As a driver, you may face a situation where your car needs jump start but battery is good.
In such situations, the fault can be traced to other vehicle components, such as alternators or wiring.
If you have a newbattery but car won’t start without jump, this guide will help you correctly diagnose the causes and fixes the issues.
Why Car Needs Jump Start but Battery is Good
In some cases where it is a new battery but car won’t start without jumping, the battery is not the problem in this scenario. Something else is causing this; you must find it and fix it.
Some factors could cause a car won’t start unless jumped,including the following.
1. Bad starter
If your car only starts when jumpedand the battery works fine, you may need to have the starter tested.
The starter is a device in your vehicle that rotates or cranks the internal combustion system in the engine. It is done whenever you turn the key to the start position or push the start button.
Furthermore, the start converts electrical energy into mechanical energy whenever needed.
Now that we understand what the starter does, it becomes either difficult or impossible to start the vehicle when it is faulty. Since it is an electrical component of the vehicle, it could malfunction, causing a car won t start without a jump.
2. Old spark plugs
The spark plug is part of the ignition system, and any fault will hinder you from starting the vehicle.
A spark plug is responsible for creating a spark that ignites the air-fuel mixture in the engine. When the spark plug is wet black, it might need more electrical energy.
When you are stuck with a bad plug problem, it may lead to a car won’t starting without a jumpissue. It is why it is essential to have the spark plug regularly checked. Replace them and the expected interval, whether or not you think they are still good.
3. Clogged fuel lines
Clogged fuel may lead to a car starting only if jumped and may also be accompanied by other signs.
If your vehicle eventually starts after Jump-starting it, you will notice that the engine will stall and lose power. The engine is not getting enough fuel and, therefore, cannot create the expected power for the engine to function correctly.
4. Damaged alternator
As we know, the alternator is responsible for charging the battery as your car is being used. When the alternator is bad, it will lead to a car starting with a jump only.
A battery constantly powers a lot of components in your car. With the alternator terrible, the battery does not get charged and dies. Whenever you try to start your vehicle, the dead battery will be unable to, so you may have to jump-start the car.
5. Overloading the battery
You might have a healthy battery, but in some cases, you may be overloading it. It mostly happens when you have modifications to your vehicle that require more electricity.
For instance, light modifications are done on vehicles. Some people like their vehicles to have more light, especially when driving in snowy areas. First, ensuring your vehicle’s battery can support those extra lights is essential.
How to Safely Jump Start A Car?
Jumping a car battery wrong could damage the alternator and cause other damages. You must know how to carry out this process correctly.
Below is a well-detailed and easy-to-follow step to properly Jump-start your car.
Before we move on, you need to know everything required to Jump-start your vehicle. They include.
1. Pair of jump leads; ensure that they are not damaged.
2. A vehicle with a well-charged battery. Do not use hybrid or electric cars as they can cause damage or get damaged.
3. A weak or flat battery will be in your vehicle.
Steps
1. Check the battery and jump leads
Before going to Jump-start the vehicle, you must look at the battery. Observe any form of damage, like leaks. If you find it, do not go on with the process.
Also, look at the jump leads for any damages; if found, do not use them. If the leads get hot while using them, you should stop the process and get a better one.
2. Safe environment
Park both vehicles in a safe environment before you start the process. Remove any clothing, metal, or foreign object from under the hood once you are ready to start.
Ensure that both vehicles are parked so that both batteries are within easy reach of each other.
3. Connection
First, connect the red lead to the positive side of the working battery terminal and then click the other end to the dead battery terminal.
Take up the black jump lead and connect it to the negative terminal on the working battery. Take the end of the black lead and connect it to the negative terminal on the dead battery.
4. Start the engine
The next step is to observe that everything has been done as expected. Keep both engines off for about 3 minutes. After this, you can proceed to start the working battery engine. Wait in this position for about 1 minute.
Proceed to start the flat battery engine and let both vehicles run in that position for about 10 minutes.
5. Turn off and disconnect the lead
Once the vehicles have been left running, turn off both engines and carefully remove the lead from the batteries. Ensure that both leaders do not touch each other while still connected to the battery.
6. Start the vehicle
Proceed to start both vehicles to ensure that they are working correctly. If the car with a flat battery does not start, call a professional for help. The cause of your vehicle not starting could result from a more severe issue.
Is Jumping A Car Bad For Your Battery?
If the process is done correctly, it will not cause any harm to your battery. Although you would expect that the process might stress the battery, it should not be enough to cause any damage.
You must understand that there are some things that you will do during the Jump-starting process that could harm your battery or alternator. For instance, leaving the jumper cables on the batteries could be dangerous and cause severe damage.
Another scenario that could lead to damages during the process is when the lead of the jump cables touches each other while still being attached to the battery. You must use the right cables and avoid damaging ones.
Conclusion
We recommend checking your vehicle’s manual for important information on maintaining your car’s alternator. The vehicle manuals contain specifics of your car that you should follow when jump-starting your car.