A hard downpour usually results in a loss of natural light and reduced visibility on the roads. Fortunately, car batteries fail when the engine has been turned off in locations such as driveways or designated parking spots. Therefore, it is unlikely that you will be attempting to jump a car near fast-moving traffic.
Despite this, if you are jumping a car when visibility is limited, do your best to make yourself and your vehicle visible. Take actions such as placing reflective cones on the road and ensuring both cars have their hazard lights on when the jumped car can.
I recommend that you pick up some LED road flares, like these found on Amazon , to keep in your trunk for the car problems that are bound to happen to everyone. Check Latest Price. Also, if you own anything reflective or bright, have it in your vehicle so you can wear it on occasions such as these.
Also, do your best not to be wearing all dark clothes, as this makes you nearly invisible in dark conditions. By taking these actions, you have reduced the chance of an accident. Lightning does complicate the safety of jumping a car. If you can wait until the thunderstorm passes, that is the recommended course of action. There is no sense in risking your life. However, if you must proceed, then there are some things to be aware of. Your safety emanates from the metal on the roof and sides of your car.
The metallic frame creates a makeshift Faraday cage around you, keeping the electricity away from the interior of the vehicle. As a result, the voltage goes around the car to the ground.
If you are touching the metallic parts of the jumper cables during a lightning strike, you will be part of the circuit. You will receive a shock.
Seeing as a bolt of lightning can carry between a million to a billion volts, you could expect to receive a lethal dose of current. Once you consider this, recharging that car battery can probably wait. Regardless of the weather, to stay safe, you need to jump a car correctly to avoid receiving a shock, destroy the battery, and for the procedure to work. Luckily, it is a straightforward process! When doing this in the rain, there are a few extra precautions you can take to ensure your safety.
Do your best to keep raindrops off the battery and the cables. The main issue is getting the rest of your engine wet. To keep things under the hood dry, though, try not to lift your hood higher than it needs to be to attach the cables.
If possible, use an umbrella or your jacket to create a dry environment. Once you can, allow the engine to dry to prevent any corrosion. The hood of the car will protect some of the innards of the car; an umbrella will help with the rest. And it will keep you dry as well, for the most part. The next biggest thing is making sure you connect the cables correctly. This will cause far more damage t han getting wet.
So we have discussed that it is perfectly safe to jump-start your car while it is raining. What about other types of weather? Well, we have discussed jump-starting your car in a rainstorm, what about a more intense rain-storm, like a thunderstorm. Thunderstorms add the element of lightning to the mix. It is reasonable to get a little squirmy when you are already dealing with an electrical system.
So is it safe to jump-start a vehicle during a thunderstorm? As far as the act of jump-starting the car, yes, it is safe. But there are inherent dangers in simply being outside during a lightning storm.
You all know the procedures. There is a danger in being out of doors during a lightning storm. None of these will affect your jumping-starting a car.
However, speaking as a person who endures daily afternoon thunderstorms during the summer; my suggestion is to wait it out. Thunderstorms usually pass in 30 minutes or so. Just wait until the most severe part of the storm is over, then try to jump-start your car. Alright, so you decided that you are going to attempt to jump-start your car in the rain. Yes, it is safe, however, remove any excess water from the battery before you attempt to connect the jumper cables.
Also, try to keep the battery as dry as possible, while you are trying to jump it. While there is little danger to you. An umbrella will go a long way in such a situation. Things are going to get wet, try your best to keep as dry as possible. Well, everything else is getting wet if you are trying to jump-start your car in the rain.
Is it okay if your jumper cables get wet, too? Again, yes, but we need to qualify this statement. If they do get wet, make sure they are dry before storing them. The jumper cables are or should be mostly coated in rubber. While it is not ideal to jumpstart a car in the rain, it is totally safe with the right precautions. To jumpstart a car in the rain, you should first ensure that your jumper cables are in good condition. Check whether the insulation is damaged, especially if the cables are old, as it might result in short-circuiting if the rain comes into contact with the naked wire.
Also, if it is a huge downpour, you should consider covering yourself as well as the battery from the rain with an umbrella if possible. You should ensure to take all the normal precautions for jumpstarting a car, such as wearing gloves, connecting the leads in the proper order, and avoiding coming into contact with both battery terminals concurrently. Although most car batteries have a capacity of just twelve volts, you still need to be careful because it is a DC voltage.
Otherwise, there is nothing to worry about jumpstarting a battery in the rain. So, be careful when connecting the cables on your car and the donor car, this should be done the right way. Here is a quick guide on jumping-start a car in the right way while following all the necessary instructions. When jumpstarting your car in the rain, the battery is likely to get wet from the downpour.
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