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Can you charge a car battery with jumper cables?

My battery died on my car and I need to recharge it. I have jumper cables and another car I can attach them to. Can I completely charge my dead battery with jumper cables?

avatar
Bonnie Stinson · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
While jumper cables are a great way to get your dead car battery started again, leaving them on to charge the battery is not recommended.
Typically, you only want to leave jumper cables attached for less than three minutes—just long enough to get your car started—and allow your battery to recharge with the engine running.
Leaving jumper cables attached too long can lead to overcharging your battery and damaging it, or possible damage to the other car, leading to two dead car batteries instead of one.
Having your car battery serviced regularly can keep it from going bad, but a good
car insurance
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