How To Charge a Car Battery With Another Car?

Car batteries play a crucial role while driving. It supplies power to the electrical parts of the vehicle. It’s even worse if you face a dead battery problem on the road. So, how to charge a car battery with another car if it’s not getting started?

First, check out the battery and line connections. Then open both car hoods while facing them face-to-face. Now attach the positive ports to the positive side of the batteries. Do the same for the opposing sides but use a ground metal for the dead battery. After charging, do a test drive.

Before you try to fix the dead battery issues, you should be aware of the causes of a dead battery. If you don’t know why and how to fix them, hop in to discover some easy fixes.

Reasons For Charge Loss Of A Car Battery

Several reasons are responsible for fast charge draining from a car battery. It’ll help you find a solution faster if you’re aware of these causes. So, without wasting time, take a quick look at these reasons behind the charge draining of a car battery.

Headlights ON

Headlights use a considerable portion of the battery charge. So, if you leave it overnight, it’ll drain the car’s battery faster. But doing it continuously can kill the battery over time.

Music System ON

You’ll enjoy a quality drive with some fantastic music. However, using it without any reason can drain the battery. Surprisingly, the music system can drain the battery like the headlight.

Using For Charging Purposes

Don’t we use the car as a charging source to charge our smartphones? Well, we all do it. But charging our phones while the ignition is off can significantly hamper the car’s battery charge.

How To Charge Car Battery With Another Car?

Charging a car battery using another car isn’t a tough job. However, it might be an issue if you don’t recognize the lines and connections. It’s an even more significant issue for fresh drivers.

Tools Needed

Collecting these essential tools before charging your car’s dead battery would be best. Then follow this step-by-step guide after you’ve collected all the necessary tools.

• Jumper Cables
• Hand gloves
• Car with a fully charged battery

Step 01: Check Battery Condition

First, inspect the battery to find any cracks or leaks around the battery. Use hand gloves while checking.

Step 02: Inspect The Cable Connections

Next, inspect the cable joins carefully. Clean these lines thoroughly if they are rusty. You can use a brush to clean the rust around the joints.

Step 03: Take The Charged Battery Car To The Dead Battery Car

Now, drive the functional battery car near your car. Keep both these vehicles in the same direction or nose-to-nose. Maintain enough distance so that you can attach the jumper lines accurately.

Step 04: Turn Off Operating Car’s Engine

Please turn off the charged battery car’s engine after parking it near the non-functional vehicle. Remember to keep a proper distance before turning off the engine.

Step 05: Open Car Hood

Now, take off the hoods of both cars. Then, locate the batteries. According to experts, parking the vehicle nose-to-nose helps to charge the battery efficiently and smoothly.

Step 06: Confirm The Positive And Negative Side Of Both Batteries

After opening the hoods, find these batteries’ positive and negative sides. Generally, positive sides are marked by ‘+’ while opposing sides are marked by ‘-.’

Step 07: Attach The Cable’s Positive Terminal To Both Batteries Positive Side

If you fail to identify the positive side of the cable, it’s the red one. Attach the jumper line’s positive terminal to the dead battery and the other one to the charged battery. Please don’t change this pattern; otherwise, it might affect the charging process.

Step 08: Connect The Cable’s Negative Sides To A Grounded Metal Of The Vehicle Containing The Dead Battery

Before joining a negative terminal to the grounded metal, connect the black jumper cable to the dead and charged batteries. Then, you can attach the cable to a grounded metal, the chassis, or the vehicle’s frame.

Step 09: Turn On The Charged Battery Car’s Engine

The dead battery will start charging once you turn on the charged battery’s car engine. The jumper line will do this job quickly. Wait for at least 5 minutes till the dead battery gains a little charge.

Step 10: Turn On The Dead Battery Car’s Engine

Now, start the dead battery car’s engine. It’ll start instantly when it’s gained enough charge. If it doesn’t start, wait for 5 to 10 minutes. Then try to start the engine again.

Step 11: Remove The Lines

Detach the jumper line from both vehicles. To avoid accidents, disconnect the ground cable. Then go for the negative and positive sides, respectively, of the charged battery. Finally, take out both sides of the line from the dead battery.

Step 12: Drive The Car

Finally, switch on the dead battery car’s engine and run it for at least 5 minutes. Then, drive your recently charged car for 20 minutes. If it fails to charge the battery properly, it may be time to install a new one.

Safety Measures To Maintain While Charging The Car Battery

It’s not surprising that accidents may occur while setting up the cars for the charging process. Drivers trying to charge their car’s dead battery face more accidents than experienced drivers.

These safety precautions will help you to charge your car’s battery using another vehicle safely.

Use Protection

Put on gloves and eye protection before starting the charging process. These clothes will save you from acid leaks and sparks.

Confirm The Voltage

The batteries must have the same voltage. Otherwise, the vehicle’s electrical parts can get damaged severely due to voltage differences.

Remove Jewelry

Remove any jewelry you wear while charging your car’s battery. It’s pretty elementary; you’ll get an electrical shock if you wear any jewelry. Also, make sure the vehicles aren’t touching each other.

Read The Manual

Go through the manual carefully to find an alternative positive side. Using another port while charging the battery using another car is safer. Remember to connect the positive side first.

Avoid Touching Clamps

Never touch the clamps when your car is running. Also, avoid facing the battery while attaching the clamps.

Avoid Carburetor Connection

You should never attach the negative port to the carburetor, fuel cable, or frame. Connecting the negative side of the dead battery might create sparks. So, don’t attach the negative side to the dead battery.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

You might wonder about the charger types, the safety of the other vehicle while charging, and various unknown things. We’ll clear some of your mysteries in the frequently asked question section. So, follow carefully to clear your doubts.

Should I Charge My Car’s Battery Or Jump-start It?

You should charge your battery if you’re thinking of long-term service. But in an emergency, you must jump-start your vehicle’s battery ASAP.

However, jump-starting might damage the battery if there’s any leakage in the cables. On the other hand, charging the battery won’t affect the battery’s lifespan.

Is It Safe To Charge A Car Battery With Another Car?

Yes, charging your car’s battery with another car is safe. Remember to charge the battery with another car in the garage. You won’t have to drag the electric lines outside the garage while charging it around your home.

Can A Trickle Charger Charge A Car’s Dead Battery?

No, a trickle charger can’t charge a dead battery. These chargers work at low voltage and run around 0.4 to 0.8 amp.

But you can use them when you’re not using the car. It’ll prevent further future battery-related issues. If you drive a vintage car and want it to last this winter, use a trickle charger.

What Type Of Charger Should I Use To Charge My Car’s Battery?

There are three types of chargers you can use to charge your car battery.

A linear charger takes up to 12 hours to properly charge the battery. You can use a trickle charger if you’re concerned about safety. Meanwhile, a multi-stage charger will charge the battery faster than a linear and trickle charger.

Is A Multi-stage Charger Better Than A Linear Charger?

Of course! A multi-stage charger is far better than a linear charger. A multi-stage can charge the battery in an hour. It doesn’t damage the battery like linear chargers keeping the battery health up to the mark.

Bottom Line

A dead battery can be a severe problem on the road. You can fix it in your garage with the proper knowledge and tools. However, it’s tough to fix them on the road.

We hope the analysis on how to charge a car battery with another car has guided you properly in charging your car’s battery. Try to use a charger that is compatible with your car.

Remember to maintain both vehicles’ voltages the same to keep the electronic devices safe. Ask for immediate help if you face accidents while charging the car battery.