If one day your battery is completely discharged for one reason or another, or you decide to help someone and let them start from your battery, or, more simply, “light it up” from your car, you need to know how to light a car, exactly how to do it right.
It is necessary to connect the terminals in the following sequence: connect the “+” of the donor battery to the “+” of the discharged battery, and connect the “-” of the donor directly to the engine of the “needy” car.
Remember! In order to properly light up, the negative wire must be connected to the engine, and not to the negative terminal of the battery. This place should be as far away from the fuel line as possible, as well as all rotating and moving parts. I want to immediately warn that at the time of connecting the wire, sparking may occur.
Knowing how to light a cigarette correctly, after a few of the above manipulations, you can start a car with a completely dead battery. After you managed to light the car and the engine started, you need to make medium speed on it, after which you can safely disconnect the wires that were used for "lighting up". Do not forget to connect the previously disconnected "ground" wire upon completion of the operation. Do not rush to immediately turn off the engine, let it run at medium speed for a while, this will allow the generator to properly charge the discharged battery.
Well, that seems to be it! I think now you understand how to properly perform an emergency engine start when the battery is dead. After my article, I think you will no longer have any questions, follow the safety measures, follow the instructions, and most importantly, do not confuse anything. Good luck to you!
I recommend watching a video on how to properly light a car?
For "recruits" who have recently left the car dealership, we recall that "lighting up" in the jargon of experienced drivers is the connection through special wires of the battery of one car with the battery of another in order to start the engine of one of them. Simply put, if one has a low battery, you can connect it to the battery of another car and start the engine. The procedure is simple, but requires accuracy and some basic knowledge, otherwise you can "get" on an expensive repair.
When does it make sense to "light up"
The "lighting up" procedure will be effective only if the battery is clearly dead when the starter initially turns poorly and weakly. But if, for example, the starter "threshes" and the engine does not start, then the battery copes with its task. Here it is necessary to look for a reason elsewhere: maybe the sensors are "buggy", they ask for a replacement of the candle, or the water in the gas tank turned into ice overnight and clogged the fuel line.
The smoking process
Technically, everything is very simple, and, according to the author's experience, even some female drivers can do "lighting up". Moreover, there are few movements needed here:
1. We attach the "smoking" wires (we will talk about them later) to the battery of the "donor" car (that is, the one that will give a "light"). First, we hook the "crocodile" clip onto the terminal " + ", then to the terminal " - ".
2. After that, we attach the "crocodiles" at the other ends of the wire to the battery terminals of the "recipient" car (which needs to be given a "light"). In no case do not confuse plus with minus! In DC networks (which is in the car), polarity is of global importance, and its violation can disable all the electronics of the car at once. Therefore, we carefully monitor that the red wire of the "lighting up" kit is on the positive side of both, and the second one is on the negative side.
3. After connecting, without further thought and conversation, we immediately get behind the wheel and start the engine of the "recipient" car. If everything is fine and the engine starts, then we set the idle speed higher, about 1,500 rpm, and we go to disconnect the wires from the "donor". After that, he can safely go about his business.
"Lighting" from a running engine: is it possible or not?
One of the main questions related to "lighting up": is it possible to light up from a car with a running engine. This worries many who have been approached by friends, buddies, neighbors with a request to "light up." For, on the one hand, there are fears that the "recipient" car will use up the entire resource of the "donor" battery and then it will not start.
On the other hand, there are even more serious (and costly in the future) fears that the "recipient" will disable the "donor's" electronics. What is right here?
As the site survey of official dealer services showed, "lighting up" from a car with a running engine is categorically not recommended.
Ivan Semkiv,
master consultant of the service department of the auto center "Autobiography"
On the car from which they "light up", the engine must be turned off and at least the negative terminal is removed from the battery. This provides a complete separation of the electrical networks of both cars, in which the "lighter", it turns out, is powered by a remote battery, and the "donor" simply stands without a battery.
