Most motorists are often faced with a dead battery problem. This happens especially often with the onset of cold weather. When the temperature drops dramatically, even high quality new batteries will discharge much faster. To light a battery, you need to know some important nuances.
Situations often arise when the alarm suddenly goes silent, the dashboard lights barely shine, and after turning the key in the ignition lock, the starter stops turning the crankshaft, only a click is heard.
Such problems arise due to a completely discharged battery. If there is no charger at hand, you will need to light the battery. If the starter makes a strong rumble, then the reason for the failure to start the engine lies elsewhere. Maybe:
- The sensors are out of order.
- Replacement of candles required.
- Fuel does not come from the gas tank.
rules
How to properly light a battery from another machine, how is such a technological operation carried out? These questions often worry newcomers who are faced with such a problem for the first time.
Lighting a battery from another car is quite simple. It is required to adhere to a specific sequence of actions, as well as observe safety when performing lighting.
Special cigarette lighter wires connect the battery terminals of both batteries. First, a plus is connected from the donor battery. Then minus to the battery of the car being lit.
To properly light the car from another battery, you must correctly connect the wires. In other words, minus to minus, plus to plus.
All cars run on direct current, so if the polarity is reversed, the car electronics will fly. To properly light a car, cigarette lighter wires are made in different colors. A red crocodile is connected to the plus, the minus is usually black.
Can I light a cigarette while the engine is running?
This question is often a concern for drivers who regularly need a cigarette lighter. The problem is that after charging, the donor battery voltage may be zero. As a consequence, the battery does not have enough charge to start its own engine.
Professionals believe that lighting a car should be done with the engines not running. The engine of the car, from which the lighting will occur, must be inoperative, the terminals from the battery are removed.
If both motors are running, it is possible that the donor electronics are burning. When the donor battery is fully charged, after lighting it will not be able to discharge quickly. To insure himself and carry out the correct lighting of the car, the donor needs to start the car's engine, hold it at idle for about five minutes. During this time, the battery will receive additional recharging. Then the engine can be turned off and start lighting another car.
The cost of reliable devices starts at 800 rubles. Such a kit includes three-meter wires. 1200 rubles will have to be paid for five-meter wires.
When buying a device for lighting a car, it is required that the "crocodiles" connected to the terminals are of higher quality. Copper clamps are considered ideal, with a well-soldered and clamped wire. The crocodile teeth should be quite strong and firmly grip the clamp.
If the clip comes off, the controller unit will be damaged. As a result, you will have to deal with the restoration of the electrical system of the machine. The optimal length of the lighting wires is considered to be three meters. This is due to the design of the machine. The batteries are positioned differently for different models. The most comfortable length is considered to be three meters. For large vehicles, 5 meters is more suitable.
It is strictly forbidden to carry out lighting, if the car battery is not completely new, it is constantly discharging. Such a part must be replaced. A new, fully charged battery can be safely used for lighting, but before that you need to recharge the battery at idle engine speed for a minute.
Today there are special firms that provide the service of "lighting" on site. The driver only needs to dial the phone number. Masters will quickly start the car. The cost of such a service, the owner of the car will be informed in advance by phone.
Observing the above rules, you can safely light a car from another car. To make this happen rarely, you need to constantly monitor the battery, do not let it completely discharge. Oxidation of the terminals leads to self-discharge, the battery quickly fails.
Car lighting video
When the battery is discharged, not all motorists can get out of this situation with knowledge of the matter. Everyone has heard that it is possible to light a cigarette from another car, but they have no idea how to do it without causing even more damage to the car. But this is done easily if you know a simple algorithm for the correct actions for lighting a cigarette.
Introduction
Problems with fast discharge of car batteries begin in winter: in frosty weather, even new batteries do not hold a full charge. And if a person does not use the car for several days, then he has every chance of not starting it when needed.
Near the house, such a nuisance is easily solved: I removed the battery, recharged it in the warmth of the house and drove off. But what if a misfortune happens on the road, a hundred kilometers from your own charger and outlet? There is a way out of this situation: you can start the car from the battery of another car.
