Need ways to start a car with a dead battery.- 92 Civic Auto.

In article >,
Nate Nagel > wrote:
>Sam Nickaby wrote:
[...]
>> Now, I have a new idea. Once my battery runs dry, I
>> remove my alternator belt and wrap a rope around the
>> alternator pulley. I then pull the rope so it'll turn 10
>> revolutions per pull. I keep doing this for about 20 times.
>>
>> What is the possibility that this will supply enough charge
>> to start the car. If not, can somebody think of a clever idea
>> to start an automatic?
>
>I don't think that a) you will spin the engine fast enough to start it
>or b) that if the battery is dead you will be able to generate enough
>juice while doing as you suggest to power up the engine electronics,
>fuel pump, etc. You *certainly* won't with the alternator belt removed.

If the battery is sufficiently dead you won't be able to spin the
alternator fast enough to get it to self-energize. Even if it were a
manual and you were roll-starting it. If it's not that dead, then
even if you start the car (and unless your name is Herakles you
won't), what good will it do you? You'll have a near-dead battery
which isn't being charged (because you disconnected the alternator
pulley), and the car will most likely die soon after.
--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.

In article ews.net>,
Mike T. > wrote:
>
>Actually, when you start your car ONCE, you have to drive 8 miles before the
>battery returns to it's previous charge state. That assumes that your car
>starts on the FIRST try, and that your electrical system (including
>alternator and battery) is in good condition. For every time you TRY to
>start the car, add another 8 miles for the alternator to recharge the
>battery. Also, that 8 miles is not at idle speed. More like 2000(ish) RPM
>or even faster on many vehicles.

Where do you get that rule of thumb? Time to recharge will depend a
small amount on engine speed, and not at all on road speed, so "8
miles" doesn't make any sense. Second, the amount of current (and
therefore charge) drawn during a start varies widely from car to car
and season to season. The charge rate of the alternator also varies
from car to car. I'd be very surprised, however, if it took as much
as 8 miles @30mph (or even 60mph) to replenish a single start.



--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.

In article >,
Mike Romain > wrote:
>
>That 'used' to work before computers and electric fuel pumps, but I
>found out the hard way that push starting a modern vehicle with a dead
>battery is only good for exercise.

It has less to do with the computer and fuel pump than the alternator
(rather than generator). If the battery is so flat you can't get the
alternator field energized, you won't get spark, so you'll just flood
a carbeurated car trying.

>The booster packs you carry in the trunk appear to work well. Several
>Jeepers I know bring them on bush camping trips so they can run an
>electric cooler without worrying about starting later.

Just make sure the booster pack is kept charged.
--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.

In article >,
AZ Nomad > wrote:
>On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 11:51:26 -0500, Steve W. > wrote:
>>...work. The alternator requires voltage to it before it will generate any
>>power. Spinning it won't make any difference.
>
>Is that really true? How is it possible to push start a car w/
>a manual tranny if the alternator will never put out any current when
>the battery is dead? Perhaps when a battery is "dead", it still has a few
>volts and that is enough for the alternator to operate?

Usually when people refer to a "dead" battery it just means one which
won't start the car -- warning lights come on, radio works, but turn
the ignition and it all goes dark. A manual-tranny car in that
condition can be push-started.

--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.

In article >,
Mike Romain > wrote:
>
>The new ones can even have cranking power left at the 'groaning starter'
>stage and yet still not have enough left to fire up the freakin'
>computers. The new Jeeps are really bad for that.

That's just Ohms law biting you in the ass. They'll run the computer
fine when they aren't cranking the starter. When you close the
starter solenoid most of the available current goes across the low-resistance
path to the starter, leaving not enough left for the computer. You
should still be able to push-start in that case.
--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.

AZ Nomad wrote:

> On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 06:22:53 -0500, Nate Nagel > wrote:
>
> >Sam Nickaby wrote:
> >> I have been thinking of a good way to prevent stranding
> >> myself from a dead battery. It happened twice. Once at a
> >> beach from leaving my lights on. The other was at a college
> >> campus which the stereo and the dome light ran down the
> >> battery. Unlike the beach, the college campus have lots of
> >> helpful students with beat up cars that have jumper cables.
> >> Now, I have a new idea. Once my battery runs dry, I
> >> remove my alternator belt and wrap a rope around the
> >> alternator pulley. I then pull the rope so it'll turn 10
> >> revolutions per pull. I keep doing this for about 20 times.
> >>
> >> What is the possibility that this will supply enough charge
> >> to start the car. If not, can somebody think of a clever idea
> >> to start an automatic?
> >>
> >> Thanks
>
> >I don't think that a) you will spin the engine fast enough to start it
> >or b) that if the battery is dead you will be able to generate enough
> >juice while doing as you suggest to power up the engine electronics,
> >fuel pump, etc. You *certainly* won't with the alternator belt removed.
>
> >If this is of real concern to you, I would get one of those "booster
> >packs" and keep it in the trunk; alternately, get one of those gizmos
> >that straps to the battery that will cut the power to the vehicle when
> >the battery is significantly (but not fully) discharged - the idea is
> >that there should be enough juice left for one good crank after you
> >reset the thing.
>
> Better yet, how about if you quit running the battery down? I had a period
> of time where I'd frequently let my lights run down the battery when it
> rained. I'd have the headlights on in the rain and then forget to turn the
> lights off. My solution then was to put a relay in series with the headlight
> switch that switched them off with the ignition.

Many modern cars do this anyway.

Graham

Matthew Russotto wrote:

> In article >,
> Mike Romain > wrote:
> >
> >That 'used' to work before computers and electric fuel pumps, but I
> >found out the hard way that push starting a modern vehicle with a dead
> >battery is only good for exercise.
>
> It has less to do with the computer and fuel pump than the alternator
> (rather than generator). If the battery is so flat you can't get the
> alternator field energized, you won't get spark, so you'll just flood
> a carbeurated car trying.

******** !

The alternator doesn't come into play *unitil the engine starts*.

Graham

Pooh Bear wrote:
[headlamp reminder chime]
> Many modern cars do this anyway.

The '84 Prelude I used to drive had this feature. I wonder why a '92
Civic wouldn't.

ed wrote:

> Battery switch.................

If the OP could remember the use of switches we wouldn't even be having this
discussion.

Graham

In article >,
Pooh Bear > wrote:
>
>
>Matthew Russotto wrote:
>
>> In article >,
>> Mike Romain > wrote:
>> >
>> >That 'used' to work before computers and electric fuel pumps, but I
>> >found out the hard way that push starting a modern vehicle with a dead
>> >battery is only good for exercise.
>>
>> It has less to do with the computer and fuel pump than the alternator
>> (rather than generator). If the battery is so flat you can't get the
>> alternator field energized, you won't get spark, so you'll just flood
>> a carbeurated car trying.
>
>******** !
>
>The alternator doesn't come into play *unitil the engine starts*.

Under NORMAL conditions, yes. When you're push-starting, not so;
you're running the car off the alternator.



--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.