Can a car battery be too dead to jump start? This is a question you might ask if you tried to jump-start your car and it didn’t work.
At a point in time, your battery will be dead and will need replacement. This is because car batteries are produced with a limited lifetime.
Nevertheless, you will more likely handle cases of dead batteries many times before it reaches a point where you will need to replace them.
A jump-start, however, can make your dead battery work again. But, one may be curious, is there a possibility that the battery will be too dead for a jump-start to fail?
Read on, and you will find out the answers to all you want to know on jump-starting a dead car battery and the factors that will make the battery not work when you jump-start it.
Can a Car Battery Be Too Dead to Jump Start?
The answer is no. A car battery cannot be too dead to jump start. All you need to do is find another vehicle with a fully charged battery and use the jumper cables for a two-car connection to jump start your car.
Naturally, A car battery will not simply “stop working” without one single symptom because it is made of chemical elements. Under these conditions, no single chemical reaction could interrupt itself immediately. An instant battery failure is a symptom of a bigger problem.
You can count on receiving help by jump-starting the car if the only issue is that of a dead battery. This, however, does not mean after the jump-start, the battery will continue working normally.
For example, a jump-start may not carry you far if the battery can no longer hold a charge.
Nevertheless, while a dead battery can be made to work by jump-starting it, it doesn’t mean it will always work. The reason for this is that when it comes to a battery failing to jump-start, the battery being “too dead” is not the only factor for you to concern yourself with.
Myriads of other factors may make a dead car battery not start, and these factors have no connection with the fact that it is too dead.
Knowing these factors is important so that when a dead battery refuses to start, you can know where and what to check. Otherwise, one may mistakenly end up changing a battery with no problems thinking that it is no longer good.
Related: Can You Jumpstart a Car With a Bad Alternator?
How Do You Jump Start a Completely Dead Battery?
The car will need to be parked very near to the car that has fully charged and a good battery when trying to jump-start a battery that is completely dead.
This is necessary to connect both cars with these jumper cables. It is important to ensure that both cars do not touch or reach each other.
Then, you must switch off both cars’ ignition before locating the positive cable of the end of the clamp; this should be connected to the same positive clamp on the other car’s battery.
The negative cable should then be located and connected to that of the negative terminal of the battery that is good. At this point, bring the negative cable of the other end to the ground on the car with the dead battery. You must ensure that you do not touch these two ends of the jumping cable while performing this task.
The car with a good battery should be started, then followed by the car which has a dead battery. Check for errors if, after doing this, nothing happens. Find the cables and see if there exist any loose ends. Also, look for any rusty ends or dirty ends. After checking for all these, you try again.
If the vehicle starts, the engine of the vehicle with the dead battery should be allowed to run for at least twenty minutes. Enough time should be given to the battery to recharge. Other issues will need to be addressed if you do all these and the car still refuses to start.
Check out this video for more tips on How to Jump Start a Car with a Dead Battery
Reasons Why Your Dead Battery May Not Jump Start
Many possibilities can explain why the dead car battery is refusing to start; try and examine these possibilities. Some of these possibilities include:
1. Damaged Battery
Jump-starting a battery will not help or fix a battery that is damaged; for example, one with a case that is broken, such a battery will not jump-start. It can fix only a battery that is drained.
2. Faulty Alternator
Jump-starting will not help when the alternator is bad. This is a result of the fact that the alternator is responsible for charging the battery and keeping the car running. So it doesn’t matter how much jump-starting you give the battery, it won’t get charged since a bad alternator cannot keep it running.
3. The Battery Is Too Old
Jump-starting an old battery may be pointless because holding or receiving a charge by such old batteries is normally difficult. Once the battery gets old, this is inescapable; an alternative battery will be required.
4. Bad Battery Terminals
The ability to conduct power from one car battery to your own battery will be affected if the battery terminals are bad. Excessive corrosion might be to blame if the battery refuses to jump-start immediately; you may need to check for any crusty element over the terminals.
Another reason why power may not be able to be transmitted by the jumper cables via terminals to the battery may be because of the fact that the terminals are too loose.
5. Loose Jumper Cable Connection
When clamping on the jumper cables, you should make sure that the terminals are tightly attached enough; this is because loose jumper cables can cause the jump-starting to fail.
6. Faulty Jumper Cable
Another factor that can make jumper cables not conduct power between batteries, aside from being loose, is if they are faulty. This can result from the fact that the wires which are inside the jumper cables are too lean or broken to conduct the requisite power for jump-starting the dead battery.
Also, you may not be able to jump-start the battery if the jumper cable is too long, as a lot of resistance could be provided while power is being transmitted.
7. Bad Starter
The culprit might be the starter when you cannot jump-start a car. It will not be possible to start the car when the starter is bad, and as a result, it will not be possible for power to be transmitted to the engine from the
battery. You may then think that you were unsuccessful in jump-starting the car.
Common Causes of Car Battery Failure
1. You Take Short Trips Regularly
After starting the car, the alternator keeps the car battery continually working. The battery begins to get charged and, therefore, will not be out of power as far as the alternator keeps running. However, the battery will die if there is not much time for the alternator to keep charging it.
This will happen when you take short trips often. This is because the car uses up much of the battery’s energy every time you start it. It is therefore important to run the alternator for a longer period of time to get back the energy.
The alternator will, therefore, not get adequate time to actually recharge the car’s battery after using most of the power to start the car if you go on short trips.
