how to jumpstart an automatic car without another car

By Tsukasa Azuma

Last updated Dec 28, 2020

0 comments

Is there any bigger nightmare than being stranded in a godforsaken place with a dead car battery? You can jumpstart the car but it won't work if there is no other vehicle nearby. The good news is you can kick off the engine again without outside help. Do you want to know how to jumpstart a car without another car ?

Keep reading…

How To Jumpstart A Car Without Another Car?

There is no need to stress out about a dead battery if you can start the engine without jumping it from another vehicle. It saves the time for calling for roadside assistance and gives you confidence as you don't have to rely on strangers.

Jumpstarting a car battery without assistance from another vehicle is different for manual and automatic cars.

1. Push Starting A Manual Transmission Vehicle

The simplest method you can apply to bring the engine of a manual car back to life. The process is straightforward—pulling or pushing the car to the point it gains some momentum.

jumpstart a manual car — Someone has to push the car from behind (Photo Source: gettyimages)

SEE MORE

How to Jumpstart with a Bad Alternator
Is There Any Benefit of Keeping Manual Cars in Gear at Traffic Light?

For a push start, you have to turn the ignition key to the 'ON' position and move the transmission to the 2^nd gear. At that time, someone has to push the car from behind. When it picks up a little speed, you have to release the clutch pedal. It will enable the transmission to turn over the engine just enough to get started.

This is how to jumpstart a car without another car in case of a manual transmission. The only problem is that you have to take the help of another person to restart the car.

2. Use A Jump Box For An Automatic Transmission Vehicle

If you are seeking a completely independent method, a portable jump start battery is the best solution. They are lightweight, small, and safe to use. The price is quite reasonable and you will find them in most auto shops and online stores.

A jump start battery pack transfers energy to your car's dead battery so that you can run the engine again. Just like a regular jumpstart process, you have to clamp the battery pack to the car's battery. It also takes less time than connecting to another car's battery.

Purchase a portable jump start battery pack and you don't have to get stuck anywhere ever with a dead battery. Here's how to use the jump start battery to start a dead car:

1#Get the car ready

There are some preparatory steps to do before starting the jumpstart process. You have to turn the ignition off and shift the gear to 'Park' or 'Neutral' with the parking brake being activated. Switch of all electrical accessories like the radio and lights. Finally, open the hood so you can access the battery.

2#Connect the jump start battery

Place the portable jump start battery next to the battery of your car. Connect the red jumper cable to the red positive terminal of the car battery and black cable to the black terminal.

Turn on the jump start battery and wait for 5 minutes so that it can recharge the car battery. Remember that turning over an automobile engine requires plenty of energy. So, don't try to cut off the recharging time.

how to jumpstart a car without another car — A jump start battery pack. (Photo Source: varta-automotive)

3#Start the car

Now, this is the time to kick off the car's engine. Take the driver's seat and turn the ignition key to the 'ON' position, similar to what you would do when starting the car normally. Make sure that the gear is still in the 'Neutral' or 'Park' position.

If the battery is charged enough, you will hear the engine roar.

4#Disconnect the cables

Once the engine is on and the car is running, you have to disconnect the jumper cables. The engine should be running when you are detaching the cables because the car's battery is unlikely to have enough charge to restart the car once the engine is off.

3. How To Jumpstart A Car Without Another Car: Safety Tips

You should always be careful when working with your car—be it changing oil or replacing the serpentine belt. The jump start battery you are using has to have good safety features. Otherwise, there could be a safety risk if you connect the jumper cables to the wrong terminal.

What could happen? Well, mixing up with positive and negative connections may create a short burst or a firework and leave the battery toasted.

In case of jumpstarting an automatic car, it is crucial for the gear to be in 'Neutral' when you are restarting the car. Otherwise, the car will hurtle down the driveway like a bullet and cause an accident.