# Portable battery chargers

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/portable-battery-chargers/41187>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** volvo, 940\
**Created:** [December 23, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/portable-battery-chargers/41187 "2009-12-23T16:34:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![shamch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d26b3c/32.png) [@shamch](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shamch)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/portable-battery-chargers/41187/1 "2009-12-23T16:34:41Z")

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Do you recommend portable car battery chargers that plug into the cigarette lighter, such as Porta Jump?

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/portable-battery-chargers/41187/2 "2009-12-23T16:55:40Z")

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Not the type that plug into the cigarette lighter. If you look at the size of the wire to the lighter, it’s not going to push much current to a dead battery to start the engine.

Tester

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**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/portable-battery-chargers/41187/3 "2009-12-23T16:59:01Z")

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NO…The lighter socket can not pass more than 20 amps before it’s fuse blows. 20 amps is not enough power to jump anything. You might be able to CHARGE a battery through the lighter socket assuming the socket is “live” with the key turned off…With a dead battery, it will be at least 15 or 20 minutes charging at this rate before the car MIGHT start…

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/portable-battery-chargers/41187/4 "2009-12-23T17:05:08Z")

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They are NOT made to JUMP a car…but only used as a trickle charger. It’ll take at least 1/2 hour to charge a battery this way.

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**Author:** ![shamch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d26b3c/32.png) [@shamch](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shamch)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/portable-battery-chargers/41187/5 "2009-12-23T18:28:48Z")

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Thanks to all of you…you’ve certainly saved me the expense of buying one.

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/portable-battery-chargers/41187/6 "2009-12-23T18:44:52Z")

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Was there perhaps a reason for asking that we might be able to help with?