A lot has been said and written about car batteries and how to start a car with a dead battery.
That has a dead battery. The problem is that much of this information is incomplete or wrong.
Eventually, you will find yourself in a car with a dead battery. So read on.
Here I will give you the right and up-to-date way to jump a car safely. Of course, this is if we strand away you from home. When you are at home, the best thing to do is to use a charger, not a booster or cables.
First, I don’t recommend motorists use jumper cables. Second, the best options are to use a booster, call a specialized mobile service or take the vehicle to a specialized shop. If the battery is over 3 years old, it may be defective.
If you need to use jumper cables, I will show you the proper way to do it.
Read the entire article because the information is all the same.
First, some information about batteries.
I repair many vehicles that have a bad battery. There can be many reasons the battery has gone bad, which is why after blowing up a vehicle, you need to seek professional help. I will explain what can make a battery go bad, what to do to prevent it, and what to do in an emergency.
Why does a battery fail?
o Faulty alternator.
o Defective or loose serpentine belt or missing serpentine belt because of another defective component.
o Excessive heat or cold.
o Age.
o Defective factory part. (Rare).
o Leaving the car idle too long or driving the car on quick trips, not allowing the battery to recharge.
Not allowing the battery to recharge.
o Too much discharge, as if the battery is too small for the demand. Or perhaps.
there are add-ons like monster stereo systems, etc.
o Parasitic drain. Or just leaving lights or whatever on.
o Dirty connectors/terminals.
o Vibration. When there is no support.
o Using the wrong fluid to replenish it, such as tap water instead of distilled water.
o Wrong computer. The voltage regulator is there in some cars.
o Physical damage. A car accident, a fall.
Take care of your battery.
The best way to avoid battery failure is to perform regular maintenance on the vehicle. During regular maintenance, the battery should be one of the principal items checked.
The battery should be one of the major items checked. The terminals should be cleaned, the fluid should be topped up with distilled water if possible, tests should be performed and, of course, the charging system should be tested, etc.
Even the best batteries will meet their maker eventually. They may be “hard” or “soft”, but they all die. The average life of most batteries is about 3 years, believe it or not. Some high-end batteries can last a little longer. I’ve noticed a decline in battery life lately. So if your battery is around that age, get it checked or changed just for peace of mind, especially if you’re going on a long trip.
What to do if your battery is dead?
In an emergency, when a battery dies, the first thing that comes to mind is to blow up the car. I don’t recommend this. First, this is a potentially dangerous action (it can cause an explosion and injure or even kill you (pieces of plastic exploding at top speed can cut your throat), blind you or deafen you). The best thing to do is to call someone to come and check the car or take it to a workshop (the alternator may be faulty, so replacing or strengthening the battery may not solve your problem). If you have cables in your car, you need to find another car to charge. This is also dangerous, as you risk damaging very expensive parts in your car and the assistant’s car. If you are not familiar with the process, you may connect the cables incorrectly. If this happens, you can permanently disable one of the two cars involved and incur more expensive repairs. The best way to proceed if you choose to boost the car is to use a portable booster. They equipped some with a switch that will prevent you from causing sparks. Some models also have a device that automatically polarizes the system. This makes it impossible to connect it to the wrong way around. Some can be connected directly to the cigarette lighter port, but this takes more time because you have to let the booster charge the wrong battery for a while, if you try to start the car right away, you risk blowing the in-line fuse or burning the cable.
Also, after running your car, if you disconnect the booster and leave the car running to charge your weak battery, you could seriously damage the alternator. We do not design the alternator to charge weak or zero volt batteries, but to keep them charged. The proper way to do this is to leave a portable booster connected to the car so that the alternator will charge slowly and not run out of power. The alternator can sense the battery’s state of charge and the system’s voltage demand. It will charge accordingly. If the battery is very weak, it will charge continuously, causing it to fatigue and overheat. After about 30 minutes, you can disconnect the booster and continue driving the car for a while to fully charge the battery. Better yet, drive the car to the nearest gas station or call a cell phone service when you get home. If you drive at night or if your vehicle has daytime running lights, it will take a little longer. Of course, after you encounter a low battery problem and get the car running again, the smart thing to do is to have your favorite technician completely check your system for peace of mind.
