• Home
• Articles

Matson Jumper Cables & Jumper Leads Review

We Review of Jumper Cables

Review of Matson Anti-Zap Jumper Leads

Click here to see our full range of Australian Made Jumper Cables and Buy Online with Free Shipping and Lifetime Guarantee

The Anti-Zap jumper leads from Matson Automotive have been designed with the motorist’s peace of mind in view.

Gone are the days when you would think nothing of connecting a set of jumper leads between your car
and someone else’s, or for that matter, your car and a separate stand alone battery.

With the advent of today’s “smart” cars with computerised ignition systems, and just about everything else, the
slightest voltage surge or spike can wreak havoc with the on board computer systems.

If you don’t think this is likely to happen, think again. The only reason you connect jumper leads from one vehicle
to another is to either assist or get assistance from another motorist ,when one of you has a flat battery.

When a connection is made between a healthy battery and a flat one a considerable amount of current will flow
from the healthy, or donor battery to the vehicle with the flat battery (recipient). This often results in a surge or spike
in voltage that can destroy either vehicle’s computerised system, but the damage is more likely to occur to the recipient’s vehicle.

Sure, if your vehicle is not computerised, eg does not have efi (electronic fuel injection), or electronic fuel sensors
you would happily use the old style jumper leads. In fact I carry a set in my truck and would be happy to use them
either to assist or gain the assistance of another vehicle. It is a diesel with no electronics apart from radios etc., but there
is no way that they ever get moved to our car. It is a small VVT (variable valve timing) modern car with heaps of electronics.

The Anti-Zap jumper leads have thankfully changed all that. You can now safely connect jumper leads between any two
vehicles safe in the knowledge that no matter how flat the recipient’s battery is there with be no damaging surge or spike
introduced into either vehicles electrical system. The secret lies in the Ant-Zap module that is connected in series between
the clamps that connect to the donor’s and recipient’s batteries. The Anti-Zap module is in effect a Voltage sensitive isolator
similar to that used in many 4WD and other vehicles dual battery systems.

Not only does the unit prevent surges and spikes, but it does far more than that. It takes the worry out of
using jumper leads as it is virtually impossible to make a mistake using them.

Most Anti-Zap units have three LEDs built into the device. When illuminated, a green LED indicates that all is well
and that the jumper leads are connected correctly. If the red LED is illuminated, it indicates that the leads are
not connected correctly, or have a bad connection. When illuminated, the third LED indicates that the donor battery does not have enough
capacity to be used to help jump start another vehicle. 

It is no wonder that motorist organisations such as RACQ and NRMA just to mention two who use these Anti-Zap jumper leads
when assisting motorists with flat batteries.

I mentioned earlier that I would not use my old style jumper leads with my car, well the Anti-Zap jumper leads have changed all that.
With these jumper leads, I will happily stop to render assistance to other vehicles now safe in the knowledge that when I connect my
battery to theirs, no damage will be done to either vehicle.

If I was compiling a list of must have items that should be taken on a trip then a set of Anti-Zap jumper leads would be up there along
with recovery gear and spare parts in the event of any unseen event occurring.

If all this isn’t enough, the Anti-Zap module is covered by a lifetime warranty from Matson Automotive.
They proudly boast that they have never had a faulty unit returned to them.

Anti-Zap jumper leads are available in a range of current ratings and lengths with most units also
being capable of being used on both 12 Volt and 24V electrical systems.

My advise to anyone contemplating the purchase of a set of Anti-Zap jumper leads is, if space is available to store them,
to get a set that is a long as possible as it is extremely frustrating trying to manoeuvre vehicles into close proximity to one another
because the jumper leads are simply not long enough to easily reach between the batteries in the donor’s and recipient’s vehicles.

In the event that the jumper cable that you want is not available, Matson is happy to build one to suit your needs.

Click here to see our full range of  Australian Made Jumper Leads and Buy Online with Free Shipping and Lifetime Guarantee

Article written by:











Rick Huntley (Australian Direct)