Whatever the cause, leaving the lights on, the key turned on the ignition, or an old battery, most motorists will sooner or later be faced with a dead battery. Fortunately, if there is another car nearby and if you have a car with a manual gearbox, you can quickly restart the car.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Check the Battery
Step 1. Make sure the battery is the problem
- Check the headlights. Are they dim or bright? Note that in some cars you have to turn the key on ignition to turn on the headlights. If they're dim, it's probably the battery's fault. If the lights are bright, you don't have a dead battery and you won't need to restart it.
- Turn the key and see if the dashboard lights up as usual. Try the radio. In many cases, even if the battery is very low, you can see some lights and hear sounds from the radio. If you don't see any signs of life on the dashboard you may have a problem with the ignition.
- Try starting the car. Do you hear the ignition motor spinning very fast or hobbling? If it runs fast you don't have a battery problem. If it's struggling or not spinning at all, you have a dead battery.
Method 2 of 3: Connect the Battery
Step 1. Open the hood and locate the battery
In most cars it is close to the nose of the car, on the right or left, although in other cars you can find it between the engine compartment and the cockpit. In still others the battery is in the trunk. If you are unsure check the instruction manual. Also identify the positive and negative poles.
- The positive pole is indicated by a plus sign (+) and usually has a red wire attached.
- The negative pole is indicated by a minus sign (-) and usually has a black wire attached.
Step 2. Park the working car next to the broken one
Do this in such a way that the distance between the two batteries is minimal. Turn off the engine, radio, lights, air conditioner, fans, and all other electrical items. Make sure all of these items are off even in the broken down car. Do not put the two cars in contact.
If the cars touch each other, connecting the batteries can create a dangerous arc between the two vehicles
Step 3. Wear protective gear (gloves and goggles) if you have them
Check the battery for cracks, leaks, or other damage. If you see some worn spots do not restart the battery. Call the tow truck or change the battery.
- You may need to remove the cables from the broken car battery and clean the terminals. Use a wire brush to remove corrosion. Reconnect the cables to the battery and restart it.
- If possible, remove any red positive protective terminal covers.
Step 4. Unpack and unwind the cables
Like the ones on your battery, they are one red and one black and will have clamps on the ends to connect to the battery terminals. You must be sure that the red and black terminals of the cables never touch each other once they are connected to the battery; if you let that happen you will create an electric arc and damage one or both cars.
Step 5. Connect the jump leads in this order:
- The red clamp to the positive (+) pole of the dead battery.
- The other red clamp to the positive (+) pole of the good battery.
- The black clamp to the negative (-) pole of the healthy battery.
- Connect the other black clamp to a metal part of the broken car, preferably to the bolt where the negative battery cable connects to the chassis. If it's not comfortable to reach, look for another shiny (unpainted or greased) metal part that connects to the engine. Usually a screw, nut, or other shiny metal bump is fine. You should see a small spark when you connect the black clamp to a good ground connector. As a last resort you can connect it to the negative (-) pole of the discharged battery, but you risk triggering a leak of hydrogen from the battery.
- Make sure none of the cables hang inside the engine compartment, where they could be exposed to moving parts.
Step 6. Start running car
Let it idle for a few minutes. Do not throttle but let the engine run just above idle for 30-60 seconds. Do this to charge the discharged battery because during the ignition the broken down car will take energy from its battery and not from the cables (about 100 amps). Some ignition cables on the market fail to transmit the energy needed to start the car. So recharging the dead battery is essential. If 30 seconds are not enough, try 60 with the engine above idle. A good connection between the cables and the battery terminals is essential.
Step 7. Try starting the broken down car
If it does not start, turn off the engine and temporarily disconnect it as you turn and twist each of the four clamps slightly to ensure a good electrical connection. Turn the running car back on. Wait another 5 minutes to charge the battery before trying to start the broken down car again. If it doesn't work after a couple of tries, you need the wrecker or battery replacement.
Step 8. Remove the jump leads when the car has started
Do this in the reverse order of what you followed to clip, and don't let the cables come into contact with each other (or don't let them dangle in the engine compartment).
- Remove the black ground clamp from the grounded car.
- Remove the black clamp from the negative (-) post of the healthy battery.
- Remove the red clamp from the positive (+) post of the good battery.
- Remove the black clamp from the positive (+) pole of the dead battery.
- Replace all the red and positive (+) protective caps on the respective battery poles if possible (you had to remove them at the beginning of the operations). These covers prevent accidental short circuits in the battery.
Step 9. Leave the broken car engine running
Let it idle (giving only small bursts of gas) for 5 minutes and then idle again for another 20 minutes before turning off. This gives the battery the opportunity to recharge and start the car again. If this does not happen, your battery is completely ruined or the alternator is compromised.
Method 3 of 3: Without the Cables (Only for Cars with Manual Transmission)
Step 1. Put a car at the start of a hill or get some people to push the car
Step 2. Squeeze the clutch completely
Step 3. Put in second
Step 4. Turn the key on the ignition (but do not start the engine)
Step 5. Let go of the brakes
Keep the clutch squeezed. You should start going downhill or moving with the push of people.
Step 6. Release the clutch quickly when you reach a speed of 8km / h
The engine should start. If it doesn't, try squeezing and releasing the clutch again.
Advice
- Do not connect the black terminals first and then the red ones. If you accidentally drop the red wire on the car chassis it will form a large short circuit causing the clamp to melt to the chassis.
- Buy only high quality cables. You can check this from the diameter of the cables. The larger the diameter the stronger the conductor will be. However, don't evaluate the quality of cables by their thickness alone, many manufacturers mask cheap cables with a thick, inexpensive layer of insulation jacket. Also remember that the longer the cable, the thicker it needs to be.
- Many jump leads have instructions with pictures to explain the order in which the terminals are connected.
- Do not travel in the running car for 10 minutes. The dead battery can charge for a few moments and then go to ground again (especially if you haven't kept the engine just above idle).
- Remember that batteries are not always in the same place. Some vehicles have it under the hood, others inside the cockpit and others even in the trunk.
- The push / drop method also works in the rear. It can be an easier technique and requires a slower speed. This is an alternative if your car is parked facing downhill and you cannot push it. You cannot use this technique with a car with an automatic transmission, unless you are able to make it reach speeds above 65 km / h; this is not recommended, however, as it has neither brakes nor steering.
- Put out the flames and incandescent material when you are near the battery. Batteries emit hydrogen as a normal drain from the chemical process inside them. Hydrogen is highly explosive.
- There is no danger of electric shock when using ignition cables with most cars and small vans. The voltage is approximately 12 v and is not sufficient to cause shock, although sparks near the battery can cause explosions and severe injuries or burns. A spark caused by an accidental short circuit is due to the amperage, not the voltage.
Warnings
- When the cables are connected, do not let the cars touch each other, it would form an electric arc.
- Never cross cables connected to the battery.
- Always keep your face away from the battery!
- Charging or discharging a battery produces hydrogen, which under certain circumstances causes the battery to explode. That's why you should avoid connecting the two batteries directly (all four terminals on their respective poles). Use this login form as a last resort when others are unavailable and after taking all necessary precautions. Be safe, there are many sparks that can cause an explosion.