Starting the car
The storage battery (AKB) is the source of power supply to the idle car. It also serves to start the engine through the ignition system. If the battery is discharged to such an extent that it cannot make several turns with the starter, then there are two main ways to start the engine.
Lighting from another battery means connecting an additional power source to the ignition circuit using connecting wires. In this case, the discharged battery also remains in the lighting process circuit.
It is important to know how to properly connect the wires and follow the steps to start the engine from an outside source so as not to cause any damage to the damaged vehicle, the donor vehicle, or both batteries.
How to do it right
Inexperience in this matter leads to sad consequences, up to fires, so you should not do the work by the "poke" method. To avoid mistakes, you should remember the detailed algorithms that will help you safely start the engine of a car with a discharged battery from another car or a working battery. 
This will require high-voltage wires of a large cross-section, which should be in stock for every self-respecting motorist (sold in the retail network) and another car with a normal device of no less capacity and an unselfish owner who is ready to help a brother-driver in trouble. If everything you need is available, then you can get to work.
From another car
This type of lighting is used by motorists much more often, because it is faster to start a car with a weak power supply. But he also requires increased attention to his actions (there is a big risk to burn not only electronics, but also the car).
A working car should be located as close to the faulty one as possible, but not in contact with it, and work for 5 minutes at increased speeds so that the battery gains additional charge.
Use the memo:
Important! You need to remember 2 things: an error in the polarity of the wires will inevitably lead to a short circuit, and an attempt to produce a light from a working donor will damage the electronics and the generator of this car. And that's at least.
From another battery
If none of the drivers has experience of lighting a cigarette or the donor owner is worried about his car, then a safer way of lighting a cigarette can be offered. This method does not involve the donor car, but only its battery. This help is easier for unknown drivers. 
Despite the great simplicity of actions, it is necessary to start the car with a dead battery taking all precautions and strictly following the instructions.
The sequence of actions with such a method should be as follows:
Important!It is not recommended to light cars of different types of engines (for example, gasoline from diesel, cars from trucks) due to the differences in some technical features of the models. Also, you can not do such work outdoors in severe frost (below -25 degrees) and in cases of freezing of the battery electrolyte.
Useful video
At your service are detailed instructions for lighting a car:
Lighting wires
It would be useful to recommend that you have special wires in your driver's kit for the lighting operation in case of a discharge of the car battery. These wires can be made by hand, and if there is no such desire, then simply buy at an auto parts store.
Factory wires have a standard color of the insulating material of the wires: "minus" is colored black, "plus" - red. The cores should be made of copper wires that conduct electricity well. Chinese products are often made of some sort of copper-like alloy that gets very hot, which proves their poor conductivity.
Precautions and possible malfunctions
The process of starting the engine from the battery of another vehicle cannot be classified as "trivial" work due to the existing risks of causing serious damage not only to the cars involved in lighting up, but also injuries to the people present. These risks can arise as a result of incorrect actions or some hidden malfunctions of technical devices.
You cannot carry out such work in the following cases:
It should be used with extreme caution if the battery of at least one of the participants in the action is old and weak. Such batteries can fail when the voltage and current surges up to 200-300 Amperes at the very beginning of the operation.
Incorrect operations with the wires, when starting one of the engines and the ignition on the other car, lead to failure of a part of the vehicle's electrical system, generator, the battery itself and fires.
Conclusion
In order to avoid trouble with the batteries, you need to monitor their technical condition, the degree of charge. It is useful to have your own charger and actively use it for its intended purpose in winter - to get into the habit of periodically recharging the battery, especially on frosty days. Each battery has a lifetime. After this period, it is better to hand it over for recycling by purchasing a new device in advance.
A discharged battery gives car owners a lot of trouble - often there are situations when the battery in the car runs out and it is impossible to start the engine from the ignition key.
In such cases, you have to light a car from another car, drivers also use other ways to start the engine. The reasons why the battery has run out may be the following:
- at night, the included dimensions or the radio were left in the car;
- in the cold, the battery lost its capacity;
- the battery is old and needs to be replaced.
