Each vehicle owner is familiar with the situation when the engine cannot be started due to the battery being discharged. Fortunately, if the battery fails in the garage or not far from home, but there are also cases when the battery is discharged far from native spaces. In such a situation, there are three options for solving the problem.
The first option is to start the engine by pushing the car in 2nd gear and with the ignition on (the "push" method). The disadvantage of this method is that it is harmful to many parts of the car. The second method implies, only for this you need to have an extra 3-4 thousand rubles in your pocket, and also find the nearest auto shop. The third option for starting the engine of a car on which the battery is dead involves the “lighting up” procedure. Most motorists are familiar with this situation, and beginners may encounter such a need for the first time. To find out what this technique is, as well as how to properly “light up” a car from another car, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of this technique.
Starting the engine through "lighting": what is this method?
It is especially often necessary to resort to "lighting up" in the cold season.
The term "lighting up" means using another vehicle to start the engine on your car that has run out of battery. To carry out this method of starting the engine, you must first find a car and an owner who would agree to help “light it up”. However, the consent of the second owner of the car is not enough. It must meet certain conditions.
It is interesting! To "light up" your car, you need to find vehicle in which is installed. If the car from which it is planned to “light up” has a battery of a smaller capacity, then the launch may fail, and as a result, it will be necessary to “light up” 2 cars.
Before you start looking for a second car, from which you can "light up", you should make sure that the problems of starting the engine are connected precisely with the discharge of the battery. To do this, there are several signs that will help make sure that the problem is in the battery discharge:
- When you turn the key in the ignition switch to start the engine, the indicator lights on the instrument panel disappear. When starting the engine, the starter tries to turn on, but the lack of battery current leads to unsuccessful attempts. If such a symptom is found, then no further attempts are necessary, since the automotive electronics are quite sensitive, and failure and failure may occur.
- If the battery is completely discharged, then when the ignition is turned on, the indicators on the instrument panel will light up weakly or not at all.
- From engine compartment clicks and crackles are heard when the key is turned to start the engine.
Most modern cars installed on-board computers that show the voltage on the battery when the ignition is turned on. If the car does not have an on-board computer, then it is recommended to install an electronic voltmeter, which will be an assistant to the car owner. You can determine a battery malfunction by reading a voltmeter. If the readings on the device when the ignition is turned on are less than 11.9-12.0 V, then it will be impossible to start the engine, especially in the winter season.
Yellow badge on dashboard, glowing after starting the engine, indicates that the battery needs to be charged
It is interesting! When the ignition is turned on, the battery icon on the instrument panel lights up. The glow of the indicator does not mean at all that the device is discharged. When starting the engine, the indicator always goes out, unless there is no charge from the generator.
If starting the engine due to the discharge of the battery is not possible when you are at home, then for this you can connect the charger and recharge the battery. Another thing is when the charger is missing, but you need to urgently start the engine. In this case, you will need to turn to a neighbor or call a friend who would help to “light up”. Only here there is one problem when the car is in the garage. To begin with, you need to push the car out with your own hands in order to fit it to the vehicle from which you plan to “light up”. "Smoke" in garage conditions dangerous, as the accumulation of gasoline vapors can lead to an explosion from the slightest spark.
It is recommended to resort to the “lighting up” procedure in all cases when the battery is discharged, but it is urgent to start the engine. The push start method is unacceptable, and especially for fuel injected vehicles. There is not always a free space "for the pusher", as well as people who would help. Hence it turns out that every motorist should always be ready to "light up" if not his car, then to help a friend.
What is needed for the procedure: how to choose wires?
The car from which it is planned to carry out "lighting up" is called a donor, and the second one is called a recipient. To connect the donor to the recipient, you will need the appropriate wires. Ordinary wires are not suitable, so do not try to start with them.
Why do you need special wires for "lighting"? During the "lighting" (when the engine of the second car starts), a large current is consumed. It exceeds the capacity of the battery by 5-7 times. If the wires have a small and insufficient cross section, as well as if there are signs of damage to them, then the consequences can be unpredictable. In order for motorists to imagine the danger of using incorrect, old and low-quality wires for “lighting up”, it is necessary to say about the possible consequences:
- inability to start the engine of the second car;
- melting insulation and electric shock if you hold on to the wire;
- sparking, ignition and failure of electronics and electronic devices.
Failure to follow the instructions and safety rules when “lighting up” a car can lead to terrible consequences
It is interesting! It is contraindicated to use starting wires, even if the "crocodile" (retainer or clip) is faulty on one of them and the integrity of the insulation is broken.
The battery discharge situation is unpredictable, and it does not depend on which model of your car. Sooner or later, you will need help starting the engine by "lighting up". To carry out such actions, you need to purchase the appropriate wires. These wires are called "wires for lighting a car" or "starting wires".
