If so, you probably know what to do in such a situation. If not, then…
How to start a car with cables? Step by step instructions
(photo Moje Auto)
There is nothing more frustrating for a driver than having trouble starting your car. The most common causes include a discharged battery or a damaged alternator. Mechanical wear usually occurs. In such situations, we would like to count on the kindness of other drivers, but at the same time it is also worth preparing to provide such help ourselves.
How to recognize a discharged battery?
The battery rarely stops working overnight. Problems with its functioning may manifest themselves in several ways. If something happens, how to choose jumper cables to ensure that you can use the car?
First of all, we may have problems starting the engine. The starter motor may have to work longer and harder before the engine finally starts moving. We may also observe the lights on the dashboard dimming after turning the key or blinking quickly.
Symptoms of a discharged battery may also include: resetting the clock, difficulties in raising and lowering electrically operated windows, dim headlights, inability to turn on the radio or lock the car using the remote control. However, what matters at this point is starting the engine and you should know how to choose jumper cables.
Many of the batteries currently used have the so-called mesh. This is an indicator on the case that shows the battery status. If the battery is fully functional, the dot should be green. The need to recharge or replace is most often indicated by the color red or black (the markings may vary depending on the manufacturer, but there is a legend next to the eye).
How to choose jumper cables? - basic information
Symptoms of a dead battery or worn out alternator do not always occur gradually. However, if we notice any irregularities in their operation, do not postpone a visit to the workshop or the point selling batteries. Let a specialist check these elements and possibly determine the causes of the "lack of electricity". This way we will avoid many problems, including opening the door with a remote-controlled central locking. A specialist can, for example, check the open-circuit voltage with a multimeter. If after a few hours of parking it is lower than 12,5 V, it may mean that the battery is not charged sufficiently and you should consider replacing it.
The state of charge of the battery is influenced by a number of factors, e.g. trips almost exclusively on short routes (usually around the city), long vehicle standstills, and even hot weather. Of course, the battery is particularly susceptible to low temperatures, so in winter it can often surprise you unpleasantly. When the air temperature drops below 0 degrees Celsius, its capacity may decrease by up to 50%. The risk of not going is greater. How to lower them?
Failure of the car's "generating" components may also occur at the least expected moment. We can easily deal with it on an ad hoc basis, provided we are prepared in advance. They play a key role here jumper cables. Do you remember the post about gathering the contents of your trunk for winter trips? My list includes the above-mentioned cables, which I always carry with me regardless of the season.
(photo: My Car)
What are jumper cables?
Two cables - one red, the other black, terminated with an insulated handle. If the battery voltage drops or it is completely discharged, they allow the engine to be started. How is this possible? Electricity comes from a second fully charged battery provided by the owner of another vehicle.
Jumper cables are a lifesaver for many drivers in important situations. The battery usually discharges at the most inopportune moment, when we have a job interview, we have to be on time for our daughter's performance or our son's football match... don't let a faulty car ruin your plans.
How to choose jumper cables
The choice of cables is simple, of course we buy them for our car. What does it mean? Their packaging should include - although unfortunately this is not always the case - information about the type of cables, e.g. 200, 400, 600 - which we choose depending on the capacity and type of the engine. Cables marked "200" We use it for passenger cars with an engine capacity of up to 1,5 liters. "600" jumper cables can be used for engines with a capacity of 3 liters. This is an important parameter in the context of the effectiveness of emergency car starting. The larger the drive unit, the more powerful the battery must be. To start it, an appropriate "injection" of current (A) is needed, which cannot be provided by cables with a smaller cross-section. Owners of cars with diesel engines should also choose thicker cables.
(photo: My Car)
The second thing we need to pay attention to is the length of the engine compartment. It may turn out that the manufacturer of our car placed the battery near the windshield. In this situation, we should opt for a longer set of cables, ensuring freedom of movement when connecting and starting the engine in an emergency. Again, information about the length of the cables should be included on the packaging label. If it's not there, let's just unwind the wires. In practice, there is no point in buying shorter than two meters.
Battery it is not always located in the engine compartment. For example, Opel hid it deep in newer Astra models... under the trunk floor. So physically accessing it would require a lot of steps, but the appropriate connections to charge it are located at the front under the hood. Hence another piece of advice - let's check in advance what the car manufacturer writes about this in the owner's manual. In an emergency situation on the road, we will not waste time and nerves searching.
What happens when the wrong jumper cables are used?
Sometimes it happens that we buy cables that are not adapted to the requirements of our vehicle. There is a mentality among ordinary people, especially older people, that a cable is a cable. Although purchasing unnecessarily thick jumper cables will not have any negative effects, cables that are too thin will. Educated electricians especially know this, and it's good for car users to know it too.
Cables that are too thin create resistance to the flow of current. The current flowing through them will be too low for the receiver, like a starter that will have trouble turning over. Nay. Even though the starter will not start the engine, the jumper cables will be hot. The use of thin cables wastes the energy of a functional battery and exposes it to load and the possibility of failure. It should also be emphasized that there is a very sensitive alternator right next to it. The selection of cables is therefore a fundamental issue that cannot be accepted by half-measures.
