64 Boosting a Car Battery

About Car Batteries

A car battery converts chemical action into electrical current. It is recharged by the alternator, whenever the engine is running. A device called a voltage regulator keeps the battery from being overcharged. A battery that seems to be completely dead can often be recharged at a gas station in an hour, or overnight home with a trickle charger.

Safety Steps When Boosting a Car Battery

Batteries can be dangerous to handle or work on. They are filled with sulfuric acid, which can eat through clothing and burn flesh. In use, they may produce explosive hydrogen gas. Never smoke or cause a spark near an auto battery. Always wear heavy outer garments, rubber gloves, and industrial safety goggles when working on a car battery. If battery acid gets on your skin or into your eyes, flush with cold water for 15 minutes. Get medical attention immediately.

1. In vehicle-vehicle boosting, do not let the two vehicles touch
2. Ensure that the car is in “park” with the parking brake engaged (automatic), or in “neutral” with the parking brake engaged (manual)
3. Make sure that anything electrical in the vehicles is turned off
4. Make sure the keys are taken out of the ignition

Do not allow the jaws of the jumper cables to touch one another or any metal near the batteries. This could cause a spark and battery explosion

Always start and end the process with the vehicle with the dead battery

Start with the positive terminal on the dead vehicle, then the positive terminal on the working vehicle. Then negative terminal on the working vehicle, and lastly connecting the negative cable to the dead vehicle.

Other Potential Problems When Boosting a Car Battery

Loose posts on car batteries can lead to various issues and potential damage. When the battery posts are loose, it creates poor electrical connections between the battery terminals and the connecting cables. This poor connection can cause electrical resistance, which leads to heat generation at the connection points. Over time, this heat can cause corrosion to build upon the battery terminals, making the connection quality worse. Loose posts can cause intermittent electrical contact, leading to inconsistent power supply to the vehicle’s electrical components, including the starter motor and alternator.

Loose battery posts increase the risk of arcing or sparking, particularly during vehicle movement or engine vibrations. This presents a fire hazard as the gases surrounding the battery can ignite in the presence of sparks.

Corrosion on the battery posts is an issue because it compromises the electrical connection and hinders the battery’s performance. This happens when sulfuric acid vapours released during the charging process react with the metal of the battery’s posts. This issue can lead to poor electrical conductivity and voltage drop. Corrosion can also cause the battery posts to become loose.

Troubleshooting Battery Issues

1. If your car will not start because the starter does not operate or barely turns over, suspect a dead battery
2. Remove and clean the battery cables, reconnect them and try again.
3. If your headlights do not work, or grow very dim when the starter is operated, you can be almost certain that the problem is a dead battery
4. If the lights shine brightly when the starter is in use, the trouble is in the starter or its wiring, and you need a mechanic
5. A car with a dead battery can be started with a set of jumper cables and a second car that is operating, or a battery pack
6. Be sure both cars have 12-V batteries, which have six filler holes (6-V batteries have three filler holes).
7. Jumper cables should be made of four-gauge wire so that they will pass current easily.
8. Cables 16 ft long will reach from one battery to another even if the cars cannot be positioned nose to nose. Be sure cables are colour-coded
9. Sometimes you have to force booster cable jaws through any grease or corrosion with a rocking motion to obtain a good, firm contact.

Battery Boosting Packs

It is possible to boost a dead battery without another vehicle. For this method, you will need a battery booster pack. These can be purchased from an auto shop. Boosting a vehicle using a boosting pack is very similar to the vehicle-vehicle boosting method, although the jumper cables are already attached to the boosting pack. Start with the boosting pack turned off. Like in vehicle-vehicle boosting, attach the red booster cable to the positive battery terminal, and the black booster cable to the negative battery terminal. Once all the cables are secured, turn on the battery pack and start the engine. Leave the engine running for 10 minutes, then turn off the engine to disconnect the booster pack. Remove the cables, negative first then positive.

Push Starting

1. A car with a manual transmission may also be started by pushing it if its battery goes dead
2. This requires a second, operative car with bumpers that match the stalled car in size and height. Bring the working car up behind the stalled one until the tow cars touch.
3. Check the bumpers to be sure they are compatible and will not override one another
4. Turn the ignition key in the stalled car to the “on” position, release the parking brake, and put the transmission into neutral.
5. Have your helper gently push your car with his until your speed reaches 10-15 mph.
6. Then, your helper should apply his brakes, let you coast ahead, and beep his horn
7. When you hear the horn, shift your car into second gear and ease in the clutch.
8. This should spin the engine over fast enough to start it
9. Drive the car for at least 30 minutes to recharge the battery

Videos

Boosting a car with a booster pack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa0iwGZWVSM (3 min)

Vehicle-vehicle boosting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTkwMUEqQHk (7 min)

Examples

Examply of booster cable attached

Example of battery boosting pack