What to Do When Your Car Has No Power?
2 Answers
Here are solutions for when your car has no power: 1. Push-starting: Push-starting depends on the situation, as not all road conditions are suitable. Generally, a downhill slope in front of the car makes push-starting much easier, helping the vehicle accelerate; whereas an uphill slope makes it exhausting and difficult to gain speed. When using this method, be sure to avoid busy roads with many vehicles and pedestrians to prevent accidents after the car starts. 2. Towing-starting: This method is similar to push-starting and is also commonly used, but towing with another vehicle is often much easier and more convenient. During operation, use a tow rope of appropriate length and secure both ends firmly. Before towing, the drivers of both vehicles should agree on signals for operations, such as honking or hand gestures for starting and stopping, to ensure coordination. 3. Jump-starting: To use the jump-starting method, you first need to have a set of jumper cables in your car. Then, all you need is to ask another vehicle on the road for help to restart the battery.
I just went through this recently. One freezing winter morning, I was in a hurry to drive my kid to school when turning the key yielded no response at all—even the dashboard lights were dead. I immediately called my auto repair guy, who told me to first find a neighbor's car for a jump start: Prepare red and black jumper cables, park both cars nose to nose, connect both batteries' positive terminals first (red clamp), then link the rescue car's negative terminal to the dead car's engine metal frame (black clamp). Start the rescue car and rev the engine slightly, then start your own car. Once it fires up, drive immediately for half an hour to recharge. It's best to keep an emergency jump starter in your glove box—one about the size of a cigarette pack that plugs in for self-rescue. The worst is when the battery completely dies; generally, you should replace it every three years or so, otherwise sudden breakdowns become likely.
