Questions About How To Jump Start A Car With A Jump Starter

William asks…

I have a 93 ford tempo. my car does not start when i turn the key. i am wonderin how to jump the starter posts?

For weeks now i have had to get under the car and tap the starter with a hammer or stick, and then the car started fine. I was careful not to hit the starter too hard because since I am not a car whiz, I google'd how to do it properly. Earlier today my car wouldnt start and I did the same process, but still the car didnt start. I took a screwdriver and placed it near the starter wiring and the starter made a whirrrring noise. so i dont think its the starter. I appreciate step by step details on how to jump the posts. Thank you

admin answers:

Well if hitting it got it started once or twice then why not replace the starter the first time cause its bad

Helen asks…

Is my car suffering from a bad alternator, starter or something else?

My car is a Mitsubishi Galant 89 model.
Recently it decided not to start up and killing all power with it when attempting to startup meaning not even the clock works. I have checked all the fuses and have found none blown. I have attempted to jump start the car but it still refuses to start killing all power when attempting to start the engine, there is also sparks from the battery terminal in the car. So next I tried disconnecting the battery in the car and jump starting without the car's battery. I can hear clicking now, but still cant get the car cranking up. There seems to be a blackout power drain for a split second when trying to start. I guess the clicking means my solenoids are working, battery not connected means the battery is not at fault.
Does all this isolate it down to the alternator or starter?
How do I test for these?
Thanks
Thanks for all the info so far. Yes it is an old car, I should get rid of it but if the fix is as simple as changing the battery, why not?

No I did not disconnect the battery while it was running, I disconnected the car battery and connected the jumpstart cables directly to the battery of another car whose engine is running.

I get the clicking sound when trying to start the engine with the battery disconnected and the terminals connected to jump start cables connected to the battery of another car with engine running.

I doubt the battery was hooked up backwards because it was working fine the day before with nothing changed and I am familiar with jump starting having done it many times before.

Also what is the definition of a engine turn over? Is it when the engine tries to start with the Ruhhh reving sound? And how do I do it manually?

admin answers:

You just have bad battery cables or connectors. Most jumper cables won't start a car without some help from the original battery.

Ken asks…

My car won't start?? starter?? battery?? i have no idea!!?

I went to hang out with one of my friends and I drove them around everywhere eventho my fuel tank was low but I had faith in it cause I drive a 1995 Nissan Altima, anyways I ran out of gas and left it there overnight, I came back and realized I left the radio on too so I was out of gas and had a dead battery, my sister came, got gas and jumped my car off but the problem now is it wont run unless it's jumped off, like if I turn it off, it's off it wont crack, until someone jumps it off. so what's wrong with my car? how do I fix this?

admin answers:

When a car runs out of gas there is a good chance that it may have sucked dirt that is on the bottom of the gas tank into the fuel filter. With the help of an added battery(jump start) it may start. If you haven't fully recharged the battery that may well be the problem too. Does the car once started and running run ok or is there a loss of power and sluggish performance or balks at highway speeds? Dirty fuel filter will cause that.

Mandy asks…

Why won't my 1985 Lincoln Town Car start up?

I bought a used 1985 Lincoln Town Car and without a jump it won't start. I took it into Shucks Auto Supply and they tested both the battery and alternator. Both were good. They said it might be the starter. I was wondering if it was a bad relay. Car starts up with a jump and drives good but as soon as I turn it off it won't turn over again. Anyone have any ideas of what is wrong and how to fix it? Thanks!

admin answers:

I don't think its the starter i think its the battery I know you said they checked it but if all it takes is a jump to start it then its the battery. Does it start slow and drag when you jump it? If not and it starts right up from a jump i would change the battery before the starter.

Jenny asks…

How to Start Car with Bad Starter?

so i have a 91 ford ranger which i believe the starter is going bad and/or there are bad connectins somewhere....when i turn the key it just clicks. it happened for the second time this evening. first time i was able to start it after umping the battery...though im not sure the jumping actually did anything because the battery voltage tests out good.

so anyways, i was forced to leave the truck at work overnight. my question is, is there anyway that i could manually start it as it sits now, just in order to drive it to a mechanic to get it properly diagnosed?

Or...was there any reason why jumping it might have done the trick last time, other than a dead battery (since i know for a fact the battery is good..)? I tried jumping it this time too, though the working car didnt have the most powerful battery and the owner said that he was unable to jump others in the past while a different car was able too...



Thank You!!!!
oh and yes it is a manual, though being with the way it is parked it would be really dangerous to attempt to push start it, though i guess i could give it a try in a worst case scenario but id really like to not have to go that route....Thanks again

admin answers:

If you happen to have a manual transmission you could try turning the key to on, putting it in second gear, having someone push, and letting the clutch out.

If the starter is going bad sometimes a good tap with a hammer on the starter itself will get it cranking again.

There's no way to know if a battery is good just by checking the voltage. The battery needs to be load tested to determine the amperage it can provide.

Other than that, try a jumpstart again, make sure you've got good connections.

Good luck.

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