By dead battery, I mean not having enough charge to run the car. For several reasons, you may fall into situations where the battery fails you without any notice. In such cases, people wonder, can a car battery be too dead to jump start?
The answer is yes. However, there are some procedures to make the jump start possible. In this article, I have described the methods in the easiest and most detailed way so that you can get out of a bad situation.
Although I have given you a positive answer to the question, there can be some situations where a dead battery may not respond to the procedure. Read my article without skipping any part, and you would know all about it.
Can A Car Battery Be Too Dead to Jump Start?
Normally, a car or boat battery can’t be too dead to jump start, recharge, and make it work again. Because it only is so discharged that you can’t start an engine or make anything work. With the help of a donor battery and a working engine, you can make yours alive again.
Here, let me tell you the right way to do it.
How to Jump-Start A Car
This is a serious matter, and you must follow the right procedure for doing it safely. After you have successfully managed someone to help you jump-start a very dead battery, perform the following steps.
Step 1: Firstly, carefully take out the jumper cables from your car or the host’s car.
Tip: You don’t know whether the host car would have a jumper cable with it. So, you should keep a set of jumper cables in your trunk compartment.
Step 2: Secondly, both of you should place the vehicles nearby (within the jumper cables’ length) ensuring park or neutral mode, and shut off the ignition.
Step 3: Thirdly, connect both red clips to the positive terminals of the dead and working batteries.
Step 4: After that, attach one end of the black clip to the positive terminal of the working or host’s battery. And, attach another end of the black clip to a metal surface in your car.
Tip: It is better to select a metal surface of your car that is not close to the battery.
Step 5: Now, start the car that is in good condition, and let it run for a few minutes.
Step 6: Finally, try to start your car after a small waiting period.
If it still doesn’t start, repeat step 5 and keep it that way for at least 5 minutes. Even after that, some batteries may see no change. However, don’t lose hope yet, and perform the task for up to 30 minutes if necessary. According to Consumer Reports, 20 minutes is an ideal time to let the dead battery recharge enough.
But it can’t go on indefinitely. Because draining the donor battery completely leaving it helpless is not a good gesture. Hence, another question arises.
Car Battery Completely Dead Won’t Jump
Yes, due to some reasons, a car battery can reach a state where recovery is not possible anymore. Let me tell you some reasons below:
- A physically damaged battery can’t be recovered or jump-started because it only works on the batteries that are discharged and act as a dead one.
- With a faulty alternator, it won’t matter no matter how many times you jump-start the battery.
- In case, the battery is too old to hold the charge, the described technique above wouldn’t make a difference.
- One overlooked matter is the bad terminal. Having everything okay, your battery will not jump-start due to bad terminals. Check for excessive corrosion, clean it, and make it work.
- A loose jumper cable connection, as well as faulty jumper cable, can prevent the battery from jump-start. Also, make sure that you have connected the cables to the right terminals.
- Lastly, cars with bad starters would have a problem starting the vehicle even after jump-starting the battery successfully.
Some of those issues are solvable and some are not. Before you give up, cross-check those factors and make sure that it is time for a battery replacement.
Is It Bad to Jump Start A Dead Battery?
It is not bad or harmful to your vehicle to jump start a dead battery unless you do it in the wrong way. I have described with every small detail above so that no one accidentally makes their engine go bad.
How Long Does It Take to Jump Start A Dead Battery?
Depending on the weather condition, and the alternator’s health, it may take from 2 minutes up to approximately 30 minutes for the procedure. To elaborate, when the temperature is too cold, it might make the process lengthy. Also, keep the alternator in check regularly and see if it is working properly.
Can A Completely Dead Car Battery Be Recharged?
Yes, a completely dead car battery can be recharged if your alternator is in good working condition. After jump-starting the battery and being able to turn on the engine, keep driving for 15 to 20 minutes. And, it will recharge the battery for the next start assuming all other factors are ideal.
Final Words
So, can a car battery be too dead to jump start? With the help of another car, you can always do the car jump start. The last piece of advice for beginners is that you must keep driving once the battery has been jump-started for at least 15 minutes.
It will be enough to recharge the battery so that you don’t fall into the same situation again. Also, consult with your mechanic and fix any issue regarding the automatic recharging of the battery. When the internal system is working properly, you wouldn’t have to deal with dead batteries anymore.
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