2. Extreme Weather Conditions
As the weather gets either too cold or too hot, the likelihood of the car battery being dead will be high. This is as a result of the fact that the working of chemicals present in the car’s battery is affected by extreme temperatures.
It will not be possible to efficiently move enough to generate power, and the power output and charging are both affected by this.
Because of this, the car battery may not be able to conduct the required amount of power or may not get quickly recharged enough to start the car.
3. Leaving The Headlights On
The car’s headlights depend on electrical power generated by the car’s battery. Other systems like the dashboard lights, interior lights, and radio also depend on this.
You’re likely going to wake up to meet a dead battery if the headlights were left on for a continuous period of time, like overnight.
This is because the alternator was not running and could not recharge the battery while the car kept using the power of the battery.
This may not be an issue if the car’s headlights have a functionality that can automatically switch off after a while. However, you need to remember to always switch off the headlights to prevent a dead battery situation if you are using an old model with no such functionality.
4. Aging of the Battery
As the car battery ages, it becomes more vulnerable to being dead. This is a result of the fact that its ability to hold a charge is gradually lost over time. Therefore, the battery may end up dead anyway, even when the alternator is still functioning optimally.
The best thing to do when it reaches this point is to find a refurbished or new car battery that can still hold enough charge for a long period of time. The reason for this is that even though the battery might keep working if you jump-start it, you may always need to bring out the jumper cables regularly because it will continuously keep dying.
Related: Jumper Cables Getting Hot and Melting (Causes & Solution)
How Many Times Can You Jump a Dead Car Battery?
One can power nearly every vehicle from every outer power according to practice. An exhausted machine can be successfully “given a kick” by big semi-tractors. The spark needed is generated instantly ( with the speed of light).
Very thick cables with huge copper wires are the only exception here.
As far as the battery is not dead, you can ignite it always. It doesn’t matter how many times the recharging cycle is.
Depending on the vehicle you’re receiving power from, you will need to wait for varying periods. To start their alternators, hauling and big semi-tractors require more time. This is still a better choice than doing nothing in urgent circumstances.
Wiggling the jumper cables before jumping the dead battery is another better action to take; you can find out more about the minimum voltage required to start the vehicle.
Also Read: Car Won’t Start After Getting Gas (Causes & Solutions)
How Long Does It Take Jump Start a Dead Battery?
At times the average time would range from two to ten minutes. The time will continually vary.
This is, however, not the general position. There are cars that will take about thirty minutes while some will take more.
There are some factors that must be taken into consideration.
One factor is the battery condition. Even though it is possible to jump-start a battery that is dead, if the battery is damaged already, then that is a whole different problem.
Another factor could be the battery which will be used to get power for the jump-start. When jump-starting the battery, the amount of time might be relatively long compared to the average time if the battery you want to use in jump-starting your dead battery is not well charged or is equally damaged. These factors are the reason why the time for jump-starting a battery varies.
How Do You Fix a Dead Car Battery Without Jumping It?
The best thing to do when faced with a dead battery situation is to jump-start the car. However, you may find yourself in other worst-case scenarios.
One worst-case scenario could be that you find yourself in a very remote area where no one could lend you a helping hand; also, you may not have any jumper cable.
It is therefore important to have a backup plan or second option to start the car without necessarily having to jump-start the engine. You can get the services of a tow truck or your portable jump-starter inside the car. This is the reason why having a jumper cable readily available is very important.
Also, you can adopt the practice of regularly checking the car battery and car in order not to be faced with a dead battery situation in a secluded area.
It is better to be prepared as there may be instances where you will not be so lucky to have a dead battery in a crowded or public place. Therefore, when faced with a dead battery situation with no helping hand, you can explore the different alternatives explained above.
Also Read: Radio Works but Car Won’t Start (Causes & Solutions)
Frequently Asked Questions – Can a Car Battery Be Too Dead to Jump Start?
Can you jump-start a completely dead battery?
Having a dead battery could be tiresome, but this bad battery can still be jump-started by using jumper cables to connect it to a fully charged battery.
Why can’t you jump-start a dead battery?
Age, cold weather, and keeping the headlight on overnight are the commonest factors that lead to a dead battery. The easy way to know if the issue is likely that of a dead battery is if a jump-start revives the engine. The battery may be damaged or completely discharged if the jump-start cannot revive the car.
Why won’t my car start with a jump?
The problem will likely be that of a dead battery if the car starts immediately. You should clean the cable connectors and battery terminals for good contact and charging of the battery. If the jump-start doesn’t start the car, you may have an issue with your alternator, starter, or other parts of the electrical system.
Can a car battery be so dead it won’t charge?
When the battery is too old to hold a charge, it’s better to simply find a replacement. Your battery could be a worn-out or old battery if the battery actually charges, but the charge won’t pass 75%. Another issue could be an electrical problem in the car that is drawing power from the car’s battery which makes it dead.
How long can you leave a car battery dead?
The answer to this question varies depending on the weather, type of car, and the age of the battery. Usually, before the battery is dead, the car can stay without driving for a period of one to two months.
Conclusion – Can a Car Battery Be Too Dead to Jump Start
In conclusion, you can still jump-start a dead battery. At the same time, a damaged car battery that cannot hold a charge is entirely another problem.
However, if the issue is just that of a dead battery, then you can get the car running by simply jump-starting it. If there is no other vehicle to help jump-start the car, you can explore the other options discussed in this article.