Wires for starting the engine by "lighting"
These products are two wires of red and black. The ends of these wires have "crocodiles" for connection. The length of the wires affects the cost of the product, as well as voltage losses, but its minimum value is 1.5 meters.
It is interesting! Can't "smoke" petrol car from a diesel engine, and vice versa. diesel engine consumes more energy than gasoline, so the attempt may end in failure at best, and at worst, failure of the electronics.
When choosing wires, it is important to consider the following criteria:
- cross section. The main parameter, the value of which should not be less than 12-15 mm.
- Length of the product. The longer the wires, the easier it is to connect them to the donor. The optimal length is 2-3 meters.
- Voltage loss. At 100 A, the loss value should not be more than 1.3 V, and at 200 A, it should not exceed 2.3 V every 1.5 meters of wire. The longer the wire, the higher the voltage loss, so it is not recommended to buy products whose length exceeds 4 meters.
- Wire section material. High-quality wires are made only of copper, as this material has a high conductivity. Aluminum wires will cost several times cheaper, but at the same time they will be ineffective, as they will have significant voltage losses.
- Places of connection of clips (crocodiles) with wires. These places must be securely crimped and also soldered. If the clamps with wires are one piece, then this is even better.
- Clamps. They must be made of copper, and also have a reliable spring for high-quality clamping.
- Maximum current. This value must be at least 200A, since when the motor is started, a current flowing through the wires for a short time is 5-7 times greater than the battery capacity.
Is it possible to make starting wires for a car yourself? From a security point of view, this is not recommended. From the point of view of economy, you can make the wires yourself, but subject to the following factors:
- for manufacturing, use thick wires, the cross section of which should not be less than 10-12 mm;
- wire material must be copper;
- on the insulation there should be no places of its violation of integrity;
- the length of the wires (each) should not be more than 2 meters;
- connect the wire to the clamp should not only be crimped, but also soldered using tin;
- perform reliable isolation of soldering points.
Only after that you can use homemade wires to “light up” the car. However, you need to use them when the need arises, and not constantly, not forgetting that this is a homemade product.
Home-made wires for "lighting up": all conditions are met during manufacture
How to “light up” a car from a donor: step by step instructions
After the appropriate wires for "lighting up" have been purchased, you can begin to perform the procedure itself. It's time to learn how to properly "light up" a car from another car.
Preparing for "lighting"
“Lighting” should be done in stages, and preparation is carried out initially. To do this, the following steps are performed:
- Both vehicles must be located at a sufficient distance so that the wires are long enough to connect them.
- Wiring must be done with the donor engine turned off. Both vehicles must have their parking brakes on, shift levers in neutral, and ignition off.
- When connecting wires, it is important to observe polarity. The red wire is for the plus terminal, and the black wire is for the negative terminal. Before connecting the wire clamps to the donor battery, you need to make sure that the second ends of the clamps do not touch each other and do not lie on the body of the second car. This will cause a short circuit and damage the battery of the donor car.
- Before carrying out the “lighting up” procedure, you need to make sure that the voltage on both batteries is the same value (6, 12 or 24 V).
Carrying out the terminal connection procedure
- The wiring diagram is as follows: the red wire clamp is connected to the donor battery positive terminal, and its other end is connected to the recipient battery positive terminal. Similarly, we connect the black wire clamp to the “minus” terminal of the donor battery, and the other end of the black wire to the metal case (block) of the engine (closer to the starter). It is recommended to connect each wire separately in order to avoid a short circuit when the second clamps of the red and black wires come into contact.
- It is important to bear in mind that the black clamp is not connected to the negative terminal of a discharged battery. Consider one more important point that when the engine is started, the pulleys and the fan will rotate, so the black wire must be positioned so that it does not fall under the influence of these elements. This clamp should still be located as far as possible from fuel system as the slightest spark can ignite.
Wiring diagram for "lighting"
- After that, the engine of the car, which is the donor, is started. Let the engine run for at least 5 minutes to recharge the battery. Consider ambient temperature conditions. The colder it is outside, the longer you need to let the engine run. To speed up recharging, you can increase the number of revolutions to 2-3 thousand.
Trial run of the motor
During the operation of the engine of the donor car, the dead battery is recharged. The longer the recharging time (engine operation), the higher the probability that the recipient's motor will be started the first time.
- When you are ready to try to start the engine on the car with the dead battery, you need to turn off the engine on the donor vehicle and turn off the ignition.
- The ignition on the second vehicle is turned on, and we try to start the engine. If the engine does not start, then the second attempt can be made only after the donor car recharges the battery again. Let the engine run again for at least 10 minutes.
