Everytime I've pulled them out to jump a vehicle off the owners usually say something along the lines of dang what a set of jumper cables. I usually answer with, if we can't jump it off I can tow you back with the cables. lol

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