Peak Amps vs. Cold Cranking Amps vs. Cranking Amps in Jump Starters

When shopping for jump starters, you'll often see specifications like peak amps, and sometimes cold cranking amps (CCA) or cranking amps (CA). It's common to find products listing only peak amps, leading some to mistakenly think peak amps are the same as CCA or CA. However, these are different measures. CCA and CA are important considerations in measuring the real performance of a jump starter.

This article aims to explain the distinctions between these terms, providing detailed definitions and discussing their significance in jump starters. You will gain a better understanding of the starting power capacity of jump starters and be better equipped to purchase a high-quality starter that meets your individual requirements.

Let us clarify their definitions first.

Decoding the Jargon: Peak Amps, CCA, and CA Explained

Peak Amperage (PA): A specification value that measures the maximum instantaneous current output that a jump starter can provide in a few seconds, which can be used to determine a jump starter's ability to deliver peak power during emergency starting.

Cold Cranking Amps (CCA): A measure of the amount of power a jump starter can provide to start an automobile engine for a short time in cold weather conditions. It is tested at 0 ℉ by examining the maximum amount of power a car battery or jump starter can deliver for 30 seconds while maintaining a voltage of at least 7.2 volts

Cranking Amps (CA): A measure of the amount of power a jump starter can provide to start an automobile engine for a short time in normal weather conditions. It is tested by examining the maximum amount of current a car battery or jump starter can deliver for 30 seconds at a temperature of 32 ℉ and a voltage equal to or greater than 7.2 volts.

Now that we know the definitions of these three terms, let’s explore what they specifically mean for jump starters.

Peak Amps in The Jump Starter

Because the peak amps measure the instantaneous maximum current value of the jump starter, the peak power rating is not typically low, which tends to impress people. This is what most manufacturers prefer to display in the product specifications on their web pages to attract customers.

However, you should pay more attention that peak amperage can be seen as the potential for the jump starter's initial burst of maximum power, but it does not determine the jump starter's ability to start an engine under sustained power output or other conditions.

After all, a few seconds is too short a time to for the starter to significantly impact on a car engine. In layman's terms, PA provides a reference range, indicating the maximum power the jump starter can instantaneously deliver when starting the car. We can then choose a jump starter with a peak amperage higher than our own vehicle's engine power needs roughly based on this potential value.

Unluckily, some merchants on the market do not provide the true peak amps of the jump starter for marketing purposes. Therefore, you need to consider the two specifications mentioned below to evaluate the real performance of the jump starter.

Cold Cranking Amps in The Jump Starter

Cold Cranking Amps are designed to measure whether a jump starter is strong enough to start a vehicle engine in cold temperatures (0 °F or -18 °C), which is important for people living in cold climates. It's known that cars are more likely to have dead batteries in winter. This is because the oil in car engines thickens in low temperatures, requiring more power and current to operate, and batteries consume power faster than usual.

The current provided by a traditional jump starter is also affected by temperature; the lower the temperature, the greater the limitation on discharge capacity. This is why CCA values are crucial in determining if a jump starter is sufficiently effective in frosty conditions and can quickly start a car with a drained battery in low temperatures.

However, it's important to note that due to differing chemical compositions, CCAs are more suitable for measuring lead-acid battery jump starters and not for portable lithium-ion battery jump starters. The reasons are as follows:

Low temperature has no significant effect on the discharge of lithium-ion battery, they can discharge stably even at -20℃ (-4℉) and are less temperature-sensitive. This means that lithium-ion battery jump starters can be used effectively in cold weather. Although lithium-ion batteries do have cold weather limitations when it comes to charging, with the minimum temperature being the freezing point (0℃ or 32℉), it's more likely that these jump starters will be charged indoors or in a garage, where temperatures are above freezing. CCA was originally a test standard for lead-acid batteries, a common measure of their starting power. Since there is currently no CCA numerical standard for lithium batteries, the CCA test is not applicable to lithium-ion battery jump starters.

Cranking Amps in The Jump Starter

Starting amps, also known as marine starting amps, provide another way to measure the starting power of a jump starter. The key difference from cold cranking amps (CCA) lies in the temperature conditions during testing. The magnitude of the starting current value is crucial in determining whether a jump starter can successfully start an automobile engine. As an independent power supply for the vehicle, the cranking amps indicate how much starting power the jump starter can deliver in relatively mild or moderate climates. This helps to determine if the chosen jump starter has sufficient power to start a vehicle's engine based on its power requirements.