- After a second attempt, the engine should start. If this does not happen, then repeat the recharging manipulation again. As soon as the engine is started, you can disconnect the wires.
First you need to disconnect the black wire, which is attached to the negative terminal of the recipient's battery. Next, the second clamp of the black wire from the donor battery is disconnected. In a similar sequence, the red wires are removed. Experts say that there is no difference in the sequence of disconnecting the wires, the main thing is to disconnect the negative (black) wire first.
The sequence of removing wires after "lighting up": the most important thing is to disconnect the negative wire first
As soon as the engine of a car with a dead battery is started, you do not need to turn it off. Now you should let the battery recharge, so try not to turn off the engine for 30 minutes. If, after recharging the battery, an attempt is made to start, but at the same time the starter turns and the engine does not start, this means that the recipient's car is faulty. It is necessary to diagnose and identify the cause of the engine malfunction.
Video: how to “light up” a car
Errors when "lighting up": how not to carry out the procedure
When performing the “lighting up” procedure, a number of mistakes can be made that will lead to irreparable consequences. It is better to familiarize yourself with these errors immediately on the computer screen than during the startup procedure. Initially, it is proposed to watch the video material, which provides instructions for starting the motor.
The difference between the described instruction and the one presented in the video is that the test run of the recipient car is performed while the engine of the donor vehicle is running. This option is not allowed for the following reasons:
- The load on the generator increases, since it needs to give out a charge 2 times larger due to the voltage drop. This can lead to the failure of the generator on the donor car.
- When starting the engine of the recipient car with the simultaneous operation of the donor engine, the voltage of the circuit will increase, so the fuses may blow, and in worst case, failure of the electronics.
The instruction from the video material is relevant for carburetor-type cars. Many motorists are accustomed to this way of starting, so they may wonder why it is necessary to turn off the donor engine before starting the recipient engine. Even if you are used to this method of “lighting up” on carburetor-type engines, it is recommended to use exactly the method described in the material. This will prolong the life of the alternator and also avoid blown fuses.
Let's highlight the main mistakes that are made by motorists in the process of "lighting up" the engine:
- Carrying out the procedure with the donor engine running, as mentioned above.
- The ignition on the donor vehicle or electrical appliances does not turn off.
- "Smoking" is carried out from a battery of smaller capacity. Such a battery will never be able to run more powerful engine than installed on the donor.
- Failure to follow the sequence of actions, as well as violation of the instructions.
- The use of low-quality wires, which can cause serious consequences.
- Failure to comply with safety rules.
Moreover, mistakes are made not only by beginners in this business, but also by experienced drivers who have had to “light up” cars more than once. Safety precautions when "lighting up" a car reads as follows:
- The battery is an explosive device. To avoid the occurrence of an explosion, all actions must be performed strictly according to the instructions.
- Before performing "lighting" it is necessary, and whether he is frozen. To do this, unscrew the plugs in the banks, and then visually inspect the internal content.
- There is evaporating hydrogen near the battery, so the presence of open fire, sparking and smoking are strictly contraindicated.
- Make sure the clamps are correct.
- Work with gloves and, if necessary, goggles.
Only after observing all safety regulations, you can start work.
How to remember the “lighting up” algorithm: a memo for motorists
After reading the material or watching the video, it immediately becomes clear what the procedure is. However, once in such a situation, everything is immediately forgotten. A person begins to panic, which often leads to rash actions. To start the engine, you need to rest, and perform the "lighting" procedure in accordance with the instructions.
If you forget the procedure, as well as the correct connection of the wires, then there is a hint in the form of an algorithm.
Memo to motorists on "lighting up" a car
Briefly, the instructions are as follows:
- Turn off the ignition on both vehicles, as well as related electrical appliances.
- Connect the wires in the correct polarity and sequence, as shown in the photo above.
- Start the donor engine for at least 5 minutes.
- Turn off the donor engine and turn off all related electrical appliances.
- Attempt to start the recipient's engine.
- After starting the motor, remove the wires in the reverse order of connection.
To carry out this procedure, it is not necessary to correctly understand the principle of operation. However, be sure to follow the sequence of actions in the instructions. If you understand the principle, then it will not be difficult for you to “light up” the vehicle correctly and safely.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that you can “light up” only the car on which the battery is dead, but at the same time it is serviceable. If the car has stood with a discharged battery for several weeks, then starting the engine by “lighting up” is irrational. Such a battery will not be able to get a charge, so in this case only a purchase will help.
The owner of the car needs to be prepared for any surprise. If the car does not start due to a dead battery, you will need help from an external power source. Get a charge from the battery of another car in professional slang is called "light up". To perform the operation, you need to know how to properly “light up” the car. What do you need to use the donor's help, what tools are needed, what is the sequence of operations?