The most correct decision in this case is to buy a new battery, but for some reason it is not always possible to make a purchase. What other way out of this situation?
Methods for starting the engine with a discharged battery
In order to start the engine, motorists use the following options:
- recharge the battery using a special charger;
- start the machine from the "pusher";
- start the engine by towing another car;
- use the method of lighting a car from another car.
All of these methods have their pros and cons, but they cannot be used in every situation.
As a rule, a charger helps car owners well in the event that the battery is dead. But this method has its drawbacks:
- charging takes a long time (from several hours to a day), and if you need to go urgently, then this is not a way out;
- if the battery is old, and the plates in the banks are crumbling, then it is no longer charged;
- "Charger" needs to be bought.
In order to start the car from the pusher, several people are needed who could push the car from behind. Here, too, a lot depends on the situation:
- there is not always the right number of people;
- a car with an automatic transmission from the pusher starts at your own peril and risk.
If the machine includes an automatic transmission, it is highly discouraged to use the pusher method. Perhaps the engine will start, but the risk of breakage of the automatic transmission in this case is very high.
You can start the car by towing, but there are also some difficulties here:
- a towing cable is required, but it is not always available;
- for towing, you need to find a driver and a car on the move;
- it is also prohibited to tow cars with an automatic transmission.
Lighting method
To light a car from another car is the easiest and safest of all, here the advantage is at least that you can start the engine in this way on cars with any transmission. In order to start the engine from another car, you will need:
- the car itself with a good battery and a working engine;
- special wires for lighting.
The wires must meet certain requirements, and if the conductors are too thin, the wires will heat up and the power of another battery will not be enough to start the motor. All the ends of the wires have special crocodile clips, with the help of which two batteries could be connected. The contact between the conductive core and the terminal clamp must be reliable.
Safe lighting rules
You can "light a cigarette" from almost any working vehicle, but before starting such an operation, you must follow some rules:
- cars (one of them with a dead battery, the second is a donor) must be placed next to each other so that the length of the lighting wires is enough from one battery to another;
- both engines must be turned off, and the ignition off on both cars;
- it is necessary to turn off all electrical appliances on both vehicles.
Only then can you connect the wires between the batteries. Why is it so important to fulfill all these conditions and act only according to this scheme?
If you do not follow the elementary rules, then when you connect the donor car battery to a dead battery and when the ignition is on, a voltage drop may occur on the started car. As a result, electronic systems can fail, for example, the engine control unit on any of the cars.
Another rule is that you can only light a cigarette in an open space; you cannot start in this way in a garage or in another closed room.
Factory wires for lighting have different colors of insulation:
- red - for connecting to the positive terminals;
- black - for connection to ground.
Before lighting a car from another car, it is necessary to connect the positive terminals of the batteries with a red wire, the mass terminals of the battery are connected with a black lead. Moreover, first of all, the plus is connected, and only after that the mass is established. In no case should the polarity be confused here, otherwise some electronic systems may fail. You can connect the mass wire in a different way:
- we connect one end of it with the "minus" of the battery of the donor car;
- the other end of the wire is fixed on any part of the body with the unpainted metal of the starting car or on the metal part of the engine itself.
It is necessary to try to "throw" the mass as far as possible from the fuel line - if, when starting the engine, the wires suddenly sparkle, a fire is possible.
- start the engine of the donor car and let it run for at least 5 minutes. It is also recommended to add revolutions to two or three thousand, due to this, the battery of the engine being started is somewhat recharged;
- then we turn off the donor's engine and try to start the car with a dead battery.
If the car with a bad battery starts up, then everything is fine, if the starter turns poorly and the engine does not pick up, you can try again with the donor car battery to recharge the dead battery.
If, nevertheless, the car with a dead battery does not start, then you can connect the lighting wire directly to the battery negative wire of the car that you want to start. Thus, the energy of the donor car battery will not be spent on charging the dead battery, all of it will go to the starter. And if you light it up correctly, with such a connection of wires, the car should start in any case. The car does not start only if there are some malfunctions in the engine or starter.
