Electrical and Batteries

Today's automobiles have many more electrical components than they used to even 20 years ago. From power windows and heated seats to the car's computer, new vehicles have more complex systems making them especially efficient and convenient at the expense of introducing additional components that can fail and require special equipment that connects to the car's computer to determine the issue requiring fixing.

Electrical

All electrical components are connected by wiring, which acts as the pathway for electrical current to flow. Over time, wires can become frayed, corroded, or damaged, disrupting the flow of electricity and causing problems with various systems.

A malfunctioning electrical system, such as faulty wiring or a short circuit, can cause excessive drain on the battery, leading to premature failure.

Fuses

Fuses act like safety switches in your car’s electrical system. If a component, like your headlights or radio, draws too much power, a fuse will blow to prevent damage to the system. If a fuse blows, that specific component will stop working, but the rest of the car will continue to function.

Batteries

The car battery is like the heart of the electrical system. It stores energy and provides the necessary power to start the engine, and also powers smaller electrical components when the engine is off, such as the radio, interior lights, and the clock. Once the engine is running, the battery gets recharged by the engine's alternator.

Most car batteries last about 3-5 years, but various factors—like extreme temperatures, short trips, or leaving lights on—can shorten their lifespan. A failing battery can cause problems like dim lights, difficulty starting the car, or a complete power failure.

One of the most common causes of a dead battery is leaving the headlights, interior lights, or other electrical components on when the car is off. This can drain the battery overnight, especially if the car has been idle for an extended period.

Very hot or cold temperatures can affect the chemical reactions inside the battery. Cold weather can reduce the battery’s ability to produce power, while extreme heat can cause the battery to lose fluids and lead to internal damage.

Taking a lot of short trips where the engine doesn’t run long enough to fully recharge the battery can lead to premature battery failure. When you drive for short periods, the alternator doesn’t have enough time to fully recharge the battery, which can drain its power over time.

Steps for Jump Starting the Battery

1. Position the Cars: Park the donor car close to your car, but make sure the two cars don’t touch. Turn both vehicles off.
2. Turn Off All Electronics in the Car: Turn off your vehicle and any accessories like the headlights, radio, air conditioning, etc. This prevents overloading the jump starter.
3. Attach the Jumper Cables:
   • Attach the red (positive) cable to the positive terminal of the dead battery.
   • Attach the other end of the red cable to the positive terminal of the charged battery.
   • Attach the black (negative) cable to the negative terminal of the charged battery.
   • Attach the other end of the black cable to a metal part on the engine block of the car whose battery is dead (not the battery itself). This helps prevent sparks near the battery.
     CAUTION: touching the red (positive) and black (negative) terminals together when they are connected to a charged battery will create intense sparks!
4. Start the Donor Car: Start the donor car and let it run for a few minutes.
5. Start Your Car: Try starting your car. If it starts, let it run for 10-15 minutes to help recharge the battery.
6. Disconnect the Cables: Once your car is running, carefully remove the jumper cables in the reverse order.
   CAUTION: touching the red (positive) and black (negative) terminals together when they are connected to a charged battery will create intense sparks!
7. Keep the Car Running: Keep the car running for a while to recharge the battery. Ideally, drive for 15-30 minutes to give the alternator enough time to recharge the battery.

Steps for Jump Starting the Battery with a Booster Pack

1. Prepare the Jump Starter: Set up the your portable jump starter and make sure it is fully charged. Most kits have an indicator light to show the charge level. Place the jump starter near your car’s battery, but make sure it’s not touching any metal parts of the car.
2. Turn Off All Electronics in the Car: Turn off your vehicle and any accessories like the headlights, radio, air conditioning, etc. This prevents overloading the jump starter.
3. Connect the Jumper Cables: Depending on the starter kit, it could have a set of small jumper cables or a special plug for the portable starter kit on one end, and jumper cables on the other.
   