Cranking amps are particularly valuable when considering jump starters based on lithium-ion batteries. As discussed earlier, lithium-ion battery starters don't require excessive design for low temperatures. Even without a high CCA rating, Li-ion batteries are capable of delivering high currents quickly. Therefore, cranking amps become a more relevant measure of the actual starting ability of a lithium battery jump starter.

When shopping for a jump starter, you can selectively look for the value of cold cranking amps or cranking amps depending on the type of battery selected. Next, let's explore the differences between Peak Amps, Cold Cranking Amps, and Cranking Amps.

PA VS. CCA VS. CA

All three measure the current output capability of the battery and have the same unit of value on the jump starter: Amps. But they are very different.

Different test times: the peak amps measures the instantaneous discharge flow of the jump starter, that is, a few seconds. The cold crank amps and cranking amps measure the amount of current that the jump starter continues to discharge within 30 seconds.

Different test temperatures: Peak amps has no specified test temperature conditions. Cold cranking amps, on the other hand, measures at extremely cold temperature conditions (0 ℉). Cranking amps is measured in a more typical temperature range (32 ℉ and above).

Different purposes: Peak amps evaluates the highest current potential of the jump starter in an instantaneous burst. The cold cranking amps evaluates the current value of the starter that discharges continuously for a short time at cold temperatures. The cranking amps evaluates the current value of the jump starter's continuous discharge for a short time under normal weather conditions (no overcooling or overheating), that is, the daily starting capability above 0°C. The latter two are more focused on the actual starting ability of the jump starter than the former.

Different applications: Peak amps is commonly used on jump starters with various battery types. Cold cranking amps is more suitable for traditional lead-acid battery jump starters. Cranking amps is more suitable for lithium-ion battery jump starters.

Conclusion

In cold temperatures or as the car battery ages or becomes significantly drained, the battery requires more starting power to function properly. And upon further examination of cold cranking amps and cranking amps, it becomes clear that understanding their significance is crucial in evaluating the starting power of a jump starter. When searching for a powerful jump starter, it is important to consider the peak amperage and the other two values to accurately evaluate the actual starting performance of the jump starter.

However, the quality of a jump starter is determined by various factors, including battery capacity, voltage compatibility, and the size of the vehicle's engine. If you want a more comprehensive look at how to choose the best jump starter for your vehicle, check out our previous blog: KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR CHOOSING THE BEST CAR JUMP STARTER & TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

FAQ

Q: Is a higher value for a jump starter's cold crank amps or crank amps better?

A: Yes. Generally speaking, the more value in cranking amps or cold cranking amps of jump starters, the more power can they start the car engine. But the best thing to do is to just choose the cold cranking amps that matches the starting power required by your vehicle's engine.

Q: How many amps do I need to jump start my car?

A: As a general rule of thumb, most cars and light trucks require 400 to 600 cold cranking amps to crank the engine. However, the specific cranking ampere needs to be determined based on many influencing factors such as the size of your vehicle and engine type, climatic conditions, battery usage, etc.

Q: I see booster packs, jump box and then jump starters for cars in the market. Which one is the best? What is the difference?

A: Most of the time all three are the same thing, just called by different names. It could say that booster packs and jump boxes for cars are both aliases for jump starters. As for the best jump starter, I recommend portable jump starters with lithium-ion battery. They are also one of the most popular jump starter options out there. A reliable jump starter can assist in starting your car in an emergency and can also function as a portable power bank for charging your electronic devices when needed. For a more in-depth understanding of why every car should have a portable jump starter, I highly recommend reading this blog: WHY A PORTABLE JUMP STARTER IS ESSENTIAL FOR EVERY CAR OWNER? This article details the multiple uses of jump starters, the advantages of portability, and how they can be an integral part of a vehicle's emergency kit.

Q: What do CCA, CA, and RC stand for or describe about an automotive battery?

A: CCA and CA are ratings in the battery industry that define a battery's ability to start an engine in different temperature environments. In general, automotive engines operate much easier in warmer climates than in colder ones. Therefore there are corresponding cranking amps (CA) tested in normal climates and cold cranking amps (CCA) tested in very cold temperature environments to determine the starting ratings of batteries. RC refers to the battery's standby capacity and is used to indicate how long the battery can run basic vehicle systems (such as lights, radio, etc.) without the engine or alternator running.