Dead battery in Columbus? Our technicians carry commercial-grade jump packs and a battery tester, so a car battery jump start gets you running in minutes. You keep a printed battery test report, and if it says the battery is done, we replace it on the spot.
Call (740) 812-9489A dead battery can strand you anywhere in Columbus — in your driveway on a cold morning, in a parking garage after work, or at a rest stop on I-70. Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc provides fast jump start service that gets your engine running without flagging down strangers or waiting for a friend with cables. Call (740) 812-9489 and the nearest truck with jump equipment is on the way.
Our technicians carry commercial-grade portable battery packs that deliver reliable starting power for any passenger vehicle. Our equipment delivers far more starting power than a consumer jump box, so a deeply discharged battery in cold weather usually is not a problem — though a battery with a dead cell or an internal short will need replacing, not jumping.
Battery testing is included with every jump-start call. After the jump we put a tester on the battery and hand you a printed report of the results. If the test says replace, we carry the common group sizes on the truck and install it before we leave — no second trip, no parts-store run. The battery is priced by group size and quoted from the tester reading before we touch anything; see our mobile battery replacement page for details.
Cold-season note for Central Ohio (October through February): a battery that tests at about 60% capacity starts a car fine in September and dies the first morning it hits 20°F. The first hard cold snap usually lands in late October, and that is when our jump start calls spike. If your car has been cranking slowly, get the battery tested before the freeze — and if it is already dead, we come to you.
Call (740) 812-9489 · Request a tow now (SOS) · Get an online quote
Every jump-start call includes a battery test. If the battery is done, the right group size is on the truck. If the jump does not hold and the problem is the alternator, the same crew can tow you to a shop.
A car battery makes its power through a chemical reaction, and cold slows that reaction down, so the same battery has less usable power on a frozen morning than it had in September.
Cold also thickens the engine oil, which makes the engine harder to turn over. The engine asks for more power at the exact moment the battery can deliver less, and that is why the first hard freeze in Columbus brings a wave of no-start calls.
The battery that quits first is usually one that was already weakened by age or by a hot summer.
Warning signs to watch for:
Every jump start comes with a battery test, and you get the results on a printed report you can keep.
The tester checks how much charge the battery is holding, whether it can still deliver starting power under load, and whether the alternator is charging it once the engine runs.
The report shows whether the battery passed or needs replacing, along with the readings behind that result, so the decision is on paper instead of on someone's word.
If the battery passed and simply ran down, the jump is all you need. If the report says replace, we can install a new battery on the spot, and if it points at the alternator, you know the car needs a shop rather than a battery.
A jump start is enough when the battery ran down for a clear reason, such as a dome light left on or a car that sat for a couple of weeks, and the test says it is healthy.
Replacement makes more sense when the battery fails the test, when this is the second dead battery in a short stretch, or when it is several years old and the cold is only getting started.
If you are leaning toward a new battery, our mobile battery replacement page explains how the on-site swap works and how the battery is priced.
Yes — dispatch runs 24 hours a day across the Columbus metro, and jump start calls go to the nearest truck carrying jump equipment. Most metro calls are reached in 20–40 minutes; outer communities usually take 40–60. Call (740) 812-9489 or send your location from the SOS page.
Jump-start service is a flat $75 plus en-route at $4 per mile from our yard and sales tax (after-hours and weekend surcharges may apply). Battery testing is included. Use our online quote tool for an exact total, or call for current pricing.
Cold thickens engine oil, so the starter needs more current, while a cold battery can deliver less of it. A battery at roughly 60% capacity starts fine in September and fails the first morning near 20°F — in Central Ohio that first hard cold snap usually arrives in late October, and the calls keep coming through February. Slow cranking in the fall is the warning sign; we test the battery on every jump so you know whether it will make it through winter.
Yes. We jump start all passenger vehicles — cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans — including diesel pickups and vehicles with the battery under the rear seat or in the trunk. For commercial vehicles or heavy equipment, call us to discuss your specific needs.
If your battery will not hold a charge, the issue may be the battery itself, the alternator, or another electrical problem. The tester we bring checks the charging system too. We can replace the battery on site if that is the fault, or tow you to a repair shop or a partner shop from there; VIP members can use an included tow.
No. Our technicians use proper connection procedures and commercial equipment designed to safely start modern vehicles without voltage spikes.
Yes. Battery testing is included with every jump-start call. After the jump we put a tester on the battery and give you the results as a printed report, so you know whether it will hold or whether it is time to replace it.
Yes. If the tester says replace, our trucks carry the common group sizes (35, 65, 24F, 48/H6 and 47/H5) and we install the right one before we leave. The battery is priced by group size and quoted from the tester reading before we touch anything, and we take the old battery for recycling. See our mobile battery replacement page for details.
