Jump-start your car - these tricks will get it going again!
Many drivers are afraid of the following scenario: the car no longer responds when the ignition key is turned, or it only makes a stuttering noise. At times like this, a jump start can help to get the car going again despite a flat battery. But how exactly does this jump start work and what should you look out for? In this article, we explain how you can successfully jump-start your car. All you need are jumper cables and another car with a working car battery.
Prepare yourself for the jump start or bypass
Before you can revive the dead car battery, some basic components are required. These include jumper cables, which consist of a red and a black cable, as well as a donor vehicle or a working car battery. The energy needed to bring the dead car battery back to life is taken from the donor battery.
To make the process as smooth as possible, both vehicles must have the same battery voltage, which is usually 12 volts. Choosing the right cable cross-section is also important, as it depends on the engine power and cubic capacity. For powerful vehicles, the cross-section should be correspondingly larger. However, before you start the jump start, all other electrical consumers in the vehicle should be deactivated and switched off for safety reasons.
This step-by-step guide will help you to jump-start your car without any problems
Once all the necessary preparations have been made, such as switching off the electrical consumers in the vehicle, you can start the jump start
- Step: Secure the vehicle and switch off the electronic consumers
Now apply the handbrake on both vehicles and open the hoods of both cars. With these preparations, you are ready for a successful jump start of the car battery. Make sure that all electrical consumers such as the heating, radio, etc. are switched off.
Step 2 : Connecting the positive cable - correct sequence
First, you should use the red cable to connect the positive terminal of the flat battery to the positive terminal of the full battery. Make sure you keep to this sequence to avoid damaging the vehicle electronics. In short, connect the red cable to the red positive terminals of the receiver or donor battery.
3rd step: Connecting the earth point - using the earth point
Use the black cable to connect the negative terminal of the charged battery to a metallic point on the receiver vehicle. Make sure to select the earth point outside the battery, for example the engine block or other suitable metal parts.
Step 4: Carry out the jump start
You can then start the engine of the donor vehicle. After a short time to warm up, you can also start the engine of the recipient vehicle. This usually results in a bypass within a few seconds. If this is not the case, you can briefly interrupt the bridging and test it again after a few seconds.
Step 5: Switch on electronic consumers temporarily
As soon as the jump start has been successful, you can switch on electrical consumers. These are intended to prevent damage to the electronics in order to simulate an everyday situation. After they have run smoothly for a while, you can deactivate them again. However, the engine should remain active.
Step 6: Remove the jump-start cables in reverse order
Finally, you can remove the cables used for jump-starting. To do this, proceed in reverse order to the connection. First remove the black cable, then the red cable can also be removed. After a successful jump start, we advise you to drive your car for at least 30-60 minutes so that your battery can recharge while you are driving. We advise you to leave "power guzzlers" such as the air conditioning, seat heating and radio switched off.
Questions and answers about jump-starting and bypassing
- Which jumper cable is the right one for my car?
Jumper cables with an insufficient cross-section can result in insufficient current flowing to the receiver battery and the jump start may not be successful. The choice of the correct cable cross-section depends on the engine capacity of the vehicle and the type of engine, be it diesel or petrol. It is important that the jumper cables comply with DIN 72.553 or ISO 6722 standards and are not rigid. The insulating material can harden in cold temperatures. In addition, the pole clamps should be completely encased in plastic to ensure your safety. However, the contact parts of the clamp tip can be made of metal.
- How can I calculate the cable cross-section?
A starter cable with a cross-section of 20 mm² is sufficient for petrol vehicles with a smaller engine capacity. If you use aluminum cables, they should have a cross-section of at least 25 mm². For vehicles with an engine capacity of 2 liters or more, a cross-section of 25 mm² is recommended (aluminum: 40 mm²). For vehicles with an engine capacity of 3 liters or more, the cross-section should be 35 mm² (aluminium: 55 mm²). If the cable cross-section is too small, the current may not flow sufficiently and the jump start may not be successful.
A minimum cross-section of 25 mm² (aluminum: 40 mm²) is recommended for diesel vehicles. For diesel engines with a displacement of 3 liters or more, the cross-section should already be 35 mm² (aluminum: 55 mm²).
- How do you know when the battery is flat?
You can easily recognize the signs that your car battery is flat. When you start your engine or turn the ignition key, you will hear little or no noise from your starter motor.
- How long do I have to leave the engine running after jump-starting?
The car battery is automatically recharged while driving. To do this effectively, however, all electrical consumers such as the air conditioning, heating and radio should be switched off first. The battery should normally recover completely within an hour.
- How long do I have to drive until the battery is full?
After your car has been jump-started, you should drive the car for about an hour to ensure that your battery has fully recovered. It is also important that you switch off all "power guzzlers" such as the air conditioning and radio.
- Can you start a diesel with a gasoline engine?
You can also jump-start a diesel car with a petrol vehicle. However, you should make sure that you accelerate, otherwise your battery may discharge. Ideally, you should use starting cables with overload protection. Please also make sure that the two vehicles do not touch each other.
- What happens if you bridge incorrectly?
In modern vehicles, improper jump starting can damage the control electronics. Repairing such damage is not only costly, but also avoidable.