What a disaster right? You’re supposed to be on your way to work, but your car won’t start. All of us who have driven cars have, at some time or another faced the issue of the car not starting at all because of a dead battery.
But the next time you face this issue, you won’t have to panic because we will now discuss how to start a car when your car battery is completely dead.
Before touching the battery though, you have to be sure that it really is the problem and not the ignition or that the battery cables need cleaning or some other factors.
Once you have made sure that it is indeed a battery problem, then look at the following feasible solutions which are simple to use, and these are some really good dead auto battery tricks. There could be many reasons why your car battery is has gone flat.
You could have carelessly left the lights on or maybe because you haven’t gotten around to starting the car for many days in a row or simply because the car is parked outside in freezing temperatures.
The solution won’t present itself by panicking although it’s natural to get a little worried.
Dead Car Battery Tricks
Jump-starting your battery is the primary suggestion, and the first step that should be taken is that safety should be ensured. Check for physical damage to the battery.
Do not jump start if there is a leak or there are any cracks. You could take extra precautions and wear gloves and glasses to protect your eyes and skin from battery acid.
Clean off the corroded battery cables. You could use a toothbrush and a mix of baking soda and water to clean the cables. Now, you need a good, functional battery.
If you have another car with a charged battery, then use that or else ask another car owner for help.
Why it is important to have clean and tight battery cables is because otherwise, you will face problems while jump starting.
Park the two cars (one with the dead battery and another charged battery car) nose to nose so that batteries from both vehicles can be plugged together which is our next step.
Turn on the ignition of the car having charged the battery and open the hood of both cars. If you are new to this then note that each battery has two terminals; one positive (+) and one negative (-).
One positive end of the jumper cable should be linked to the lifeless battery, and there is another positive end to the jumper cable which should then be connected to the charged battery.
The positive end of the jumper cable is usually red, and the negative end is black. There are two negative ends to the jumper cable as well, and one of them should be attached to the negative terminal of the battery which is in good condition.
Now, the second negative of the jumper cable should be connected to the metallic portion of the car which contains the dead battery.
Start the car which has the good condition battery, and the dead battery would start charging. Continue doing so for a few minutes.
Now after few minutes have elapsed, you should start the car with the flat battery. If it does not work, then let the charging continue for few more minutes.
If the charging is done, you should remove the jumper cables. There is a method to remove these, and you must follow some steps to avoid an accident.
The first cable to be removed is one called the grounding cable. Then remove the cable linked to the negative terminal.
Follow that with removing the cable linked to a positive terminal of the car with the battery in good condition.
And last, you should remove the cable linked to a positive terminal of the battery which was earlier lifeless.
Do not stop the car of which the battery you just charged as it could again fall cold and die out.
Rev for few minutes and leave it on for some time. This charging time should be approximately 15-20 minutes.
If you are new to cars and their repairs then instead of jump-starting yourself what you could do is leave the car at the repair shop, and that should cost you around $10- $20.
But we also suggest that you learn how to repair any old battery if you want to save money by simply visiting at https://howtoreconditionbatteries.org
The alternative method and dead car battery fix which is commonly used by car owners all across nations are to just let the car roll down a low hill, with the clutch sunk, and while the car is in the second gear.
This works on the same engineering principle as gravity doing the job of the starter motor. This can also work in situations where there are no jumper cables available.
Knowledgeable and informed car owners and enthusiasts know that what solution to employ for a lifeless car battery also depends upon what caused the battery to die down.
If the car battery is often low then maybe you should check the electrolyte levels of the battery. Add water if you feel the liquid has drained out or has dried out.
The last method and probably the last resort should be to replace the battery and get a new one.
But the question that crops up is that what is the measure to decide that it is time for a new battery?
Here, we suggest that you pick up a voltmeter and a hydrometer. When the car is off, then use the voltmeter to check the current voltage between the two terminals.
If the reading is between 12.6-12.8, then the reading is normal, or else change the battery. You also need to check the sulphuric acid concentration of the battery.
Ideally and in normal battery conditions, it should be 1.215- 1.28. If the reading is lower than that then again it may be real time for a new battery.
Another benchmark to test that it is time to change the battery is when you have to start the battery jump starting it more than two three times in a week.
If we were to talk regarding how long a car battery should last you, then the answer is that a good car battery should last you more or less five years.
Can a Car Battery Recharge Itself?
Now comes the question on whether car batteries can recharge themselves. To avoid the battery dying prematurely, what you should do is avoid battery-damaging habits such as lights and music being on when the car is off.
In technical terms, it is the alternator which ensures that the battery charges itself. This alternator does the job of converting the kinetic energy of the car into electrical energy.
The current produced is alternating current, and this is converted into direct current. This DC charges the battery. This is how the battery charges itself.
Here’s What You Can Do Next
Knowing what to do when the car battery is completely dead will help you in situations where you are far from home or far from a repair shop. As a car owner, it is your responsibility to have some know-how as well as some skills about car repair.
That way, you won’t have to rush to the repair shop every time there’s a small problem with your car. This can also help you in saving money since you can do the repairs by yourself.
If you want to know more about how you can revive a dead battery, just send us an email, and we’ll get back to you with other valuable information that you can use.
