Essential item you must keep in your car to avoid being stranded in the snow this winter… don’t get caught out
AN EXPERT mechanic has revealed an essential item you must keep in your car to avoid being stranded this winter.
The Met Office has warned of an “Arctic blast“, bringing heavy snow and temperatures down to -10C this week, so drivers need all the help they can get to stay on the move.
Fortunately, Scotty Kilmer, who was been fixing motors for over 50 years, took to YouTube to share an absolute must for driving during the deep freeze.
In the video, he explained: “If you don’t want to get stranded in the snow this winter in your car, there’s only one thing you need to have in your trunk.
“That’s a jump start box.
“This one sat for nine months and it started my car right away, they hold the power.
“Make sure you throw one of these in your trunk so you don’t get stranded and you can help your friends if they do.”
The box acts effectively as a spare battery for the car, allowing you to fire a current through the electrical systems if your normal battery has gone flat.
It allows vital components like your electronic fuel injectors and spark plugs to power up and start the car, at which point the motion of the engine will recharge your battery via the alternator.
This is particularly important to have as the mercury dips below freezing as cold conditions slow down the electrochemical reaction your battery uses to make power, meaning batteries are less powerful and run out faster.
Social media commenters loved Scotty’s handy tip.
One wrote: “Man these jump boxes are awesome.”
Another said: “I keep mine in the car at all times.”
Just remember when you’re connecting jump leads to always connect the negative terminal before the positive and then disconnect in reverse order when you’re done to avoid potential electrocution.
Scotty’s box was particularly useful in this regard as it had a feature that would tell the user if they had connected the cables to the wrong terminals, saving them from “ruining” the engine.
Hooking up your cables the wrong way around could cause significant damage to your car’s electrics or even spark an electrical fire, sending your repair bills into the hundreds.
It comes after Scotty spoke exclusively with The Sun Online to reveal a deadly duo of winter driving mistakes to avoid this year.