Otherwise, the electrics (generator) and electronics (power supply controller) of the "donor" car will receive a strong "hit" in the form of a sudden load from the starter of the second car. The load of the starter when starting the engine is over 200 amperes, which the "donor" electronics may not be able to endure. It either immediately fails, or after such "stress overloads" a lot of malfunctions can occur, often "pop-up", implicit, when the car suddenly refuses to drive normally, loses its dynamics.
Meanwhile, if the "donor" battery is new, in good condition, then there is no need to be afraid that the "recipient" will use it up in an instant. Before "lighting" you need to let the "donor" work for about 5 minutes at about 1,500 rpm to recharge your battery, after which you can turn off the engine and power the "recipient".
You also need to keep in mind that standard batteries (which can be judged by the dimensions of cars and engine sizes) are at the same capacity level. Either the "recipient" was smaller than the "donor". Do not try to start a large SUV from a small car. But on the contrary - it is very possible.
It makes no sense to give other quotes from the masters - everyone we interviewed agrees with Ivan: the foreman of the Bosch Service station Anton Matveev, Evgeny Ivanov from ROLF Renault, as well as technical specialists from VAZ and UAZ dealer stations.
In general, if the negative terminal is disconnected and the motor is turned off, then you can “light up” without fear - nothing will “burn out”. And what about the "receiving" car? In the minds of most motorists, the myth has settled that cars with an electronic control unit cannot be “lighted up”. A little something - immediately to the tow truck and to the dealer. Or call company technical assistance. This myth is diligently propagated by dealers and roadside assistance companies themselves. In fact, in short, this is nonsense. Connecting wires to someone else's battery, you just wind up from it, and nothing more. No power surges and destructive effects on electronics.
Ilya Pavlov,
master "Bosch Service"
Only "lighting up" from a car with a running engine can be dangerous for a car receiving help. In this case, at startup, when the generator starts to work, a power surge occurs, which can cause the fuse of the power supply controller or even the unit itself to burn out. If the “lighting” comes from the battery of the “donor” car disconnected from the network, then nothing of the kind will happen. Here it turns out, in fact, the same option as starting the engine with "technical assistance", which brings its own battery - a "booster", from which it gives a "light" in the same way.
Attention to wires!
Lighting wires may be needed only a couple of times in a lifetime (or not needed at all - which is what we all wish), but if someone decides to buy such an accessory for himself, then his choice must be taken seriously. There are a lot of options and prices here - from 200 to 4,000 rubles per set. First of all, it is worth cutting off frankly cheap products with a hard braid and a thin wire. Prices for more or less normal wires start at 800 rubles for a 3-meter set and from 1,200 for a 5-meter one.
For "lighting" wires, a large cross-section of the conductive core and its material are very important, which ensures a minimum of losses in the transmission of electricity. From my own experience, the author knows that cheap Chinese wires simply do not help - they heat up, smoke, and power is not transmitted even from a powerful and full battery. Rigid braids should also be cut off immediately - they will crack and break in the cold.
Very important is the design of the "crocodile" clips that cling to the battery terminals. It is best that they are copper, and the wire in the "crocodiles" is securely crimped or soldered. The springs of the "crocodiles" must be reliable, and the teeth "corrosive". For a suddenly jumped "crocodile" can do a lot of trouble: from the failure of electronics to a fire.
And one more thing: less than three meters of wire is not worth buying. After all, when “lighting up” the cars must be driven closer to each other, which can be difficult on the road or in the yard. If the batteries under the hoods are located on different sides (for someone they are on the left, for someone on the right), then the length may not be enough.
Questions from the series "Where?" the authors of these lines over the past couple of years have asked about fifty. And they keep asking. In recent years, people begin to think about the answer only when the car suddenly stops starting, or the corresponding “light with a rectangle, a plus sign and some kind of dash” lights up on the tidy. A third of car owners have no idea what this or that “control” on the dashboard means, but they have never heard of the features of the operation of a particular car.
And, alas, this is not a joke. There is no need to regularly check the condition of the battery in such a situation. However, servicemen, as practice shows, do not bother themselves with such trifles either - it works, it means it works, and there is nothing to touch it. True, all this ends quickly enough - as soon as a reliable and durable minus is established on the street.
