How to Jumpstart a Car Without Another Car?

It is one of the worst nightmares in the world. You wake up late because you did not hear the alarm, get ready in a matter of minutes and even skip breakfast so you won’t be late for work. You get into your car; turn on the ignition and nothing. The battery is dead.

What will you do now? Do you call a cab? Or go look for your neighbor to help you with their car so you can use their battery to jump start yours?

Unfortunately, this is a situation that has happened to almost everyone who owns a car. The amount of time it takes to get that neighbor to come out and help you feels like forever.

While this is not an ideal situation seeing that you are already late, it could be worse. You can find that everybody has already left for work and no one is around to help. Or it can happen in the evening when you are working late and everybody else has left you behind.

So, what do you do when you can’t find jumper cables and another car to jump start your battery?

This article will discuss how to jumpstart a car without another car now!

Method 1: Push Starting

If you can’t find someone to help you with the original jumpstarting method, you will have to use these two other alternatives. The push starting method only works on manual transmission vehicles because of the clutch.

As the name suggests, somebody needs to push the car from behind so it can start moving even if the engine is not on. The movement will help it gain a little momentum which will trigger the engine to work.

Set the ignition key on but not fully. You don’t want to fully start the engine by fully turning the key so just turn it a little to the right.
set the car into gear 2
Step on the clutch and depress it along with the brakes.
Once someone has started to push the car, release the brakes so the vehicle can move but keep the clutch depressed.
Let the car move a bit and then release the clutch as well. The transmission will turn the engine over at this point and cause it to start.
Once the engine starts, it will charge the battery so the car will continue running.
You can step on the clutch and release again and again if it doesn’t work the first time.

Push Method on Automatic Cars

It is very dangerous to try the push starting method on automatic transmission cars because there is no telling how fast it can go which might end up damaging the brakes.

however, if you don't have another option you can always try it on a level ground. Have someone push the car from behind until it starts to move and then release the hand brakes and foot brake. Step gently on the gas pedal while the gear is on drive.

Once the car is in steady motion, turn on the ignition and continue stepping on the gas gently.

how to jumpstart a car without another car

Method 2: Use a Jump Box

Some people call it a jump box, others a battery pack but every driver should own one.

Well, a jump box is simply a small battery that holds enough power and you can use it to charge other electronic devices. It comes with its own jumper cables and instructions on how to connect to the dead battery. It is also known as a jump starter.

What this means is that you can now jump start your car battery without calling anybody to help you. Even if you are in the middle of nowhere, the battery pack will sort your battery issues right up.

Advantages of A Jump Box

The battery is very small usually 3” by 5” so you can easily put it on the glove compartment
It can start a 12V engine
It retains its charge for a full 3 months and it has an indicator to alert you when the charge is down
You can use it to charge your mobile devices as well
It’s convenient and cheaper than buying a new battery
It works for all types of transmissions

The process of using a jump box to start your battery is the same as the original method. All you need to do is connect the battery to the charger using the jumper cables provided. You can check out the detailed process here: How to use a jump starter?

The world of technology has come full circle and now you know how to charge a car battery without another car. Getting a jump box for your car is incredibly important even if you think you may never need it.

However, the best method is to replace your battery after a few years and keep the car well serviced. If your battery starts to misbehave often even without leaving the lights or the radio on, it may be time to buy a new one.

However, you have successfully learnt how to jumpstart your car without the help of another. Now you can happily enjoy your ride!

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