Having received a request for help to start the engine of another car, the question involuntarily arises: is it not harmful to “light up”, use your car as a donor. If you have new battery fully charged, the car works, there is some free time, it is unethical to refuse help. Batteries must be of similar capacity and voltage, donor machine of the same or higher class.
“Lighting up” another car from your car is harmful and dangerous if the operation is carried out as follows:
- during the “lighting up” of the car, the donor stands with the engine running;
- in the process of "lighting" on the auto acceptor, the ignition is on and electrical appliances are turned on;
- the donor is a smaller capacity battery;
- the sequence of operations during assembly and removal of connecting wires is violated;
- small-section wires with poor-quality insulation, faulty contacts or "crocodiles" are used;
- security measures are not followed.
If you perform the operations correctly, there will be no harm to the battery and on-board network of another car. You can not "light" from the old battery. You should refuse the donor service if its battery is leaking, an acid smell is felt.
How to "light up" a car
A modern car has a complex electronic filling that requires the stability of electrical parameters. Experts and practitioners have developed an algorithm for how to safely “light up” one car from another. The sequence of assembling the circuit and removing the wires is important when lighting up from the donor car. During the recharging period, a current of 300-400 A passes through the circuit, the created short circuit can bring a lot of trouble.
How to “light up” your battery from another car? First of all, you need to get connecting wires good quality, for smoking. Let them always be in the trunk. Included is a black wire for connecting to minus or ground, red - positive. The wires are massive, their cross section is at least 16 squares. Both ends have crocodile clips. If you choose thinner cables, you can get burned from extreme heat and even a fire. In Chinese products, often thin wires are hidden under thick insulation.
When choosing a car for "lighting", make sure that it has a good battery, equal to or greater capacity, but with one output voltage. Before "lighting" your battery, check its serviceability. Do not recharge if the battery is frozen in ice or leaking.
Before you “light up” a car from another car, you need to be sure that the car is fully functional, but the battery is dead. If music is turned on in the cabin, the lights are on, the windshield wipers and lifts are working, but the engine does not start, you cannot “light up” the car. Why? The reason is not the battery.
Signs of a bad battery:
- when turning the ignition key, straining sounds are heard;
- the indicators on the control panel are not lit or are dimly lit;
- Uncharacteristic sounds are heard under the hood.
To “light up” the car’s battery, you need to install it in an open place, with the possibility of access for another car. The car used as a donor must work on XX so that its battery is as charged as possible.
Watch a practical video tutorial on how to “light up” a battery.
How to “light up” a car from another car with wires
So you picked suitable vehicle, put it conveniently to “light it up” with wires. He has already worked, recharging the battery. How to properly assemble a scheme for transfer from a donor?
- On both vehicles, turn off the ignition and all on-board electrical consumers.
- Assemble the circuit - connect the positive terminals of the batteries with a red wire. On the donor, we connect the black terminal to the battery terminal, the second end to the acceptor housing, in a place where there is no paint, to ground.
- The donor engine starts, the battery is recharged for 5-7 minutes. How much to “light up” depends on the air temperature.
After recharging, the donor is completely jammed, the wires are removed and the recipient's car is tested. Result:
- the engine starts and runs smoothly;
- the start did not occur, the starter did not have enough energy to spin the motor;
- the starter works fine, but the car won't start.
In the case when there was not enough charge, you should re-light the car for 10 minutes, according to the same scheme. If there is no result, technical assistance should be called. Reason: faults are not in the battery.
The circuit is disassembled in reverse order. First, the wire is removed to ground, then the positive terminals are released.
How to “light up” a car from another car, we suggest watching a video.
How to “light up” a car from another automatic machine
Let's figure out whether it is possible to “light up” a car on an automatic machine, use another automatic machine as a donor? What's the Difference? Systems electronic control designed for constant voltage. If the battery has become completely unusable, after replacing it, a reconfiguration of the computer is required. Is it possible to recharge a dead battery in place from another car with a machine gun and how to give, “light up” another car?
It is necessary to understand the principle of energy transfer. "Light up" a car - transfer the charge of the battery of one car to the battery of another, with a smaller charge, by wire. Machines do not work, the ignition is turned off, the on-board systems are turned off. With a properly assembled circuit, there is no danger of damage to the onboard system at the donor and acceptor.
When connecting the wires with which you need to “light up” the machine, you must observe the connection sequence and polarity. If the terminals are mixed up, a short circuit will occur with bad consequences.
"Smoke" the car correctly automatic:
- Remove the key from the ignition and leave the door open. (When power is supplied, the machine will howl and the door lock will be blocked). Set both machines to the parking brake. The auto donor must be warmed up by running the engine at idle for more than 5 minutes.