Considering what is written above, talking about the need for regular cleaning of battery terminals from natural contaminants and oxides is probably stupid. As well as about checking the tightness of the clamp, although the principle “the tighter the contact, the stronger the sensations”, has not been canceled. However, for those who resolutely skipped physics at school, we recall that most modern cars have built-in protection against a “fool” and from a critical voltage drop in the on-board electrical network. In short, when the voltage drops below a certain level (usually 11 volts), it will simply cut off the power to the starter. So you can even break the key in the lock, nothing will change. In this scenario, either replacing the battery or connecting to a donor battery will help. But keep in mind: if you use a battery that is too old, you will have to repeat the last procedure at least once a day, and maybe several, in other cases, buying a new battery is money thrown away.
In winter, there are a few things to keep in mind. In order to recharge the battery more efficiently, the vehicle must be driven for longer distances, because the battery simply does not fully charge over short distances. This is due to the operation of energy-consuming devices - rear window defrosters, seat heaters and fans. Long standing in a traffic jam does not count as a mileage. normal cruising speed is required. These factors, in general, then plant the battery, making it difficult to start in the morning. And, if this happens, you will have to use our "manual", which tells how to properly light a cigarette from a donor car.
First: turn off the ignition of both cars. Otherwise, you can inadvertently burn something. And this “something” will almost always turn out to be something electronic and therefore very expensive.
Second: put the red wire clamp on the positive terminal of the recipient battery and then connect its other end to the donor battery. Theoretically, you can do the opposite, but for some reason experts insist on such a sequence.
Third: repeat the procedure with the negative (black) wire. The difference lies in the fact that in the recipient machine, you need to connect the clamp not to the battery terminal, but to bare metal, to ground (for example, to a nut or an unpainted threaded connection), moreover, at the maximum possible distance from the positive clamp attachment point. If you connect to the negative terminal, all the energy of the donor will be directed to charging the battery, but not to ensure that the engine starts. Of course, if you have time, you can stand for half an hour and try to “pull up” a dead battery, but in case of a deep discharge, this will not help.
Fourth: start the engine. Ideally, the motor should start. If this did not happen and the energy of the donor is not enough, you will have to try again in five minutes (previously drowning it out). By again? Then we disconnect the negative battery clamp on the recipient car, take it a little to the side and connect it to the negative wire coming from the donor. In this case, all the energy will be directed to the starter. The main thing is to avoid contact with the battery terminals. For upon contact with a minus, the energy will go into a discharged battery, upon contact with a plus, a banal short circuit will occur.
Fifth: Disconnect correctly. To do this, you first need to turn on the rear window heating and the ventilation system fan in the donor car (to reduce the peak load on the network at the time of disconnection), and then remove the wires in reverse order. Of course, you can “pull off” it just like that, but in this case it is important to ensure that the clamps do not touch each other - the short circuit drives the electronics crazy at the moment. And you will be very lucky if the car gets off with a blown fuse.
In principle, there is also a third launch scenario, in which the donor engine acts as a generator. In other words, it's running. However, it should be borne in mind that this option is an extreme case. And it is worth using it when all other possibilities have already been used, and the transmission or circumstances do not allow using the “tie” or starting “from the pusher”.
The first three points here look exactly the same. But the fourth is somewhat different.
The donor engine is running, trying to start ... If it fails, the driver of the donor raises the speed to about 3 thousand, at which the machine's generator operates with an efficiency close to maximum. Attempt number two. If again past, then there is only one way out - a tow truck. But most often, however, in this case, a third pair of hands will not be superfluous. If not, both drivers should be able to get out of the car immediately. To "reset" the wires.
Here the essence lies. While the whole country was driving a Zhiguli, there were no special problems, but now a power mismatch can lead to very unpleasant consequences. At best, your wires will melt. At worst, wiring. It happens that half of the fuses “burn out” in the car along with half of the mounting block ... Therefore, you will only have a few seconds to reset the terminals.
It is better not to bring the battery to such a state, because the circumstances are different and it fails, as a rule, at the most inopportune moment. But, we repeat, Or, as a last resort, minimize the risk of their occurrence. It is enough just to monitor the machine and service it in time.
