kqt2ktval

can you jump start a car with a standalone battery. Sometimes you need a jump, but your cable is not long enough or there are cars next to yours. Can you take the battery from another car and jump it with that?

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

If you mean can you put the charged battery on the ground and hook up cables and jump it, maybe. It will depend on how badly discharged the bad battery is. When you hook up the batteries, they will try to balance charge between them and it will take a bit before this happens. Once the bad battery gets enough charge in it, then yes, you will be able to start the car with the bad battery. If it's really cold, it might take 10 or 15 minutes for the bad battery to get enough charge in it.

If you mean remove the bad battery, put in the good one, start the engine and remove the good battery while the engine is running, absolutely not! Never disconnect the battery in a running car.

Cornellian

I hope you're not thinking about jacking somebody's car!

kqt2ktval

I'm just curious, becuase it happen to me once. I left my lights on in my old Honda Civic, there were cars on both side of where I parked, and damn it, no good samirtan in site. I called AAA, but it takes them forever to come sometimes. My friend was in the area. I called him. Even if he wanted to help me jump start my car, the cable is not long enough, and he cannot pull alongside my car. The only choice we had was to push the car out of the parking space and then he helped me jumped it. It this was slated, then I don't see any other options. I was just wondering whether the alternative by unhooking my friends battery from his car and take it next to my car and using the cable itself will work or not.

IS_250

iTrader: (2)

yes, you can jump start your car with another battery even if its not in the car. some shops that dont have a jump box just have a spare battery and jumper cables just for this purpose.

Bichon

About 10 years ago, I had my battery die while parked on the 4th level of a parking deck. Called AAA, but they came in a big tow truck which was too big to negotiate the tight spaces of the garage. So he rode up in the elevator with a portable battery pack - a red plastic gizmo roughly the size and shape of a large briefcase - and used that to jump my car. Worked extremely well.

IS_250

iTrader: (2)

yep, thats a jump box. ive seen them at most autoparts stores now. unlike some battery charger/starter machines, it doesnt have to be plugged into a power outlet to work.