Another thing you need to know is this: sometimes you have a battery installed, and it fails soon after (a day or two); why? There are several reasons, the battery may be defective (very rare), or there is an intermittent problem with the charging system or a device that makes a small discharge after turning off the car. New cars have many computers that use a small amount of power after we turn the car off, but this amount is tiny and should not drain the battery in less than about three months. If it does, it’s because one computer is staying awake too long or has an intermittent short circuit. If this happens to you, don’t get upset thinking they sold you a bad battery or that the mechanic is incompetent. The car needs to be re-diagnosed to see what happened.
The right way to get a car restarted.
This is the way I recommend doing a battery jump with cables. It takes a little more time than most publications recommend, but it is the safest way to do it. I am a professional mechanic with 28 years of experience.
Before you even think about pulling out your jumper cables, you should:
First, it doesn’t hurt to read your owner’s manual, you’ll find a lot of information about the procedure there. For example, where the battery is “hidden”, etc.
Make sure the two cars are close enough that the cables can reach the cars without touching.
Inspect the battery for signs of damage. A broken battery case is not a good sign. Don’t jump if the case is cracked or if you see fluid leaking.
Set the emergency brake on both cars and turn off both ignitions and any accessories other than the turn signal as instructed.
Keep at least one of the vehicles turn signals on and any other safety devices, such as flares.
Battery terminals must be free of dirt or corrosion. At a minimum, use water and a wire brush to clean them.
Make sure both cars have the same voltage and polarity. We ground some cars at the positive rather than the negative, although this is rare. Most cars on the road have 12-volt batteries. With hybrid vehicles, I strongly recommend that you call an expert. Hybrid cars have very high voltage batteries. The 12-volt batteries won’t hurt you even if you touch both terminals, but the hybrids use a much higher voltage. Also, avoid connecting cables backwards; terrible things can happen if you do.
Wear at least eye protection, including a face shield. Gloves are also helpful. Don’t let battery fluid touch you, your clothes, or the paint.
In freezing weather, make sure the electrolyte is not frozen. (Use a flashlight, etc. to inspect, not a lighter).
Be careful not to touch the moving parts of the motor (belts, fans, etc.) During the procedure, either with the cables, your clothes or your jewelry.
Now, the cable part (see illustration at the end of the article), before connecting any of the terminals, makes sure they are not touching to avoid any sparks. Batteries give off highly explosive gases that can kill you if ignited. If the cables are getting hot, they may be too thin or the engine may drag. The starter motor may also be faulty (it grounds itself). Or you may have run the car too long. Make sure the clamps are secure. Let the engine cool down a bit.
If something like the dome lights comes on after the wires are connected, the wires are properly connected.
The first terminal to connect as recommended is the positive terminal in the donor car, then in the failed car (both at the battery, if possible).
Next, you connect the negative cable to the battery terminal in the donor car and make sure you can access the engine of the failed car to connect the cable.
When the car finally starts, at least keep the headlights on to prevent voltage spikes from damaging the delicate circuitry of many of today’s car modules.
(+) is the positive terminal (usually red). (-) is the negative terminal (usually black). This cable runs from the battery to the car’s chassis and engine block.
The disconnection sequence is the reverse of the connection sequence.
We do not recommend smoking when working around cars.
Read more about this.
Never connect batteries in series, you will get twice the voltage and blow up many things, including computers.
This will certainly damage your electrical system.
Some cars with anti-theft systems activate them when the battery is low or disconnected. Again, read the owner’s manual for information on this and how to reset them.
Each manufacturer uses different systems.
When you jump a car, you should first charge the battery in the “donor” car for at least 5 minutes or more if possible, then try to start the car with the cables disconnected. If the car does not start or starts slowly, charge the battery again with the donor car, then try to start the failed car with the cables connected.
When choosing a set of jumper cables, make sure they are of excellent quality. The thicker the cable, the better. Saving money here will prove to be a very poor choice. Cheap cables can overheat and, most times, burnout or simply not work when you use them (cheap construction around the clamps). Don’t take the shortest or the longest either. The middle one will be the best.
Never run a vehicle for longer than the time recommended in the owner’s manual (usually only 10 seconds) to avoid damaging the starter. If the car runs for very long periods of time without starting, you may have more serious problems than electrical problems. Always wait a while before trying again to avoid damaging your starter or damaging the donor battery.
If when you connect the last cable to the failed car you see a lot of sparking, make sure there is nothing on or that the cables are connected correctly (polarity), otherwise some sparking is normal since the failed car’s battery is probably very weak or just dead.
Some high-end cables have a foolproof device to prevent misconnection.