There are many cases when motorists start a car with a dead battery using lighting wires with the donor car engine running. Moreover, in order for the car with a dead battery to start up faster, the donor's engine is also gassed.
Here everything turns out like in a lottery - everything can go smoothly, and there will be no problems. But it may be differently:
- the engine control unit of the donor car will fail;
- a diode bridge or a voltage regulator on the generator will fly.
When the donor engine is running, during lighting, a voltage drop occurs and the load on the generator increases. The more the battery of the started car is planted and the larger the volume of its engine, the more difficult it is to start and the more energy is wasted.
From this we can conclude that if the donor's engine is low-power, then it is more likely that the electrical equipment or the generator of this car will fail. That is, if you light a VAZ 2114 with KAMAZ, then the probability of a breakdown of the KAMAZ generator is small. In the opposite case, most likely, on a VAZ 2114 car, any electronics with a high degree of probability can be damaged.
- If the car is started by lighting, the wires should be disconnected in the following order:
- "Minus" from the body of the car that was started;
- mass wire from the donor terminal;
- "Plus" from a car with a dead battery;
- positive lead from the donor car battery.
- A small car does not need a cigarette lighter for some more solid car, for example, an SUV or a truck.
- The batteries must have the same voltage, for example, both batteries are rated for 12 volts.
- The lighting wires must be thick and secure, with good grip on the ends.
We didn’t have time to look back, and winter, as the classic wrote, is already looking into the eyes again. The time of snow drifts, rubber and discharged batteries begins. For those who have weakened their batteries over the summer, winter quickly shows that they should have changed earlier. This happens, according to the law of meanness, usually in those cases when you urgently need to get somewhere. There is only one way to quickly solve the problem in such a situation - to "light up" from another car.
But it is better not to swear from the battery as from a bag or a prison, even if you constantly monitor his health: he forgot to turn off the headlights, the alarm turned off, or simply left for a long time, and the car stood motionless - and now you are running around the yard in search of someone who would " lit a cigarette. " For those who have never done this procedure, we have prepared a material on how to "light up" correctly.
Training
In theory, you can light a cigarette from any car, but in practice it is highly desirable that the donor (so as not to get confused, we will call the one who “lights the cigarette”) the battery capacity was not less than the recipient (to whom they "light up"). You shouldn't "light" a big jeep from a small car, but from a car with a conventional gasoline engine -. There is a chance it will work, but this is an inadequate risk. It goes without saying that you can only light up from cars that have the same battery voltage, that is, trucks for passenger cars will not work.
Even if you managed to find a car of a suitable weight category, it is better to ask the owner about the state of health of his battery, if it is old and has already failed, then it is better to look for another option, otherwise two cars will have to be “lit”.
There is a stereotype that machines with complex electronics cannot act as a donor painlessly for themselves. In fact, this is not the case. If during "lighting" the engine is turned off, and the ignition is off, then the voltage drop on-board electronics is not terrible, because it does not work at this moment.
Start wires. Red terminal - plus, black - minus
The fact that wires are needed for "lighting" it goes without saying. Any two thick wires of the required length will do, but special sets for lighting up with "crocodiles" at the ends are much more convenient, especially if this is not a handicraft from China, but a more or less high-quality thing - with thick wires and reliable "crocodiles".
Connection
You need to fit the two cars as close as possible to each other (but, of course, not so that they touch each other). If the donor also stood for a long time without recharging the battery before, then you can let it work for 5-7 minutes at medium speed in order to better recharge its own battery. If the donor has traveled a lot before, so you can not do it.
We connect the wires. It is recommended to do this. starting with "plus", first on the donor's machine, then on the recipient's machine. Then we connect the "minus"... The donor needs to be connected to the negative output of the battery, and the recipient can be connected to the body weight. It is believed that this is somewhat safer than connecting a discharged battery to the negative output.
Why in this order? From an electrical point of view, there is no difference, but it is much safer. If you connect the "minuses" first, and then accidentally drop the "positive" wire on the body, then a short circuit cannot be avoided. But if you drop the "minus" while the "plus" is connected, the consequences will not be so severe. Unless, of course, you got directly into the terminal.