How to connect jumper cables to the battery and start the car from the cables?
Now that you've learned how to choose jumper cables, it's time to learn how to connect them. Do we live in times when we can no longer count on the selfless help of strangers? As drivers, let's show that it's not! So if we have jumper cables in the trunk of our car (and I assume this will be the case from now on), let's respond positively to the request "Driver, borrow some electricity." Remember - karma returns.
Although no, come back, there are exceptions! Both must have the same voltage - in passenger cars it is 12 V, in trucks 24 V. Moreover, the capacity of the donor battery should not be smaller than that of the recipient battery, and the parameters should be as similar as possible. Therefore, you should compare the values expressed in ampere-hours (Ah) that can be found on their casing. Figuratively speaking, we probably won't start an off-road vehicle from a city car.
Before charging, drive as close to the stationary vehicle as possible. Here's another important note, the two cannot touch each other. We turn off the engine and the gears in both - manual and automatic - are set to neutral. Naturally, in a disabled vehicle, we turn off all additional power consumers - radio, air conditioning, etc.
I wear work gloves for most work on the car. I always have several pairs made of different materials, some of them I carry in the trunk, some of them are in the garage. There is no need to explain the rationale behind using them to resuscitate a battery.
(photo: My Car)
Connecting the cables and starting the vehicle step by step:
1. Position the vehicles so that they do not touch each other.
2. Turn off all power consumers.
3. The gear lever in both vehicles should be in the "neutral" position.
4. Connect the red clamp to the positive (+) terminals on both batteries (first to the battery of the vehicle to be started, then
to the auxiliary battery).
5. Connect the black clamp to the negative (-) terminals on both batteries (first to the auxiliary battery, then to the
launched).
6. Check that none of the cables touch moving engine parts.
7. Start the vehicle with a dead battery. Do not use the cables for more than 10-15 seconds to start the engine.
8. Wait approximately 1 minute and try again. If the start fails, the possible cause is mechanical or electrical damage to the engine.
9. After a successful start, with the engines running, remove the terminals by reversing the procedure by removing the negative (-) terminal first.
Keep in mind that problems with battery discharge may recur, so it is not worth delaying a visit to a car repair shop. Jumper cables are only a temporary, emergency solution.
IMPORTANT! You now know how to choose jumper cables. Before starting your car using jumper cables, we advise you to read the instructions for using the jumper cables and the manufacturer's recommendations.
Durability and cost of jumper cables
The durability of cables is as important as their electrical parameters. The insulating layer of cables must be made of certified materials. Cables should have parameters specified by the manufacturer and remain unchanged over time. The cables must not heat up, otherwise there may be doubts about the quality of their workmanship.
Good cables are always resistant to chemicals they may come into contact with under the hood. Anyone who knows a thing or two about jumper cables will advise against so-called "Chinese fakes". These are often cables with thin wires under rubberized insulation, with low efficiency and low durability.
Purchases should only be made in well-known electrical and automotive stores or authorized services. By purchasing from a proven place, you can easily choose the right cables for your car model. The costs of professional jumper cables depend on their length and thickness. In practice, when buying universal cables, it is not worth considering offers below PLN 100. Usually these are Asian inventions that can unpleasantly surprise and disappoint.
Starting the engine with cables – diesel vs. petrol
As we mentioned, differences in battery capacity when using jumper cables should be as small as possible. What does this mean in the context of diesel and gasoline engines and how to choose jumper cables?
Cars with diesel engines are equipped with batteries with higher capacity (expressed in ampere-hours, i.e. Ah) compared to petrol cars. The starting current is also higher.
Differences in capacity can be up to several dozen ampere-hours. For example, the battery in a car with a diesel engine may have a capacity of 80-90 Ah, and in a car of a similar size with a petrol engine, 45-55 Ah.
For this reason, it is recommended to start the diesel engine using another car with a diesel engine. If you connect the battery from a petrol vehicle to the battery in a diesel car, the battery may discharge. It is true that you can increase the speed of the petrol engine while charging from the cables, which will increase the voltage, but this in turn carries a certain risk of damaging the alternator. However, there are no obstacles to a "donor" for a petrol engine being a vehicle with a diesel engine.
The type of drive unit is also important when it comes to the selection of cables. Diesel jumper cables should be thicker.
What to do if the cable ignition doesn't work?
If connecting the jumper cables does not help, we can also try to remove the battery and charge it at home. A rectifier is used for this purpose. It's possible that the temperature itself will do the trick. The battery may recover some of its performance when it is warmed to room temperature after being out in the cold. Please remember not to keep it near a heat source, such as a radiator. You can also try to clean the poles and terminals, and check whether the cables connected to the battery are properly tightened.
Finally, you can try to start the car "on the fly". However, here you must take into account the risk of the belt jumping and the pistons colliding with the valves, i.e. engine damage.
If starting the car with cables and other methods do not bring the expected result, the easiest way is to simply buy a new battery. Please remember to dispose of your old battery when visiting the store.
