Can you jump start a car through the cigarette lighter

Q: Can I start my car through the cigarette lighter?

No, you cannot. Wires that go from the cars battery to the cigarette lighter are not thick enough to support the high current (usually over 100 Amps) the starter motor needs.

I've had a couple dead battery incidents (left the lights on, etc), so I decided to start looking for some jumper cables or something for the inevitable "next time" this sort of thing happens... and I was wondering -- are the smallish portable devices that connect via the cigarette lighter a good option?

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What's The Deal With Cigarette Lighter Jump Starter Devices? June 26, 2015 3:28 PM Subscribe
SelfCharge Auto Jumper
Jumpstart your car without cables.
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Features & specs
Jump starts your battery without needing another car
No need for jumper cables or to go under the hood
Doubles as a portable back-up power supply
Save your car's radio, clock, and computer memory when changing a battery
Where can I buy this awesomeness?
Burning Questions: You Ask, We Answer
Want to ask your own Burning Question? This product is no longer available for purchase directly from Vat19. Therefore, we are no longer accepting new burning questions at this time. Sorry!
Can a car battery be charged through the cigarette lighter?
Can I start my car through the cigarette lighter?
Can you jump start a car with an outlet?
What can I use instead of jump leads?

Basically, I'm wondering why the scary-sometimes-sparky clips are still used if the cigarette lighter is actually just as good for jump starting a car? I assume it's not, but if it is... it sounds/looks so much more convenient than popping the hood and figuring out where to clip what to what. (A tow truck guy even had some problems trying to figure out where to put the ground clip on my car b/c newer cars' engine bays are made of a surprising amount of plastic these days....)

So anyone have experience using a cigarette lighter jump starter? When does it work and when doesn't it work? There are all kinds now -- that have lithium ion batteries that can recharge phones as well -- so.. is there are recommended mAh capacity for these things? (Does anyone sell a USB to cigarette lighter cable? Is it possible to use a battery charger that I already use for my phone?)

SelfCharge Auto Jumper

Jumpstart your car without cables.

*Note: The product details shown on Vat19 may vary from what is available at the store(s) above.

Overview

The SelfCharge Auto Jumper eliminates the need for jumper cables, having to work under the hood, and most importantly, needing another car.

If your weak battery needs a jump, simply plug the Auto Jumper into your car's cigarette lighter, and rest assured that you'll be driving in no time. The Auto Jumper also doubles as a portable back-up for cell phones, laptops, or any other device that can be powered by a cigarette lighter adapter.

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car stuff

Features & specs

Jump starts your weak battery in 10 minutes
Can be recharged over 500 times
Multi-purpose as back-up power
Preserve car's radio, clock, and computer memory

Jump starts your battery without needing another car

The beauty of this product is that it allows you to jump a weak battery without needing another car. Suppose you're in an empty parking lot and there's no help nearby. Simply plug your SelfCharge Auto Jumper into your car's cigarette lighter and within 10 minutes, you'll be ready to go.

Jump start a weak battery in 10 minutes.

No need for jumper cables or to go under the hood

Because all of your battery's charging is taking place through your car's cigarette adapter, you don't need to hook up cables under your hood. You also don't need another vehicle (and good samaritan) to help you out.

You'll never need jumper cables again with the SelfCharge Auto Jumper.

Doubles as a portable back-up power supply

The SelfCharge Auto Jumper is essentially a large battery. Charge it up using the included AC adapter (or by plugging it into your car's cigarette lighter when the car is running) and then keep it in your trunk in case of an emergency.

The included 12V DC input allows you to use your SelfCharge Auto Jumper to recharge your cell phone or PDA.

You can even use the SelfCharge Auto Jumper to charge a cell phone, PDA or other device using the 12V cigarette input.

Save your car's radio, clock, and computer memory when changing a battery

Plug the SelfCharge Auto Jumper into your car's cigarette adapter while you're changing a dead battery and preserve all of your car's settings.

It's annoying to reset all of your favorite radio stations and clock (if you can even figure out how to set it!). Avoid this minor frustration (as well as the major frustration of a car that won't start) with the SelfCharge Auto Jumper.

Where can I buy this awesomeness?

*Note: The product details shown on Vat19 may vary from what is available at the store(s) above.

Burning Questions: You Ask, We Answer

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Want to ask your own Burning Question? This product is no longer available for purchase directly from Vat19. Therefore, we are no longer accepting new burning questions at this time. Sorry!

Can a car battery be charged through the cigarette lighter?

Yes, it is possible to charge the battery through a cigarette lighter socket, but there is a couple of caveats: The car's circuitry must have the lighter socket "live". It may require setting the ignition switch to "accessories."

Can I start my car through the cigarette lighter?

No, you cannot. Wires that go from the car's battery to the cigarette lighter are not thick enough to support the high current (usually over 100 Amps) the starter motor needs.

Can you jump start a car with an outlet?

While that would be extremely handy in an emergency, you cannot jump start a car from a wall outlet. Why? Because cars run off a 12 volt DC supply, and your house or apartment has AC.