How to Use a Car Air Pump Without a Cigarette Lighter?
2 Answers
Generally, dual-cylinder air pumps use the car battery for power supply. Connect the power cord and use the alligator clips to attach to the positive and negative terminals of the car battery—black for negative and red for positive. For a dual-cylinder air pump, first connect one end of the extension tube to the black high-pressure hose of the pump. Then, attach the nozzle at the other end of the extension tube to the tire's threaded valve. After placing the air pump on a flat surface, turn it on. When the gauge reaches the appropriate tire pressure for your car, stop the pump to complete the inflation.
I just had this issue last month when the cigarette lighter broke and I urgently needed an air pump. I ended up removing the cigarette lighter plug from the air pump, exposing the wires to connect directly to the car battery. You'll need a long wire—red to the positive terminal and black to the negative. Make sure the car is turned off during this process, and avoid letting metal tools touch both terminals at the same time. Later, I realized it's better to buy an air pump with alligator clips, which is much more convenient than the cigarette lighter plug. Once, when I got a tire pressure warning in the countryside, I used this method and had the tire inflated in 10 minutes. Now, I always keep jumper cables in the trunk—they’re handy for jump-starting someone else’s car in an emergency. However, the voltage can be unstable after connecting to the battery, so remember to disconnect immediately after inflation.