Lighting up
Further on the priority list is a controversial item - whether it is necessary to start the donor engine when the wires are already connected. On the one hand, this will help to cheer up the discharged battery, the current through the wires from the working system will recharge the recipient's battery, it will be easier for him to start the motor later. Sometimes they generally light it up only in this way - they give the donor a longer time to work, charging the recipient's battery, and then disconnect the wires.
Starting the donor engine is optional
But in such a situation there is a risk, because it is not known for certain why the battery of the recipient is discharged, and what if it "shorted out" or it has another malfunction. Connecting an untested unit to the vehicle's electrical system can lead to unpredictable problems.
It is up to you to start or not to start, but in general this item is not necessary to start the recipient's engine: if the donor's battery is serviceable, its supply will be enough to start someone else's car. If you decide to start, then you need to make sure that at the moment when the recipient tries to start the engine, the engine, the ignition and all the electronics of the donor were turned off.
Disconnection
If everything worked out, you need to give the recipient car 5-10 minutes so that its battery will gain the necessary charge for the next start. Then turn off the engine and start dismantling the wires. It is carried out in the reverse order from installation - "minus" of the recipient, "minus" of the donor, "plus" of the recipient, "plus" of the donor.
Possible mistakes
We will separately consider several potential opportunities to "screw up" when lighting a cigarette. There are not many of them, but each can be expensive.
1. Start the recipient motor with the donor motor running... At start-up, the voltage in the network drops, whether the donor relay-regulator will be able to digest it and how the ECU will behave is impossible to predict. If you don't want to do expensive repairs later, turn off the engine and disconnect all electronics that may suffer from a voltage drop.
2. Disconnect the wire terminals when the motor is running... Many people underestimate the danger of this step. Of course, the risk here is much less than in the first paragraph, but it still exists, because we turn off an additional element on a working system, a drop is possible. In addition, in this situation there is a risk of dropping the "positive" terminal on the body, which will also not end well.
3. Reverse the polarity when connecting... This is really an epic fail, if you don’t want to see sparks of fireworks, you don’t need to confuse “plus” and “minus”. The terminals are specially made of different diameters, "crocodiles" are made with this in mind. If something does not fit, this is a reason to be wary and check.
If everything is done correctly: use good wires, choose an adequate car, connect everything according to the instructions and do not make mistakes - then "lighting" is not dangerous. The main part of stories about breakdowns after lighting a cigarette is connected precisely with the miscalculations of the drivers, and not with the operation in principle. If you know the sequence and all the pitfalls, then you do not need to be afraid of "lighting" - no matter which side of the wires you are on.
Hello! Agree that there are quite a number of reasons why it can ... And one of them is battery discharge. Almost the most popular solution to this problem is lighting. Therefore, I want to discuss how to properly light a car.
The procedure seems simple, but in reality it has many hidden dangers and pitfalls. Do not rush to agree to help restore the battery to another driver. But do not be surprised if many motorists refuse your request to power the car from their battery.
Let's talk about everything in more detail. So you will understand the essence of my warnings and will be more attentive to the maintenance, service and repair of your own vehicle.
Car resuscitation
It is generally accepted that the problem with the battery begins only in cold weather. In fact, discharge can occur at any time, regardless of the season and weather conditions. But in fact, the statements about the cold are quite fair.
Not all batteries can hold a charge effectively. Therefore, after a few days of inactivity, it turns out that it is impossible to start the car.
If you are at home, the problem is not difficult to solve. It is enough to power the charger from the outlet, connect to the battery terminals with special crocodiles and wait until the charge is restored. It doesn't take much time to resuscitate. But the procedure is safe and standard. Here it is only important to have at your disposal a special charger for the battery. You can buy it in a special store. Moscow alone offers dozens of points where chargers are sold.
As you know, the battery acts as a source of electricity for an idle car. Also, a battery is needed to start the engine through the ignition. If the battery is completely dead, there is not enough charge to complete several starter turns.
Therefore, you have to look for ways to solve the problem. We have already discussed with you an independent without assistance. But here it is still better if someone is nearby.
There are two most effective methods for starting a motor.
