It is safe to assume that most Americans have found themselves stranded with a dead battery whether at home, at work or some place in between. In most cases, our first instinct is to either call a towing service or solicit the help of stranger willing to provide a jumpstart using jumper cables often buried in the trunk.
Oftentimes when a car will not start, it is because there is a problem with the battery. There may not be enough electrical current passing through, cold temperatures could be causing a lubrication reduction to the entire system or there may be battery corrosion. No matter the circumstances, every driver simply wants to get moving again.
But what happens if you there are no other cars around? What if you don’t have jumper cables?
There are alternatives to jumpstart your vehicle when there is no other car or jumper cables around – you can attach freestanding jumper cables to a battery, use a jumpstart tool or have people push your manual transmission vehicle.
Get a Jump
If no other car is around, you can use a jump start battery pack. It leverages its own energy to jump start your vehicle by attaching cables to it the same way you do in a traditional jump start approach. The battery pack, or jump boxes, are often affordably priced and more effective than in past decades.
Be sure your portable batter pack is fully charged and ready for use at all times so you are prepared in the event that your car battery dies unexpectedly. It will be useless otherwise!
On a Roll Again
For a vehicle with manual transmission, you can have people push the car to help get it moving. Depress the clutch completely, shift to second gear and turn the ignition on without starting the engine. Then let go of the brakes with clutch depressed and the vehicle will begin to move while others are pushing it. As the car gains speed, the engine should start. If not, try pressing and releasing the clutch again.
Thrifty Solutions
There are also a few do-it-yourself natural solutions you may want to explore to get your battery recharged.
These may be considered a bit unconventional because they require the use of household products, but they can also be dangerous. None of these ideas are guaranteed to work, but they may be worth a try if you have time and patience.
- Combine hot water and Epsom Salts and add the solution to each battery cell to produce magnesium sulfate.
- Clean each battery terminal then add a combination of 1 tablespoon of hot water and three tablespoons of baking soda. Wipe with a wet towel first and then with a dry towel. Next, add petroleum jelly to the battery.
- Put two aspirin tablets on your car battery to create a charge using the battery’s sulfuric acid.
- Pour soda on the battery’s terminals to decrease the corrosion.
- Disconnect the battery terminals and clean them with a wire brush. Then apply petroleum jelly to help reduce corrosion.
If you experience chronic issues with a dead battery, have a mechanic check your alternator or look for other electrical issues. Bring your vehicle to the experts at ER Auto Care to be sure your car is ready to ride any time and any place.
