Car Parts and Accessories

As every motorist knows, the chances that a car will refuse to start or refuse to keep going are greatest when:

• You are already running late.
• You have just had it serviced.
• It is raining.
• You are wearing your best clothes.
• You are on a Clearway, alone, at the height of summer, in peak hour, with a semi-trailer behind you and a month’s supply of frozen food in the boot.

Even in better circumstances, it is no fun having a cranky car, so it is worth knowing a few tips that could get you out of an inconvenient and often embarrassing situation.

Today’s cars are complicated. Most rely on electronic circuitry and computers for such things as the fuel-injection, ignition, automatic gear changing and even braking in some models. This puts most repairs beyond the abilities of the roadside amateur mechanic. Some models are even out of the scope of normal mechanics and require specially trained technicians.

Fortunately cars are more reliable than ever before and there are still some vital components which are ‘user serviceable’.

The peak season for cars which refuse to start is winter, due to the dampness and the additional strain on the electrical system caused by cold oil within the engine. In such a case, when the starter motor turns the engine unenthusiastically and it won’t fire, the easiest solutions are ‘jump starting‘ and ‘clutching it’, both of which require a helper. Cars with automatic transmission cannot be clutch started.

By far the most common method of getting a hard-to-start car into action is by ‘jumping’. This method is useful only when the car’s battery is flat and does not help if another problem — such as a faulty ignition system — is the culprit.

Jump starting is the technique of coupling an outside fully- charged battery to a flat one in order to operate the starter motor and get the engine going. The first requirement is a set of jumper leads. These can be purchased at virtually any automotive accessory store and at the sort of service Stations that still concentrate on cars instead of hiring out videos and selling groceries. Jumper leads are virtually essential equipment for motorists.

Having obtained a pair, the first step is to manoeuvre the healthy car to a position where its battery is within reach of the sick car’s battery. If this is not possible take the battery out of the healthy car and move it into position.

The leads are then applied, but connecting the batteries is dot a matter for trial and error. And it is very important that the leads do not touch each other.

A set of jumper leads normally consists of a black lead and a red lead. The safest way to connect these leads is to first determine whether the sick car’s battery is negatively or positively earthed. This can be done by following the battery leads and seeing which one is ‘earthed‘ to the body and which is connected to the starter motor. (If in doubt, check your Owner’s Manual.)

If the car is negatively earthed, first connect the red lead between the positive terminals of the two batteries, that is, those marked with a ‘ sign. Then connect one clip on the black jumper lead to the negative terminal (marked `-’) of the healthy car battery. The other end of this black lead should be earthed on the sick car, preferably by fixing the clip on to the engine or some exposed metal under the bonnet. The further away from the fuel and battery the better, because a spark could ignite any flammable gas.

You now are ‘connected‘ and ready to attempt to start the car. The reason for this reasonably elaborate procedure for connecting the jumper leads (in the past it has been simply a case of negative to negative and positive to positive) is because of some recent mishaps caused by batteries giving off fumes. These fumes can be ignited by a spark — a situation which could also arise if you connected the wrong terminals.

Furthermore, the electronic systems which control the engine management, ignition, sound equipment and other systems are vulnerable to expensive damage if you get the leads wrong.

Most batteries have the terminals clearly marked, but there are other considerations to make before jump starting a car. These include:

• Ensure both batteries are of the same voltage (all new cars have 12-volt systems. A few old Holdens, VWs and other makes are 6-volt). Do not ‘boost’ a 6-volt battery with 12 volts and vice versa.
• Do not smoke in the vicinity of the batteries.
• Turn off all electrical accessories on both cars.
• Make sure the cars are not touching or connected by any electrical conductor, such as a metal towing cable.

When you are satisfied everything is ready and the batteries are connected, start the engine of the healthy car and use the ignition key of the sick car to attempt to start its engine.

Use minimal throttle until it fires. Then give a few blips of the throttle and satisfy yourself that it will keep going before disconnecting the leads. Once again, make sure the leads do not touch each other while you remove them.

Keep the engine running until you get wherever you are going. When you arrive it is worth parking on a hill (if it is a manual car), in case the car is going to be difficult to restart. This will allow you to ‘clutch it’ without a helper.

As soon as possible have the battery fully charged at home or at a service station.

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