A car can reliably have no starting problems for years in any weather. At some point, it can happen that it just does not want anymore. How to proceed in this case, you will learn in this guide.
Narrow down errors
The car does not start, then bridging is not always the panacea. Not every car strike is the same. Depending on how the car refuses to start, there is another defect. These are the three most typical cases:
| 1. The car shows no reaction when turning the ignition key.
2. Dashboard lighting is weak, turning the ignition key sounds only a clack or a very tedious start attempt. 3. The starter turns upright, but the vehicle does not fire. |
In case 1, an utterly deep-discharged battery can be the cause. But the battery can only be discharged if the car has stood for weeks or months. If the vehicle was still running the day before, at least the dashboard should glow dimly. However, if the car presents itself as completely ” dead,” it is usually due to another cause: The battery has been disconnected from the circuit for some reason.
This can happen when a pole has come off, a cable has been cut, or the corrosion on the ground cable has become too strong. In this case, first, check the wiring. The positive red cable can also be detached. Usually, this defect occurs but on the black negative wire. If one of the wires hangs next to the battery, you have already found the error most of the time. If it is an older vehicle, you disconnect the connection from the black battery cable to the body. Then you grind the contact points on both sides bare and screw the cable firmly again. With a little pol, feet get the body is protected against re-corrosion.
If that does not work, it can also be due to a defective fuse. Therefore, the backups should be checked before the bridging attempt. Otherwise, the effort will not succeed.
In case 2 is the typical case of a dead battery. However, even in this case, a corroded contact point from the ground cable at least favor this state. Here you look for the perfect jump start.
In case 3, the car gets enough power for the starter. But it gets either no fuel, no spark, or Vorglüheinheit with diesel engines does not work.
For petrol engines, it is usually sufficient to look under the bonnet: if an ignition cable is not located where it belongs, the cause has already been found. Due to the energetic vibrations of an engine, it can happen that an ignition cable easily disconnects. It is put back in its place; then the car should start again. In diesel vehicles, the preg low fuse is usually defective. The operating instructions indicate where this can be found. This is checked and, if necessary, exchanged. Then the diesel ignited again.
Bridging the car – step by step
The classic case of an empty battery is the forgotten light switch. A parking light can make a battery so weak within a few hours that the car will not start anymore. Due to the sophisticated electronics in modern vehicles, a bridging test is no longer entirely safe – even for the donor car. It is, therefore, essential to adhere to the order described to avoid expensive consequential damage.
| 1. Use the correct jumper cable |
| 2. Connect the jumper cable |
| 3. Start the engine |
| 4. Remove the jumper cable |
| 5. Further measures |
1. The right jumper cable
An inferior or too weak jumper cable can blow itself or cause severe damage in the electronics of both vehicles. Three characteristics can recognize the right cable:
1. It is designed for diesel vehicles (cross-section aluminum 25 mm² corresponds to cross-section copper 16 mm²)
2. The pliers are entirely insulated, have a healthy “bite,” and both contact surfaces are connected to the main cable.
3. The cable has a surge protection
The most straightforward feature is the price: A high quality, safe, and operational jumper cable costs from 50 euros upwards. Cheaper cables are usually blown after 2-3 attempts. This is especially true if you want to start a diesel engine with a bridging cable for gasoline vehicles.
The quality of the pliers can be recognized as follows:
– In the closed state, no bare metal is visible
– The pliers can only be opened with force
– Both contact surfaces of the pliers have a connection to the main cable.
The surge protector is a small, mostly black box in the middle of the cable. He connects the black and the red wire. Mostly it is also equipped with a light-emitting diode. This protective device is especially important for the donor vehicle. This reliably avoids power surges and protects your electronics.
2. Connect the jumper cable
The jumper cable is connected as follows:
1. Place cards side by side so that the red plus cable extends from battery to battery.
2. Switch off the engine, switch off the ignition, remove both pole caps 3. Switch on the light on the vehicle
4. Connect the positive and positive poles of both vehicles
5. Close the circuit with the black cable by connecting the bodies.
| ATTENTION, the danger of explosion! The black cable does NOT belong to the negative poles of the batteries. It may only be connected to ground leading points of both cars. At the negative pole, slight sparking will occur when the circuit is closed. It is essential to keep it away from the battery. |
Suitable places are:
– Intended connection points (recognizable by (-))
– Bonnet or tailgate locks – Engine
mount
– Blanks on the engine
When the circuit is properly closed, the light will turn on the vehicle or will be much brighter. Now you can be sure that the car can be started.
| ATTENTION: Do not confuse the connections! Incorrect connection of the cables, especially when swapping the poles, will inevitably cause severe damage to both vehicles. In the worst case, both batteries can explode! |
| ATTENTION: Do not extend the jumper cable! Never extend jumper cables by connecting pliers from multiple wires. If the cable is not sufficient from car to car, you can only remove the battery from the donor vehicle. |
3. Start the engine
Before starting the engine, all electrical consumers are switched off:
– Light
– Radio
– Wiper
– Rear window heating
– Seat heating
When all consumers are off, the engine is started by the donor vehicle. Then the first start attempt can be made.
| ATTENTION! Only take a little start attempt. When starting, a third party may not be “scorned” forever. This can also overload the best jumper cables and cause them to burn out. Better to make several short start attempts and after each failed attempt to see if you can narrow down the problem. |
4. Remove the jumper cable
When both motors are running, first disconnect the negative cable and then the positive cable. The cables are safely stowed, and the protective caps on both batteries are replaced.
| ATTENTION! Danger of fines If a protective cap is missing, it must be replaced as soon as possible. Should a missing protective cap be detected during vehicle inspection, this will be punished with a fine of 90 euros and a point in the traffic register. This also applies to non-fixed batteries! |
5. After the foreign start
After starting the striking vehicle, the battery must be recharged. For this, you have to drive at least half an hour to three quarters without additional consumers.
It is advisable to recharge the battery entirely in case of a car service with a rooted discharge device. Deep discharged batteries may have a defect. He expresses himself by the fact that the battery can not hold the voltage and continuously rereleases itself. Before this effect occurs and you still rely on jump-start, it is better to connect the car once a night to such a rooted discharge device. If this does not lead to the desired result, the battery must be replaced with a new one.
But for the future, only mindfulness helps: Never leave the car when light or radio is on!
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