- Connect the positive wire first, then the negative wire to the donor car.
- Perform the same operation on your Auto, making sure that you connect the poles correctly.
- Get behind the wheel and start the engine. Set the engine to 1500 rpm, leave the engine running.
- Before removing the “cigarette lighters”, you must turn on the resistance on your car to smooth out the power surge. Do not turn on the lighting lamps - they may burn out. You can turn on the heated glass.
- Remove the wires first from the negative terminals, then from the plus.
So you can “light up” another car from an automatic car with mechanical box gears.
There are posts on the Internet on the forum with information on how to “light up” from a working donor machine. Is it possible to "light up" from a running car? If the donor battery works with an open circuit, it does not power the on-board networks, a power surge will not occur. When the engine is running, only the battery will be charged, which discharges the charge, “lighting up” the dead battery. But by the time the driver makes a test run, the donor car must be muffled. Otherwise, a power surge may occur, failure of expensive equipment.
Lighting up a car is a simple process, but there are certain rules, we suggest watching the video.
How to "light up" a car with a dead battery
How many cases when you need to “light up” the car, but the circumstances of the help change, the sequence of some operations. Much depends on the type of car - diesel or gasoline, automatic or mechanic. Experienced drivers have a well-established scheme on how to properly “light up” their car from another, which donor is suitable and which is not.
So, the connection of the two batteries is done, once again they checked the correctness, so as not to get confused in the wires, it is accepted: the red cables always connect the plus, the black one goes from the minus of the donor to the mass of the recipient.
The most common way to properly “light up” a dead car from another running one. It is necessary to start the donor engine for the time required to recharge the dead battery. It can be from 5 to 20 minutes. Shut off the correct car. Remove the wires and do a test run. You may need to warm up the car a little more, still “light up” the car with a dead battery if the starter spins lazily. As soon as the engine is started, the generator will start charging the battery, after 10-15 minutes you can go.
Another method is designed for experienced drivers with a conventional manual transmission, a minimum of electronics. The wires are connected. How to properly and quickly give a "light" car to the owner with a new battery? Run the donor motor for 5-6 minutes. Try to start the faulty car. The start attempt does not exceed 15 seconds, the interval is one minute. As soon as the engine starts, leave both cars turned on and tied to the donor for 3 minutes. Before disconnecting the wires from the terminals in the on-board line, turn on the resistance to smooth out the power surge.
“Lighting up” is an undesirable, emergency and dangerous operation. Is it possible to “light up” from a car if the driver of the donor has doubts about the health of the battery? The owner's fears are justified:
- when the frost is below -20 0;
- the idle machine class is higher;
- larger battery;
- diesel engine.
How to properly “light up” a car from another car, look at the video.
How long is it reasonable to “light up” the car
The “lighting up” method resuscitates a car with a dead battery, but without other malfunctions. The time spent on recharging and starting, in each case, depends on the degree of discharge of the battery, the ambient temperature. As a rule, “lighting up” a car from another car, assembling the circuit and removing the equipment, takes about 30 minutes. A second operation may take the same amount of time. A person who is in a hurry on business should take this circumstance into account.
How to "light" a car from another battery
In our fast paced age, when time is money for every car owner, finding a donor can take a long time. It is much easier to have your own external battery that will help out in a difficult moment. Such devices include a starting booster, a charger for a car battery, a backup battery. Then will it be possible to “light up” from the battery without a car, but according to the same principle as taking energy from another car? Yes.
To “light up” the battery, you need a car booster. The device is pocket-sized, but has enough energy to cope with starting the engine with the battery discharged to zero. The device has 2 modes, it can “light up” the battery, recharge it, or it can take over the power supply instead of a completely discharged battery.
The booster can “light up” not only a car battery, it is used to charge electronic gadgets when the network is not available. But its cost is high. Basically, such portable compact chargers are used to “light up” a car in the case when the battery loses its charge and capacity in long journeys. Special starting chargers are compact, they serve to “light up” a car from another battery. Assembling the correct power supply circuit from an external source is relevant, this is the same “lighting up” from an external battery.
The main problem with using external energy storage devices is their ability to produce only a few launches. But there are professional boosters that work from the network. But in case of force majeure, “lighting up” the car from an external battery is salvation.
A “dead” battery can upset any car owner. In winter, most often there are situations when the battery suddenly “sits down” during the start of the engine. At low temperatures, the battery self-discharges faster. Although in the warm season there is also no guarantee that the engine will start. Current consumers left switched on for several hours ( running lights, audio system, climate system) will drain the battery in no time. Yes, and the battery itself has limited time operation, above which the rated capacity drops by 20% or more.