Usually, yes. EVs and hybrids have a 12V battery that runs the computers, and when it dies the car will not wake up. We jump the 12V so the car can wake up and go into transport mode. If it still will not, or the high-voltage pack is empty, we tow it with all four wheels off the ground, on a wheel-lift with dollies or a flatbed, to a charger or service center.
Yes, if the battery is three years old or more or the engine has started cranking slowly. Cold does not create a weak battery; it exposes one, and a test in the fall tells you whether yours will make it through January. We test on every jump-start call and print the results for you.
Yes. After the jump the technician runs the tester and gives you a printed report to keep. It shows whether the battery passed or needs replacing and whether the charging system is doing its job, which helps if you take the car to a mechanic later.
No. A battery that is cracked, bulging or leaking should not be jumped, because it can vent gas or acid. Leave it alone, keep people away from the engine bay, and tell the dispatcher what you see. The technician inspects it first and can replace it on the spot if needed.
AAA's usual advice is a continuous drive of 20 to 30 minutes, and it helps to leave heavy electrical loads such as the rear defroster off when it is safe to. That tops up a battery that was only a little low. A battery run completely flat is another matter: NAPA and Optima both note that an alternator is built to keep a battery charged, not to refill a dead one, so a proper charger does that job better. If the car dies again soon after, suspect the alternator.
Look at the dash first. Dim or dark lights and a clicking sound point to the car battery, and a jump is the fix. If the dash lights up normally but the car says it cannot find the key, suspect the small coin battery inside the fob. Honda and Toyota both describe a backup start: hold the fob against the start button, then press it with your foot on the brake. Your owner's manual gives the exact steps for your model.
Yes. Interstate Batteries says jumping in the rain is fine as long as the batteries are protected and the clamps stay out of puddles and off wet ground. Because we work from a portable pack, there is no second car to line up beside yours in the slush. Your part is staying dry and safe: wait in the car or well off the road, away from the traffic side. If the battery is cracked or leaking, tell dispatch before anything is connected.
No. We jump from a portable, self-contained battery pack, so nobody has to squeeze a second vehicle into the next space or line up hoods. That helps in a downtown garage, a tight apartment lot, or a driveway where the car is nosed in against the garage door. As long as the technician can open your hood, or reach the remote jump terminal some owner's manuals point to, the jump happens right where the car sits.
A battery that goes flat again and again usually has help. Common culprits are a parasitic drain, such as a trunk or glove box light that stays on or an aftermarket stereo or alarm; a steady diet of short trips that never give the alternator time to recharge; a car that sits for weeks; or a weak alternator. Age matters too, especially past three years. The tester we use after every jump checks the charging system as well as the battery, which narrows it down.
Not necessarily. Even when parked, a car's clock, alarm and computer modules draw a trickle of power, and a parked car's battery can run down in roughly a month or two, faster when it is older. A jump usually brings it back, and the test afterward shows whether it recovered or lost capacity while it sat. If the car will be parked for a long stretch again, a battery maintainer keeps it topped up.
Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc provides fast, professional jump start service throughout the Columbus, Ohio metro area. Our commercial-grade battery equipment starts most passenger vehicles — even in cold weather — in Dublin, Westerville, Grove City, Reynoldsburg, Hilliard, and all surrounding communities.
Dead battery in a parking lot, driveway, or on the highway? Do not wait for a friend with cables. Call Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc for a car battery jump start with commercial equipment built for the job, 24 hours a day.
Battery testing is included with every jump start. If the test says replace, we carry common group sizes on the truck and can install the new battery on the spot, so a dead battery in Columbus does not turn into a second trip. October through February is peak season — if your car cranks slowly, call before the first freeze.
Flat $75 + $4/mi en-route
Jump start is a flat $75 plus en-route at $4 per mile from our yard — no loaded-mile charge. Surcharges when they apply: after-hours (10PM–6AM) +$150, weekend +$50, large vehicle +$100. Ohio sales tax is added based on the pickup county.
Pay by cash, debit or credit card, or online by card through Stripe (3% card fee). Booking by phone adds a $35 scheduling fee that the online quote builder waives. Veterans: 10% off with a military or VA ID, applied by the driver when you show it.
These are industry-standard full retail rates. You can get our VIP customer rates by downloading our ROADSIDE app through the VIP Program.
Build an exact quote online — it uses this same published rate card.
See all 40 Central Ohio service areas
Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc (dba Columbus Roadside Towing).
Corporate office (private, no walk-ins): 3879 Regatta Ct, Lewis Center, OH 43035
Tow yard & impound lot: 1620 Harrisburg Pike, Columbus, OH 43223
(740) 812-9489 · chris@columbusroadsidetowing.com