On the road there is always room for a variety of situations. And not all of them are pleasant. For this reason, one must be prepared to either provide assistance to other drivers, or receive it from their side. In many states, people are no longer afraid to meet scammers on the road (this happens less and less). And if they see a vehicle standing on the side of the road, they will definitely stop and ask if everything is fine. However, in some situations, such assistance must be expected for a very, very long time. It is important to understand how to behave in an emergency. Every driver must know how to light a car so as not to harm himself or another person or vehicle.
Very rarely come across people who agree to push a car
This will be very, very difficult to do. Especially if there is no specialized knowledge. For this reason, many drivers are trying to get their iron friend through the use of other methods. However, it should be understood that answering the question of how to light a car on the track is easier than trying to find those who want to push it. Especially if you have a minibus or a large SUV.
If you do not want to look for drivers who will help you, then you can use other methods to start the engine. They are most applicable in a wide variety of and not very pleasant situations. For example, you can start the engine from the pusher. However, this method will not work if you stand on a deserted track, or if the weight of your vehicle is high enough. You can also use a jack and 4th gear to turn the engine over and start it. All of these methods are limited in execution.
When might you need help?
And for this reason, quite often the question arises of how to light a car. This method is characterized by high reliability and speed of starting the engine. This process will be most relevant in the following cases:
- If the weight of the stopped vehicle is large enough that the engine cannot be started by other methods.
- If there are wires in the luggage compartment of the car that you can use when answering the question of how to light a car.
- If you need to start the vehicle after a frosty night. With a pusher in such a situation, this will not work.
- If the car breaks down on the highway. In such a situation, the driver of the stopped vehicle can be considered the only assistant.
It's important to start your car without hurting anyone
There are a variety of situations when you need to answer the question of how to light a car from another car. For this reason, it is necessary to know the specific nuances of this process in order to be able to deal with any problems that arise during the course of starting the engine. It is necessary to make sure that not only the engine of your car starts working. At the same time, it is very important not to harm the electrical system of the vehicle of the driver who stopped to help. If you make any mistake, you can put the battery of the donor car. You should consider in more detail the question of how to light a car from another car in order to avoid mistakes, malfunctions and other various troubles.
It is quite understandable that often in situations where you need to start the engine with the help of lighting, there is no Internet at hand. Accordingly, it will not be possible to familiarize yourself with the instructions, pictures and other materials. Therefore, you should immediately familiarize yourself with the simplest rules for smoking. Knowing them, you can not only understand how to light a battery from another car, but also do not harm it. Accordingly, both you and the driver who stopped to help will be able to quickly cope with the task and go further.
Algorithm for starting the engine using the ignition
There are several rather important nuances that you should not only learn, but also remember. They need to be taken into account when doing a procedure such as lighting. In order to understand what difficulties and subtleties this process has, you need to familiarize yourself with the following algorithm:
- It is required to carefully check the wires used for lighting. It is necessary to use a special high-voltage cable, at the ends on both sides of which there are “crocodile” terminals.
- How to light a battery from another car? To do this, the donor transport must be parked in front of the hood of a broken car. We open the hoods of two vehicles.
- It is necessary to turn off the ignition of both cars, connect the wires. Quite often the red wire is positive and the black wire is negative. However, other colors may also be available.
- How to properly light up a car? It is required to connect the positive wire to the corresponding terminals on the battery of both cars. The negative wire will need to be connected to the minus on the working transport and to the mass on the machine that has broken down.
- After that, you will need to start the engine on a working vehicle. Otherwise, its battery will be discharged quickly enough, which will lead to the emergence of another vehicle in need of assistance.
- The last stage implies that it is necessary to start the engine on a broken car. But even this situation is characterized by some nuances.
How not to let the assisting driver down?
How to properly light up a car? If you connect the wires and wait about 25 minutes after that without starting the engine of a serviceable car, then its battery will be completely discharged. What is it connected with? The thing is that the battery that is discharged will immediately start charging after connecting the wires, using a working battery as a donor. This will lead to its rapid discharge. Accordingly, you can light the car. The service of the person who agreed to help you will come out sideways to him, and you will have to start the engine of his vehicle using the above process. To prevent such a mistake, all actions must be performed quickly and accurately.