Motorists often solve the problem of a “dead” battery by lighting up. In order not to accidentally disable the battery and not damage the electrician, generator and other electrical equipment, you need to know how to light a car from another car.
What does "smoke" mean?
The expression "light a car" means starting the engine with a completely discharged battery by connecting another car to the battery. A dead battery acts as a conductor - after starting the engine, the generator independently generates the current necessary to charge the battery. It will take time to charge a dead battery after a deep discharge, so you should not turn off the ignition immediately after starting.
What wires to prepare for lighting?
On sale there are starting wires from different manufacturers and unnamed products that allow you to power the car from the car. Here are some selection criteria:
- Large section. The smaller the cross section, the less current can pass. Thin wires get hotter. Buy wires with a cross section of at least 16 square meters. mm. About 60-70 sq. mm is enough to start any "passenger car", crossover or SUV.
- Material. For electrical wiring, it is better to use copper wires, since the metal has minimal resistance.
- Length. The longer the wires, the higher the resistance will be and the less economical the charge of the donor battery. But with a length of less than 1-1.5 m, difficulties may arise with the entrance of a car. It is unacceptable to put cars close to each other. The optimal distance between two cars is 1.5-2.5 m.
When buying, carefully inspect the wires and check the connection with the crocodile clips. It is at the junctions that the maximum resistance occurs, so the clamps must be soldered to the wire. The "crocodiles" themselves should be large enough for a comfortable grip and connection to the battery terminals.
How should you light up a car?
You can light a car from a car with the same voltage of the on-board network. Do not try to start the engine passenger car from battery freight transport. One of the requirements for the battery of a car, the engine of which will be started, is a fully operational condition. Do not try to light a light if the battery is defective - for example, if there are cracks in the case.
Follow the rules for lighting your car - this is a guarantee of the health of the electricians. If you violate the sequence of actions or try to light a car with a faulty battery, this is fraught with failure of the electrics - for the car being lit and for the donor.
Here is a diagram of how to start a car from a car:
- Put the "donor" car next to the car with dead batteries.
- Turn off the ignition and all donor current consumers.
- Disconnect the negative terminal from the dead battery - this will eliminate the rapid discharge of the donor battery.
- Prepare large gauge starting wires.
- Connect the positive terminals from the batteries - fix the "crocodiles" on the "pluses" of both batteries.
- Connect the "crocodile" to the minus of the donor - the second "crocodile" is connected to the pillows, engine mount or metal parts of the motor.
- Start the engine of the dead car.
- If the engine starts successfully and there is no smoke or pungent smell, do not turn off the engine, wait about 10 minutes.
- Connect the negative terminal of the battery.
- Disconnect the positive terminal first from the battery with the engine running, and then from the donor.
- Connect the positive terminal.
If the above scheme for lighting a car did not help, watch a video on how to light a car from another car:
Typical mistakes when lighting
It's easy to light a battery correctly. But motorists can still make mistakes. Common ones include:
- Reversed polarity when connecting wires to the battery. It is fraught with damage to the battery and failure of the generator.
- Attempts to light a cigarette from another car for a long time. To start a car from a car, the donor battery must provide a significant amount of power. If after several attempts it was not possible to light your car, then subsequent attempts are already fraught with the discharge of the donor battery.
Don't forget about safety. The bodies must not touch. Do not touch the body. If there is a characteristic smell of electrolyte, sparks, smoke, the smell of melted plastic (there is a burnout of the winding, which is not designed for high current), the procedure should be stopped immediately. And also turn off the engine, disconnect the wires, call an on-site auto electrician or a tow truck.
When can't you smoke a car?
If there is visible damage to the battery case, electrolyte leakage, if a specific smell or smoke occurs when connecting the wires, then lighting is strictly prohibited. Also, you can’t start the engine from another car if the voltage differs (lighting up a car battery from a truck battery), the wires are too short (cars are located at a close distance) or do not meet the requirements (small cross-section, defects, lack of “crocodiles”).
Do not light from another vehicle equipped with diesel engine, and vice versa. If the air temperature is below -25 C and the electrolyte is frozen, it is better not to do this either.
Remember that the problem of a dead battery is easier to prevent (or avoid its reoccurrence in the future). You won't have to light up your car if you know how to properly monitor your car:
- Do not leave a car for a long time with running electricity consumers.
- Change the battery immediately after the end of its useful life.
- Regularly check the serviceability of the battery - the level and density of the electrolyte, the absence of external damage to the battery case, defects in the terminals, wiring.
- Diagnose Alternator - Alternator malfunctions may be undercharging or overcharging.
If you don’t know how to light a cigarette yourself, there is no one to ask for help and you don’t have starter wires, you can go to the masters who provide off-site “smoking” services for cars. They will start the engine of your "iron horse" from the battery of their own vehicle or supply current directly from mobile generator. Remember that when working with electrical wiring, auto safety comes first!
