Michelin Smart Jumper Cables?

I was watching Fox News tonight and saw yet another infomercial, but this one with attached Michelin reputation, and an idea that I'm surprised has not been invented before. It has a polarity correction and surge protector so you cannot hook up the wrong cable to the wrong terminal or have an explosion surge feedback with a lifetime guarantee. Is this a brand new idea, or have I just missed it being around before?

This is seeming like a good Christmas present for the person who has everything (and drives a car, sorry jtr1962--I'll have to find something else for you this year!).

Interesting concept.

Here are some not as smart jumper cables:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC7yVGf4-KI&feature=player_embedded

Real nice, put me down for some if they make them longer than 10'. Sure does deserve the term "Smart" in the name of this product.

I couldn't find anything on their website, but if I'm not mistaken, I remember seeing these being sold at a local Sears Auto center. I'm not sure, but I believe they were 39.99.

Here is a more detailed review from Detroit News.

Auto Barn lists them as a 12 foot length. I doubt there are two different length versions though.

Oh what the heck. I just ordered one with some other small item to get $50 minimum free shipping from AutoBarn. I'll measure the length when I get them.

I have some 20 foot 4 guage cables I got at walmart that work fine although it would be nice to add LEDs to them for polarity checking. I have found at times 12 foot cables don't cut it when your car is parked and you cannot get another car near the front or side of it. I have jumped a care parked behind it before it was a compact car and the cables were just long enough.

LuxLuthor said:

Is this a brand new idea, or have I just missed it being around before?

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They have been available up here in Canada for a couple of years at Canadian Tire.

I use cables I built myself from 1 gauge wielding cable with 600 amp clamps.

ANDREAS FERRARI said:

They have been available up here in Canada for a couple of years at Canadian Tire.

I use cables I built myself from 1 gauge wielding cable with 600 amp clamps.

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LOL! I'm trying to picture that, but it sounds great. I like the idea of the polarity correction and surge protection as the main attributes of this setup...preventing explosions and electrical system damage.

I am trying to figure out how you get a surge unless you have a defective electrical system on the car supplying the boost which would fry its electrical system anyway.

It seems to me that this will eventually lead to people assuming that ALL jumper cables work that way. That built-in protection is no substitute for hooking up jumper cables correctly!

I have a set of 20', 4 gauge cables with color coded clamps and even little glow in the dark markers "just to be sure". While their length makes them a bit unwieldy and heavy, it's nice to be able to slave start a car without them having to be ridiculously close to each other or even facing each other.

Lynx_Arc said:

I am trying to figure out how you get a surge unless you have a defective electrical system on the car supplying the boost which would fry its electrical system anyway.

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you'll get a surge when the guy/gal your jumping has his/her key in the run position before your finished with installing the clamps...

Illum said:

you'll get a surge when the guy/gal your jumping has his/her key in the run position before your finished with installing the clamps...

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never had that happen, I wonder how much current loss there is through all this circuitry as there has been times I have had cars barely start in cold weather

This is a bad idea. Jumper cables for people not smart enough to hook up jumper cables. No way something like that is asking for trouble.

If they throw in some free blinker fluid, I'll buy one.