Some situations may arise, where you get stuck in the middle of the road because of your car’s bad battery. Have you faced any of such situations?
In such a case, jump-starting your car is the best thing that can come to your rescue. All you need is a set of good jumper cables and a good person who could help you with his car.
What if the weather is too rough in such conditions? What if it is raining heavily? Can you jump a car in the rain? Is it a good idea to do so?
Many people might have told you that jumping a car in the rain will be nowhere different from jumping your car in dry weather.
But is it really safe for you and your vehicle? This article explains you everything regarding rain and jumpstarting.
Can you jump a car in the rain?
If you want me to answer the question straightly, I can say you Yes.
You can jump-start your car even when it is raining.
But there are certain issues you need to consider while performing the jump-starting process, especially in the rain.
There are certain things you need to be careful about when it is raining because it is water that you have to deal with. And water is a good conductor of electricity.
Firstly, how jumping a car works?
During the process of jumping a car, a temporary connection is made between a donor car and a car with a dead battery. You make this connection with the use of jumper cables.
All that happens is the supply of electricity from the donor car battery to the weak car battery. Some amount of power is supplied to the weak battery in order to crank the engine.
As your car starts, you will remove the cables and your car’s charging system will function in order to charge the car battery.
In simple words, an essential amount of electricity is transferred through the cables to crank the engine.
Hence the jumper cables are the most important equipment for the transfer of power.
Issues of jump-starting during rain
Jump starting may seem no different whether if it is a rainy day or a sunny day. But, when it is raining all around, there is always a greater chance of the jumper cables getting wet during the jumpstart process. Hence the quality and condition of your cables is the most important thing to consider to avoid unnecessary risks and damage.
If the jumper cables that you use are in good condition with proper insulation, jump-starting your car in the rain is not at all a problem.
The jumper cables are usually covered completely in rubber, and thus the rainwater does not enter the circuit. Hence it does not cause any problem. It would seem like a regular jump start process like on a dry day.
But using bad cables especially in rainy conditions can surely be a problem. In the case of old cables, the cables might have unnoticed cuts and tears which expose the inner wiring to the rain which could result in a short circuit.
You should always take care regarding the condition of jumper cables before you begin any jump starting process. Hence, it would be better and safe if you use any kind of covering such as a tarp while performing a jump on your car.
Or at least you could use an umbrella or a pair of umbrellas in order to cover the cables for better safety.
So, can you jumpstart a car in the rain?
As i said you, usually jumpstarting your car in the rain is usually safe and there no risk of electrocution.
Do you know the voltage of your car battery?
It is usually around 12 volts and this is not very high to cause harm to you. Because of the low voltage, jumping a car even in rain is safe and there exists no risk or danger to you.
All that is needed is to take care of the proper connection of jumper cables. You also need to make sure that, you never drop the end of a jumper cable into a puddle when they are connected to one of the batteries.
Precautions while jump-starting your car in the rain
1. Whether it is a dry day or a rainy day, whenever you perform the process of jump-starting, remember to wear your protective gear.
2. Rain while jump-starting is not a big issue. But exposing your car’s battery to any form of moisture causes corrosion and reduces the life of the battery.
3. Continous rains, especially in colder climates, can create a chance of your car’s battery getting frozen. Jumpstarting a car with a frozen battery could lead to an explosion. Make sure that your car battery is not frozen by looking inside the battery by removing its caps.
4. Heavy rain, especially during the night time, can cause visibility issues. Always be careful while connecting and disconnecting the cables. Make sure it is done in the correct order.
5. It is better if you use a hood or at least an umbrella to keep the area under your car’s hood as dry as possible.