[ Hide ]
How to start a dead battery
On modern domestic cars, batteries last 2-5 years, on foreign cars, the battery life is 5-7 years. If the battery is properly maintained, it will last longer. Both domestic and imported batteries can be discharged.
If one winter morning the car does not start, then each driver solves this problem in his own way. Someone is trying to restore the battery charge by bringing it into warm room. Someone starts the car with a pusher, but this is only possible with a manual transmission. Motorists have a question, what is the safest way for all cars to start the engine if the battery is dead.
There are 6 ways to start the car if the battery is dead:
- Starting with the help of special equipment - a starter-charger is the safest and in a simple way. To start the car, the device is connected to the electrical network, the mode switch must be set to the "start" position. The positive wire from the ROM is connected to the positive terminal of the battery, the negative wire clings to ground to the metal of the engine near the starter. As soon as the car starts after turning the ignition key, the ROM can be turned off. The only drawback of the method is that you need to have a ROM.
- can be done with high voltage. This makes it possible to start the car guaranteed, but spoils the battery and shortens its life. For recharging, the battery can not be removed from the car. If the machine is equipped on-board computer, then in order for the electronics not to “fly”, you need to remove the negative terminal from the battery. The current can be increased to a value not exceeding 30% of the standard values. The electrolyte level must be correct. Fill plugs must be opened. Charging takes 20-30 minutes, after which you can start the car.
- You can start the engine by towing or pushing. This method is only suitable for cars with a manual transmission and preferably with a carburetor. For this method, you need to prepare a cable 4-6 meters long and a vehicle that will be towed. Cars are connected by cable. The towed vehicle must have the clutch in third gear. Cars accelerate to 10-15 km / h. After reaching the desired speed on the towed car, you need to smoothly release the clutch. If the car starts, you can remove the cable. With this method, it is important that the actions of the drivers are coordinated, otherwise the cars may be harmed.
Humans can be the pusher, but care must be taken so that people do not get hurt.
- With lithium batteries. The attitude towards this method is ambiguous. For its implementation, you can use any modern gadgets with lithium batteries. You can connect them either directly to the battery or through the cigarette lighter in the cabin. Charging takes 20-30 minutes. This method is suitable for all types of cars.
- With the help of a "crooked starter". To implement this method, you need to prepare a jack and a tight rope 5-6 meters long or slings. With the help of a jack, one of the drive wheels should be raised and the entire rope should be wound around it. Then you should turn on the ignition and direct transmission. The end of the rope must be pulled sharply in order to spin the wheel well (author of the Power-Bank.ru video).
- With the help of a donor car. The method is suitable for cars with manual transmission and automatic transmission, while the engine can be either carburetor or injection. This method will be discussed in detail below.
The choice of method depends on the conditions in which the driver is located and on technical equipment car.
External signs of a discharged battery
The cause of the battery discharge is a lack of power from the car's electrical network.
Signs of a dead battery:
If a discharge is detected battery, then you should charge and not wait for unexpected surprises - when the car does not start.
Car Lighting Guide
The battery capacity of the donor vehicle must either be equal to or greater than the battery capacity of the second vehicle. The voltage on both batteries should be the same. In addition, you can not use a car on gasoline to light a diesel, since a diesel has a higher energy consumption.
Tools and materials
To light a car, you will need:
- donor car;
- a set of special wires;
- protective gloves.
The wires for the lighting procedure are distinguished by a large cross section, which is more than 16 square meters. mm, high-quality insulation. The wires must be rated for a starting current of at least 200 A.
It should be checked that the clips, often called "crocodiles", are securely fastened: not crimped, but soldered. If the length of the wires is not enough, they can be extended with a similar kit. In this case, the connections must be securely isolated. At the ends of the wires are reliable, powerful "crocodiles".
Mechanical
To properly carry out the “lighting up” process, you need to know how to light up a car and certain rules that must be followed so as not to harm cars.
- Cars should be brought as close together as possible so that there is enough space for wires. But we must not allow the machines to touch.
Close standing cars The donor battery must be fully charged.
- Both cars must be on the handbrake, all equipment is turned off, the batteries are sealed. On the donor car, the ignition key must be removed from the lock, windows and doors closed.
- To avoid shorting and discharging the donor battery, disconnect the negative terminal on the dead battery. After that, attach .
- Connect the red positive wires first. First of all, connect the red wire to the discharged battery, and then hook the clothespin to the positive terminal of the donor battery.
