It’s true that cars have become much more reliable in the last two decades and drivers don’t have to spend as much time fixing faults these days, but batteries age all the same and it’s clear that they lose their ability to hold a charge over time. A dead car battery is every driver’s nightmare. Especially when you don’t have jumper cables and there’s no one around with another car to help. What is the ideal way to deal with such a situation?

What is a car battery?

It’s a rechargeable device that supplies electricity to your car’s systems. The main job of a car battery is to start the engine, and once it’s running at a constant speed, the dynamo regularly powers the car’s electrical systems. The battery can become discharged if the dynamo is not charging accurately or if there is an electrical drain due to a malfunction or a check engine light accidentally left on. And how do you know if the battery is not in good shape? Normally the car is slow to start, or there are problems with the car’s electrical components.

In this case, it is advisable to remove the battery from the car and leave it in the charger to charge. Alternatively, it is better to have it measured to see if it is still reasonable to travel with it or if it would be better to replace it with a new car battery. The specialists will be happy to advise you. Of course, it may happen that you don’t notice any signs of a dead battery and the car just won’t start. If you have starter cables, this is relatively easy. But what if you don’t have jumper cables and you’re in a place where it’s not easy to summon help?

━━ ( Source: IPGGutenbergUKLtd /  iStockphoto )

How to start without cables

The easiest method to start the car are a strong enough person and a small slope. Simply turn on the ignition, depress the clutch, put the car in first gear, release the handbrake and someone will try to push you. It’s simple. The car should start in a little while. If that doesn’t work, then try putting it in second gear and lightly pressing the accelerator. Bear in mind that it may take a while to get it started. One more important note. This will only work on cars with manual gearboxes. If your car is an automatic, you can forget about this method of starting.

Rope starting

Do you have a long stretch of road and you are alone? Then you can still use a rope and a jack. This method will only work for smaller cars with manual transmissions. First, make sure you have the handbrake on and the car is on level ground. Then use the jack to lift the car about 10 centimetres, shift into third gear and turn the key to the on position. Wrap a piece of rope clockwise around the wheel and leave a piece of rope loose, you will be pulling on it. You need to grab it as hard as you can and the motor should catch.

What if I have an automatic

If you have an automatic transmission, there’s not much you can do, unfortunately. Because in that case, you can’t really stretch the car and you have no choice but to use just the starter cables. Ideally you should carry them with you, or you can call a towing service. Ideally, you should expect to be on the road for a long time without a heat source. Therefore, in winter, it is advisable to always have warm clothing in the vehicle, ideally including gloves and a hat, and possibly something to drink or eat.