Jump starting is a common way to revive a dead car battery. It involves connecting the battery from another car to yours to boost the unresponsive battery. It’s a quick and easy fix, but could it damage the car battery?
Modern car batteries are much more sensitive than older ones, and there are risks associated with jump starting them. Any mistake can damage the car’s onboard electronics or the good battery. Let’s discuss the possible risks and how you can avoid them.
Risks of Jump Starting a Car Battery
Jump starting a dead car battery is a common practice everywhere. But without the right tools and a skilled hand. Let’s see what can happen if things go wrong:
Destroyed ECUs
Modern cars rely on Engine Control Units (ECUs) to monitor the engine and other components. There isn’t just one, but multiple ECUs can be found in a car. For example, there was a Mercedes-Benz S-Class model that had 64 ECUs.
These control units are so complex that it’s sometimes cheaper to scrap the car instead of repairing them. Incorrect jump starting can zap these electrical systems beyond repair.
Damaged Battery
A common risk of jump starting a car is damaging the battery. This happens due to incorrect connections of the jumper cable. One end should go to the dead vehicle and the other end to the car providing the power boost. There will be electrical damage to the car’s components if one end of the cable touches something else.
Battery Explosion
Connect the jumpers in the correct order. Otherwise, there’s a possibility of sparking in the jumper cables. Any spark can lead to the battery exploding, which can be very dangerous.
Always check the owner’s manual to ensure the correct placement and sequence of the cables. For example, you should never connect the negative jumper cable to the negative terminal of the battery.
Electrical Problems
After giving some juice to the dead battery, you must disconnect the wiring before starting the car. Starting it will create a heavy load on the good battery when the vehicles are wired together. As a result, there could be electrical problems.
How to Avoid Jump Starting Problems
If you’re in a situation where you need to jump start your vehicle, you should take certain steps to ensure nothing goes wrong.
- Make sure the battery of the car providing power is fully charged. If the battery is weak, you could damage both batteries.
- After charging the dead battery, disconnect the car from the other vehicle providing power. This will allow you to start the vehicle with the bad battery without damaging the good battery.
- Use a jump starter pack to ensure battery safety and protection from other issues. No jump starter kit? No problem. Buy jumper cables with surge protection.
You should not jump start a faulty battery. It could damage the car with the good battery.
If you’re careful and take these precautions, jump starting your car will be a safe and easy way to get back on the road.