- Then the black wire must be pinched on the negative terminal of the donor battery. Attach the second black wire to the metal of the car's motor (to ground) closer to the generator or starter and away from the battery. At the same time, pay attention that there are no rotating parts and fuel wires near the hook point. It is important that the clothespin is hooked on the metal of the engine, and not on the negative terminal of a dead battery.
Battery connection diagram - Before starting charging, you need to check the correct connection of the wires. If everything is connected correctly, then you must first start the donor car and let it run for 15-20 minutes at 2000 rpm. Otherwise, there will be too little time for a charged battery to charge to a working state.
- After some time, you can turn off the engine of the donor car and try to start the car that needs charging. If the car does not start, you should let the engine of the donor car run a little more and try to start it again. If a car with a discharged battery starts up, you need to let both cars work for a few minutes and you can disconnect the wires.
- Disconnection must be carried out in the reverse order: first, disconnect the black negative wire hooked to ground, then the second negative wire, then the positive wires are disconnected. From a charged battery, the wire is disconnected last.
After the complete shutdown of both machines, a power surge is possible, due to which some control element may burn out. To avoid this, you should turn on some consumer of electricity on the car, for example, heated windows. Thus, the voltage surge can be compensated. Before you start driving, you should turn off the gas a little, so you can increase the level of charge on a discharged battery.
Almost all motorists know that an old battery can be completely discharged at one fine moment, and at the most unexpected moment. There are many reasons - this is the alarm system, working in the armed mode, the dimensions left on, the forgotten radio or the light in the cabin. Therefore, when preparing a car for winter, every motorist tries to take care of a brand new battery, but this is not at all about that.
If one fine winter morning, the car refuses to start due to a dead battery, what should I do in such a situation? Some try to reanimate the battery by bringing it into heat, others start the engine from the "pusher", which is acceptable only if the gearbox is mechanical. There are many ways, but is there an alternative, equally safe for all cars?
The best way to start a dead battery
If, after several futile manipulations, nothing happens to start the car, then you can “light it up” from a donor, another car with a working battery. This is a sure way to start a car without compromising "health".
A prerequisite for this method of starting the engine is the presence of special large-section wires with clips, the so-called "crocodiles". Therefore, when preparing for winter, it is advisable to include them in the tool kit. They can be useful both for helping another car, and for “lighting up” your own car.
When choosing wires in a store, it is worth considering their diameter - the larger it is, the better.
The process of "lighting up" the car
In the process of lighting a car, you need to follow certain rules that will help you start the engine without harming both the donor car and the car that needs to be “reanimated”. So, how to “light up” a car in order to start the engine and not harm the cars?
- In order to properly “light up” the battery, you need to fit the cars to a sufficient distance to connect the wires. In this case, you need to make sure that the cars do not touch.
- Next, turn off the donor engine. An important condition: both vehicles must be set to the parking brake, the equipment must be turned off, and the batteries must be sealed.
- To prevent a short circuit and so that a dead battery does not discharge the donor battery, the negative terminal of the discharged battery must be completely disconnected. Only after that you can start connecting the wires - "crocodiles".
- First of all, the red terminals are connected - positive. Initially, the positive terminal must be connected to the discharged battery, and then hook the clip on the positive terminal of the donor car battery.
- After these manipulations, one black negative "crocodile" must be connected to the negative terminal of the donor battery. The second negative wire should be hooked to the metal of the engine, as close as possible to the starter or generator. Care should be taken to ensure that the clamping point of the terminal is as far away as possible from the fuel lines and any rotating parts. Important: you need to connect it to the engine, and not to the negative terminal of the car battery that needs charging.
- Before starting the engine, it is worth checking the correct connection of the wires, just in case. If everything is in order, you can start the engine of the donor car, and wait about 15-20 minutes, since a completely discharged battery will not come into working condition in a short time.
- After a certain time, it is worth drowning out the donor and trying to start the car that needed help. If it does not start, you should drive the donor engine for a few more minutes, then try again. If the car engine, with a discharged battery, started up, you can proceed to disconnect the wires.
- First, the black negative wire is removed, hooked to the "ground", then the second negative "crocodile" is removed. After that, you can also disconnect the positive terminals, while the red wire is removed from the charged battery last.
You should only “light up” from a car on which a new battery is installed, because charging from an old battery can lead to sad consequences. You should not do this if it is “wild” frost outside.
You should not “light up” a powerful car from a subcompact car, at best, nothing will work out, at worst, the battery of a subcompact car will sit down.
At least simple observance of safety rules is mandatory - while charging a dead battery, you should not touch the metal parts of the car with your bare hands. It is also necessary to ensure that the wires of the "crocodiles" do not touch each other. By following all the rules in sequence, you can successfully drive to the store and finally buy a new battery.
Video
Learn how to light a car and get others helpful tips to start the engine in cold weather, you can below: