What to do if the Wuling Hongguang won't start due to a dead battery?
2 Answers
First, shift the gear to second, turn on the ignition, press the clutch, and have another person push the vehicle, trying to get it moving as fast as possible. At this point, the person in the driver's seat can release the clutch pedal, turn the key to the ignition position, and if the car feels like it's started, immediately press the clutch again.
Having driven for over a decade, it's quite common for small vans like the Wuling Hongguang to experience battery drain and fail to start. Last time at a highway rest stop, I forgot to turn off the headlights, resulting in a no-start situation. The solution is to find a kind soul to help with jumper cables: take two cables, attach the red clamp to the positive terminal of the helper's battery, and the other red clamp to your own battery's positive terminal; attach the black clamp to the helper's battery's negative terminal, and the last black clamp to a metal part of your engine or chassis. Let the helper's car idle for a few minutes, then turn the key to start. Once successful, don't turn off the engine—drive for about 20 minutes to recharge. Battery drain can happen for various reasons—forgetting to turn off electronics, cold winter temperatures, or an aging battery. Always keep a set of jumper cables in the car to avoid being stranded at night. If it happens frequently, it might be time to replace the battery, or the alternator output could be insufficient; take it to a repair shop for a voltage test, which costs just a few dozen bucks to sort out.
