Clore JNC660 Review and 3 Other Shop Questions I Answer Every Week

The Short Answer

If you're here because something is due in the next 24 hours, here's the compressed version:

• Clore JNC660 — a 1700 peak-amp lead-acid jump starter. It's the box I reach for when a truck won't crank at 5°F. Heavy (about 18 lbs), slow to recharge, and still working after six years in our fleet rotation.
• Floor jack pucks — the $15 piece that keeps a lifting cup from eating your subframe. They're not universal. Check your lift points first.
• Ammonia-free glass cleaner — matters if you have window tint. "Child-safe" isn't a regulated claim. Look for low-VOC and a short ingredient list instead.
• Does car wax get old? — Yes. Paste wax starts degrading about 12–18 months after opening. Liquid wax, faster. If it streaks, lumps, or separates, it's done.

Why These Four Questions Land in My Inbox Together

I'm a fleet service manager at a maintenance company. In eleven years, I've coordinated over 400 rush jobs — same-day turnarounds for municipal fleets, independent garages, and one distributor who calls me on Sundays.

These four questions don't look related. They are. Every one of them is something nobody thinks about until a vehicle is already down and a driver is waiting.

I'll be straight with you: I learned most of this the hard way. I still kick myself for a job in 2022 where I let a new tech use a chunk of scrap wood instead of a proper puck. The lift cup slipped half an inch. We caught it. But that half inch cost us a $900 subframe inspection and a very uncomfortable phone call.

1. Clore JNC660: The Heavy Answer That Keeps Working

The JNC660 isn't exciting anymore. Lithium jump packs are lighter, cheaper, and can charge your phone. But put a lithium pack on a dead 6.2L diesel in a cold parking lot and you'll learn the difference fast.

The JNC660 is lead-acid. 1700 peak amps. 425 cranking amps. It doesn't want to be smart — it wants to dump current into a battery until the engine turns over. In our fleet of twelve units, we capacity-tested the oldest one after three winters and it held roughly 90% of its original reserve.

What it doesn't do well: it's heavy, it takes 8–10 hours to charge with the wall charger, and that charger feels like it was designed in 2008.

If you buy one, leave it plugged in. It's a lead-acid tool. It wants to sit at full charge.

The Part People Get Backwards

People think the JNC660 is expensive because it's a premium brand. Actually, it's priced where it is because lead-acid cells that can survive repeated deep draws cost more to build. The causation runs the other way. You're not paying for the sticker. You're paying for the cells.

2. Floor Jack Pucks: The $15 Part That Protects a $12,000 Frame

Most lift damage isn't dramatic. It accumulates — five oil changes at a time, a jack cup that slips a quarter-inch because the wood block cracked, a pinch weld that flattens without anyone noticing.

A floor jack puck sits between the jack and the vehicle's lift point. Two common styles: slotted pucks that cradle pinch-weld seams, and flat-bottom pucks that spread load and protect paint.

Which you need depends on what you're lifting. Most pickups and SUVs want slotted. Many sedans want flat, because the factory lift points are shallow.

Check the OEM jack instructions for your specific model. Sounds basic. I've watched three techs guess wrong and then blame the puck.

3. Ammonia-Free Glass Cleaner That's Actually Safe Around Kids

Ammonia degrades window tint adhesive. That's not an opinion — it's printed on 3M and LLumar film care sheets. If your vehicle has tinted windows, ammonia-based cleaner shortens the film's life.

"Child-safe" is where it gets messy. There's no enforced standard. Any brand can put the phrase on the label. What you'll actually see on bottles:

• "Low-VOC" — a real standard, with EPA thresholds
• "Biodegradable" — undefined
• "Food-grade" — meaningless on a cleaning product

So what do you look for? An ingredient list built around water, mild surfactants, and alcohol. If the bottle smells like lemon-scented chemicals, it probably is.

4. Does Car Wax Get Old? Yes, Faster Than Most People Think

Car wax starts degrading the moment it's manufactured — heat, light, air, temperature swings. Once you open the container, the clock runs faster.

Rough numbers:

• Paste carnauba wax: 12–18 months after opening
• Liquid or spray wax: 6–12 months
• Synthetic sealants: 2–3 years

How to tell? Don't sniff it. Put a little on a clean dark panel. If it won't spread evenly, if it clumps, if it dries chalky and won't buff off — it's done. If it separates into liquid and solids, it's done.

One more thing: don't store wax in the fridge. Temperature cycling does more damage than steady warmth.

What I'd Skip, and What I Wouldn't

A few caveats before you buy anything.

The JNC660 isn't for a homeowner who starts a lawn mower twice a year. Get a lithium pack — lighter, easier to store, fine for that job. The JNC660 earns its weight in fleet work, where multiple vehicles, waiting drivers, and frozen parking lots are the norm.

Floor jack pucks don't fit everything. Some vehicles have factory lift points that require the OEM adapter. If the manual says "use only the supplied jack," use the supplied jack. A puck is a safety tool, not a flex.

Ammonia-free doesn't mean chemical-free. It means no ammonia. If kids or pets are licking surfaces (and they do), go for the shortest readable ingredient list you can find.

And on wax: if you detail once a year, buy small containers. A big tub that sits for three years is just money on a shelf.