Whenever the battery is too weak, it gets weaker. Unlike deep cycle batteries in boats or recreational vehicles, they do not design car batteries for this, and after a few discharges, they die out completely.
Batteries used to be better known as “storage batteries” and you can guess why, right? Yes, they store electricity and the role of the alternator is to keep them charged, not to charge them from 0 volts. That is the role of a charger.
A battery will not be damaged if they kept it on a concrete floor rather than on a piece of wood. The way they build batteries today prevents this.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a battery at the dealership, let alone pay for towing. Any battery that meets your vehicle’s specifications will do the job if it is properly maintained. The trick is to choose the right battery, which means the right capacity. Never use a battery with less capacity than you need. A little larger is better.
Some batteries have a little window with a green or black indicator to tell you if the battery is good. Well, this indicator is not very accurate for that, because it only measures the state of charge of one of the 6 cells in the battery. Another cell could be defective and you could get a “green” indicator even though the battery only has about 10 volts, which is not enough to start a car properly. Some of the devices in your car may still be malfunctioning. Starting the car will be very slow.
If you happen to get acid in your eyes, do everything you can to get it out quickly. The longer it stays there, the greater the risk of corneal damage.
If you suspect a poor connection on the jumper cables, don’t wiggle the connector when it’s connected. Disconnect the one from the failed car first, then wiggle the suspect cables and reconnect the others. Remember, you want to avoid sparking.
After using the jumper cables, wash them with water if possible and store them in their original bag. This will prevent damage to your trunk from acid sticking to the terminals.
Always work in a well-ventilated area.
The alternator. The heart of the system.
If your alternator is faulty, it’s the source of the dead battery; jumping the battery won’t get you very far. In fact, you probably won’t be able to drive even one more mile. You may find yourself in a neighborhood where you don’t know anyone who would help you.
If the battery, alternator, or charge light was on before the battery died and remains on after you blew up the car, there may be a problem with the charging system. It will be a good idea to contact a professional.
An alternator can be faulty even if you don’t see a red light in your dashboard to tell you so.
If you are knowledgeable and want to test your charging system with a voltmeter, be aware that some car manufacturers have systems that do not charge the battery when it is full. This prevents overcharging and increases miles per gallon (less strain on the engine). It also contributes to the durability of the alternator.
We do not design alternators to “charge” batteries (especially in newer cars, they are weak in this area). Their job is to keep a battery fully charged.
When a battery dies for any reason, the alternator must work overtime to bring it back to normal. Using daytime running lights is one reason many alternators fail prematurely, as the alternator works harder than in a normal system. But they are a good safety measure. Also, non-factory installed accessories, such as monster stereos, put a lot of strain on an original system not designed for such loads. There are high-current alternators available for these cases. Using multiple batteries is also helpful. Consult an expert in this field for help.
Never disconnect a running car battery terminal to “test” the charging system. I did long ago this, before cars used computers. But today, it can and will damage very expensive components. It can also create sparks that could cause an explosion. Believe me, many people still use this method to test the alternator, yes, even people who “think” they know, like some aircraft mechanics.
Starting a car with the wires connected and leaving it running can damage the systems in either car. Things like computers, etc. I have repaired many vehicles with faulty alternators and computers for this reason. That’s why I recommend charging the bad battery while letting the good car charge the bad one for at least 10 minutes. Then you can disconnect the cables and start the car damaging nothing. There is a theory that running two cars with the cables connected can damage the alternators. I’ll update this article with facts about that.
Push starting may not get you very far either.
Another way to get a car going is to push start it. This method is not recommended either. First, it is possible to damage the drivetrain (which is expensive), especially if it happens often. Second, as I mentioned earlier, if the car won’t run because the battery is dead, the alternator will work too hard to charge the battery when you start it. If the problem is with the alternator, the car will not run much because the battery is not getting a charge and will be depleted quickly. We should only do push starting in extreme emergency situations. Like I said, be smart and call an expert.
I hope the information provided here has been helpful to you. As always, no one is perfect. If you think there is an error or want to add something to this article, please contact me directly.
Given the low cost of replacing the battery with a new one, and after reading this information, I’m sure you’ll decide not to risk taking a leap instead of replacing the battery. Unless, of course, you are a professional and/or already know what I have written here.
Today’s cars are very complex machines; it’s best to leave it to the experts. This will save you more money (or even your own life) by avoiding costly mistakes.
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