ACDelco Plug-2-Go Car to Car Charging System

[BuzzKillington]

(woot has 2 pair for 8 bucks)

Does this actually work? I would have never thought you could charge a vehicles battery from the cigarette lighter port.

Seems like it'd be extremely weak and only for batteries you'd find in a smart car or something.

Just curious.

[Twigsoffury]

Seems like it'd be extremely weak and only for batteries you'd find in a smart car or something.
.

Yup pretty much.


I'd consider a "Booster Buddy" if you want a actual backup plan, they provide enough power to outright start the car just off the booster buddy alone... and mines started a 86 towncar.. flippin huge starter on that car hahah.

http://www.ntxtools.com/batterycharging/boosterbuddy.htm

Also doubles as a 12v power source for when the power goes out, will power a 12v low draw light for hours on end, already has a work lamp to on the one i have. and a decent enough compressor for tire fills or general work.


Can't recommend it high enough, had mine for erm getting on 10 years now.

[SXRguyinMA]

you can charge through the 12v outlet no problem, just not at a high rate. I've got a solar charger that put out 1.5w and hooks into the 12v outlet. its not a charger as much as a maintainer

[x88x]

Does this actually work? I would have never thought you could charge a vehicles battery from the cigarette lighter port.

The idea is that you would use these instead of jumper cables..sorta. Basically, it charges the battery off another one, then you disconnect and start the car off the now-charged (enough) battery. Really though, (imo) they're kinda useless because you have to leave them connected for a long period of time (ie, basically leave it charging the dead battery for a while) since none of the wiring involved would be able to handle the load that the starter pulls. The wiring on those things is probably 16 gauge, and the stuff inside most of the car's electrical system is probably mostly 14-16 gauge, whereas good jumper cables are at least 8 gauge (you can get really cheap 10 cables that are 10 gauge, but...I wouldn't trust them). For context, my battery charger has a mode that lets me use it to dead-start a vehicle without charging the battery at all, and in that mode it can put out a max of 75W...that level of current would probably just melt those little things. :P

[Spawn-Inc]

we used to use one for when we went camping to a site with no hydro. it works but as SXRguyinMA said, not at a high rate.

ours was a radioshack one, worked fine.