What should be the actions after smoking?
When the engine of a stalled vehicle can be started, it will be necessary to wait a few seconds. This is required in order for the discharged battery to be recharged a little. After that, you need to disconnect the wires and thank the stopped driver for helping to light the car. His service will be in vain if you turn off the engine after lighting up for the first 30 minutes. The battery simply may not have time to take the required amount of charge from the generator. This should be taken into account if you do not want to stall again. As soon as you arrive at home or at the service station, you will need to fully charge the battery device.
Easy process with some subtleties
How to light a car from a battery? This process has been described in sufficient detail above. It turned out to be not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. But there are certain subtleties. And if they are not taken into account, then you can spend a significant amount of time. Be sure to remember the basic rules specific to the process of lighting. They cannot be broken. Otherwise, you may be left without help. In such a situation, it will be necessary to look for other options for starting the engine.
Instead of a conclusion
Lighting can be safely considered the only reasonable method of starting the engine. This process will not only help to cope with the problem, but will not damage the power unit of the vehicle. If you start the engine with a push, you can damage the gears of the transmission. And you can harm directly and the engine.
Now you know how to properly light your vehicle from another car. We hope that this knowledge will help you if a related problem arises.
Probably every driver has encountered such a problem as a dead battery. This is especially true in winter cold. In this case, the problem is most often solved by "lighting up" from another car. What do I need to do? How to light a car from a car?
Is the battery really dead?
Before you start to “light up” the car, you should find out for sure that the reason for the non-working state lies precisely in it. Signs of a dead battery are a weak glow of the headlights or its complete absence, a dull sound of a horn, a howl of an alarm. In this case, the starter does not work. When various energy consumers are turned on, a slight crackling sound is heard (for example, when turn signals, emergency lights are turned on).
Sometimes almost the same signs are observed with a poor connection of the power body or engine. But, as a rule, the cause is a dead battery. In this case, you should look for a "live" car for "lighting up".
What will be needed?
How to “light up” a car from a car, what is needed for this? Well, of course, firstly, a car with a charged battery, from which you will have to start. Secondly, special wires are needed. Some drivers sometimes use some kind of handy wires, which, in general, are not intended for this. Is it possible to light a car in this case? It is possible, but it is still recommended to buy a specially designed cable that is equipped with terminals at the ends. The use of such a wire is safer and easier.
Safety
How to "light up" a car? Safety precautions must be followed. Otherwise, you can both damage the machine and injure yourself.
First you need to turn off the car and turn off all electrical appliances. Otherwise, the generator may fail. Cars should be as close to each other as possible, but in no case should they touch. When connecting the batteries, it is necessary to act in strict sequence, observing the polarity. This will eliminate the possible occurrence of a short circuit. Also, in strict sequence, you need to act when disconnecting the wires.
It is not recommended to use for "lighting up" a large-sized machine, since the "donor" as a result may itself be discharged. Also, you cannot use a gasoline engine to start a diesel engine, since in this case the forces are also unequal.
For connection it is necessary to use whole wires, without damage, kinks. The terminals must be made in the form of "crocodiles" to ensure a reliable and high-quality connection.
Is it harmful to "light up" a car? No, if you follow the safety precautions and all precautions.
Sequencing
How to "light up" from another car? You must proceed as follows:
During the process, it is recommended to remove the key from and close all doors. This is done because an alarm may be triggered during charging. As a result, the doors may close. And if you keep them open, then a failure in the alarm system is possible. Now it became clear how to “light up” a car from a battery?
The sequence of connecting and disconnecting wires
It is very important to correctly connect the wires during the “lighting up” of cars. You need to act in strict sequence:
- The first wire must be connected to the positive terminals of the machines.