   For jump starter kits with the special plug on one end and jumper cables on the other, the process is pretty straight forward:
   • Attach the red (positive) cable to the positive (+) terminal of the dead battery.
   • Attach the black (negative) cable to the negative (-) terminal of the dead battery or a clean, unpainted metal part of the vehicle (such as the engine block) for grounding.
   • Take the special plug that comes with your jumper kit and plug it into the jump starter unit.
   For jump starter kits with jumper cables, the process of connecting the terminals is similar to jump starting a car from another vehicle:
   • Attach the red (positive) cable to the positive (+) terminal of the dead battery.
   • Attach the other end of the red cable to the positive (+) terminal on the portable jumper kit.
   • Attach the black (negative) cable to the negative (-) terminal of the jumper kit.
   • Attach the other end of the black cable to a clean, unpainted metal part of the car’s frame (preferably the engine block or a designated ground point). This is to avoid sparks near the battery.
4. Power On the Jump Starter: Turn on the portable jump starter (usually a button or switch). Some jump starters have a button that needs to be pressed to deliver power to the car, while others will begin working as soon as they are connected. The jump starter may have an indicator or light that will confirm that it's properly connected and delivering power.
5. Start the Car: With everything connected, try to start your car as you normally would. If the car starts, let it run for a few minutes to allow the battery to recharge a bit. If the car doesn’t start after a few attempts, check the connections and try again. If the engine still won’t turn over, there may be a larger issue than just a dead battery.
6. Disconnect the Jump Starter: Once the car is running, turn off the jump starter and disconnect the cables in the reverse order:
   • First, remove the black (negative) cable from the vehicle.
   • Then, remove the red (positive) cable from the battery and the jumper kit.
7. Keep the Car Running: Once the engine starts, press the clutch in again and rev the engine slightly to ensure it keeps running. Keep the car running for a while to recharge the battery. Ideally, drive for 15-30 minutes to give the alternator enough time to recharge the battery.

Steps for Charging the Battery with a Battery Charger

1. Disconnect the Battery: If the battery is in your car, disconnect it by removing the negative terminal first, followed by the positive terminal.
2. Connect the Charger: Connect the positive clamp of the charger to the positive terminal of the battery, and the negative clamp to the negative terminal.
3. Set the Charger: Set the charger to the appropriate voltage (usually 12V for most car batteries) and let it charge. Charging can take a few hours to a full day, depending on the level of discharge.
4. Reconnect the Battery: After charging, reconnect the battery to your car, starting with the positive terminal.

Push Starting (car's with manual transmission)

Another trick to start the car if you have a manual transmission is to push start the car by having someone push you and you dropping the clutch while turning the key. This method works by using the car’s momentum to turn the engine over, which allows it to start without the battery or starter motor. Here’s how to do it safely:

What you’ll need: Of course a manual transmission car (this method will not work on car's with an automatic transmission) and at least one other person to help push (if you're on your own, you'll need a slope or hill to get the car rolling). You'll also have to ensure the car is in a safe location away from traffic.

Steps for Push Starting a Car with Manual Transmission

1. Turn Off All Electronics in the Car: Turn off your vehicle and any accessories like the headlights, radio, air conditioning, etc. This prevents overloading the jump starter.
2. Prepare the Car for Pushing: Place the car in neutral and make sure the handbrake is off. Turn the ignition key to the “on” position (but don’t start the car as you normally would).
3. Get the Car Moving: If you’re on a hill, you can roll the car down using gravity. If you’re on flat ground, you’ll need help from at least one person to push the car. The car needs to reach a speed of about 5-10 mph (8-16 km/h) for this method to work, so try to get the car moving at a decent pace.
4. Engage the Clutch: Once the car is rolling, press the clutch all the way in and shift into second gear (second gear is typically best because it gives the right balance of speed and torque).
5. Dump the Clutch: With the car moving at speed, quickly release the clutch (the “dumping” part). This sudden engagement of the transmission with the rotating wheels will force the engine to turn over. If all goes well, the engine will start, and the car will begin running again.
6. Keep the Car Running: Once the engine starts, press the clutch in again and rev the engine slightly to ensure it keeps running. Keep the car running for a while to recharge the battery. Ideally, drive for 15-30 minutes to give the alternator enough time to recharge the battery.