- Pusher. The popular method, which involves accelerating the car from a push. You can push with your hands while the driver is driving, or with a tug. When accelerating, shift the handle from the checkpoint to 2nd gear and release the clutch. At the same time, leave the ignition on;
- Lighting up. This can be done from a second car, or you can use a battery from another vehicle. But when choosing a donor and working with wires, you should be careful. It is not always possible to quickly find or buy a new battery. Features if the problem caught up on the road. Therefore, it is better to ask for help and light the battery.
The essence of lighting is to connect to the mains of another car with special wires. In this case, your dead battery remains in operation, you do not need to remove it.
We do everything right
You can reanimate the car without wires using the pusher method. Well, or take the car in tow and deliver it to a car service for repair. But since we are talking about lighting a cigarette, this issue should be studied in more detail.
I will say right away that it is not worthwhile to understand the features of the procedure in pictures or relying on the words of inexperienced drivers. Believe me, the consequences of mistakes when lighting a cigarette are much more serious than .
Several rules and recommendations must be followed:
- use special high-voltage wires;
- the donor must be a car with a similar or greater battery capacity;
- The donor battery must be in good condition;
- the driver is ready to help a friend in trouble;
- strictly follow the instructions and recommendations;
- do not let anyone approach the car when charging;
- make sure the crocodiles are placed correctly before starting the donor machine;
- if in doubt, discard this method and call a tow truck.
If nothing bothers you, you can get to work.
In this case, there are two main ways of lighting a cigarette. You can use a car or just another car's battery.
Donor car
There are many photo and video instructions regarding lighting by connecting another car to the mains. This method is more efficient and takes less time. But it is fraught with great risks.
Here's a special reminder on how to light a cigarette without getting hurt:
- muffle the donor by pulling out the ignition key;
- also remove the key on the problem machine;
- connect the positive wire to the battery positive;
- first, the crocodile clings to a working battery, and then to a problematic one;
- one minus of the wire goes to the minus of the battery, and the second to the metal part of the car, which will be reanimated;
- an emergency car starts;
- if it did not work, turn off the ignition;
- wires remain in place;
- the donor starts up and the speed is kept for recharging;
- the donor is jammed;
- the problem car starts up again;
- if everything worked out, remove the minus from the metal part;
- then the minus is removed from the battery;
- plus is first removed from the battery of the running car.
As you can see, the removal takes place in the reverse order of the installation of the wires.
If you reverse the polarity, an instantaneous short circuit will occur. And when connected to a non-working donor, all electronics, along with the generator, will probably fail. Moreover, under the most favorable scenario.
Other battery
In the absence of experience, it is better to light it not from the car, but simply from the battery. To do this, you need a donor from which the battery is removed.
Here you need:
- shut down the assistant's car;
- remove the wires from the battery;
- put the ignition key on the problem car in the zero position;
- remove the wire from the negative battery;
- connect the wires of the batteries of two cars, observing the polarity;
- check the correctness and reliability of the connections;
- give time to recharge;
- after 15 minutes try to start the engine;
- if it starts, leave it to work for another 10 minutes;
- turn off the engine;
- remove the wires;
- start the car again on your own;
- give the battery to the assistant;
- give thanks.
At the same time, it is important to take into account that you cannot light a cigarette from cars whose battery is weaker than yours. It is also not recommended to connect different motors. That is, injection and carburetor, diesel and gasoline, passenger and freight.
The scheme seems simple, but there really are many nuances and dangers here. Therefore, without the appropriate experience, I strongly advise you not to try to reanimate the car with such methods. And here in winter I advise. There is a useful and important article on this score.
Strict restrictions
A dead battery is really a big problem. Especially when you need to go somewhere urgently.
They imply a strict ban on the use of this method in such situations:
- there is a smell of fuel or melting plastic parts;
- the emergency car and the donor car have different types of engines;
- a passenger car lights a truck or vice versa;
- the air temperature dropped below -25 degrees Celsius;
- the electrolyte is corny frozen.
Do not even try to light the battery under such circumstances. Both your car and the donor's car will suffer.