- The second cable connects the negative terminal of the donor car and any mass (for example, a cylinder block, an engine). It is impossible to connect the wire to the battery minus of a discharged car, since all the energy will go to the starter, and not to the battery. And then the whole process will go to waste. When connecting, you must act carefully, you can not touch the positive terminal with the negative terminal. Otherwise, a short circuit may occur.
After the car is recharged, you should disconnect the wires. You also need to act in strict sequence, the reverse of the connection. First, the negative terminals are disconnected, then the positive ones.
It is important to remember that cars may have a different connection scheme for the occasions. Therefore, it is recommended that you first read the operating instructions for the equipment. As a rule, the manufacturer mentions in it the nuances of this process.
"Lighting" from the injector and machine
Is it possible to “light up” from an injection car? Will the "donor" or "patient" be harmed? Answer: "You can." The main thing is to know how to properly “light up” an injection car. But at the same time, precautions must be taken. If you follow them, then the whole process will go right and the "iron horse" will again be in service.
The process is carried out similarly to "lighting up" cars with a carburetor engine. At the same time, safety precautions must be observed to prevent injury.
Also, many are interested in the question - is it possible to give a “light” to a car with an automatic transmission? It should be noted that the type of gearbox in no way affects the ability of the machine to charge the battery of other equipment. Actions are carried out according to the general principle of "lighting up" the battery.
When “lighting up” a modern car, it is also worth considering that if you do not turn off the “donor” engine, this threatens not only with a breakdown of the generator. This can also lead to a failure of electronic systems, which are stuffed with cars with an injector and an automatic machine.
Why is the battery draining
The reasons may be different. Often due to excess energy consumption by various elements. This can be, for example, headlights on, heated seats and rear windows, and so on. As a result, the car may not start.
The battery can also be discharged from severe and prolonged cold weather. This is especially true for old batteries, the resource of which has already been significantly reduced. For them, sometimes temperatures below -15 degrees are enough, and in the morning the car will not start. Also, the following situations can cause discharge:
In order to identify a battery charging problem, close all doors and turn off all electrical appliances. After that, an ammeter is connected to the battery circuit and the current value is measured. The indicator should be no more than 50 mA. If the value is greater, then you should look for a malfunction. To do this, turn off the fuses one by one. When the current value drops, a leak should be looked for in that circuit.
Accumulator charging
We have considered how to properly “light up” a car. But you can completely exclude this situation. To maintain a healthy state of the battery during its operation, it is necessary to be guided by the recommendations from the manufacturer. You can also charge the battery, which many drivers do. This process can be done without removing the battery from the car. This is done, as a rule, in the garage, where there is access to a 220 V network. It is from it that the charger is powered. At the same time, precautions should also be taken. Before charging, be sure to remove the terminals from the battery. If during the process the battery becomes very hot, then it is necessary to disconnect it from the power source.
At low temperatures, the process progresses very slowly. As a result, the battery may not charge at all. Therefore, it is recommended to connect the battery to a power source at positive air temperatures.
The nuances of "lighting"
There are also situations when difficulties arise when “lighting up” a car. For example, in some cars, the battery is located in an unusual place for everyone: in the trunk, under the chair, under the floor, etc. How to “light up” the car from the car in this case? In such machines, as a rule, there are special terminals located under the hood and marked with the symbol "+" or the inscription POS, or "-" or NEG.
In some cases, the "iron horse" stands in a place that is very difficult or impossible to reach. How to “light up” an injection car in this situation? You can save the car if you roll it a little in one direction or another for the entrance of another vehicle. You can drive the car in tow to another, more convenient place. And another option is to use several sets of wires (as a rule, they are short). In the latter case, you should be especially careful not to allow the cable to come into contact with other elements and with each other. It is best to use electrical tape for
Violation of traffic rules
It is necessary to take into account one more situation. If a non-working car is on the road, then the second car will have to stand in front of the movement. This can be regarded as a violation of traffic rules, which may threaten the deprivation of a driver's license. Of course, the traffic police will be sympathetic to the assistance provided, but still. To avoid an unpleasant situation, you need to set an emergency stop sign, first record all maneuvers on cameras (if possible).
Thus, it is clear how to “light up” a car from a car, what is needed for this and what precautions must be taken.
