Those who have cars and are addicted to them know how vital the alternator is. It transmits mechanical energy into electricity, so you can start your car. An alternator will charge your car’s battery so you can keep going without having any issues.

However, a bad alternator is one of the most common problems that happen to everyone, and in that case, you need to find some ways how to fix the issue to start your car.

I found out that most people ask the same question, and they want to know whether they can jumpstart a car with a bad alternator. Let’s find out, shall we?

Can You Jumpstart a Car With a Bad Alternator?

Yes, you can jumpstart a car with a bad alternator. However, you should know that this is a temporary solution and it won’t last for too long.

The alternator is the main thing that keeps your car’s battery charged, and if the alternator is bad, then it is obvious that your car won’t have a sufficient battery for going long distances indicating that you need to change the alternator or fix it somehow.

Basically, once you jumpstart your engine it is better to go to a mechanic and try to fix the problem completely.

Cars need constant energy generation, and if the alternator is bad, means that your engine won’t be able to get the required energy, so it might stop again, and you have to do the same process over and over again.

However, if you don’t know the ways how to jumpstart a car that has some alternator issues, you’re not alone, a lot of people don’t and I’ve been one of those people. So, let’s see what are some of the ways to jumpstart a car with alternator issues.

Also Read: Can I Drive With A Broken Motor Mount?

What Is The Best Way To Jumpstart A Car With A Bad Alternator?

There is a common way that most of us use whenever we are dealing with this issue. Believe me, it is one of the best ways to jumpstart a car that doesn’t have sufficient battery. Accordingly, you need to transfer energy from another vehicle to be able to jumpstart your car.

I want to say that it is not rocket science, and it is a very simple process, yet again you should know the proper way how to do it. Keep in mind that it will be only a temporary solution, and you can drive the vehicle only for some miles.

Also, you must ensure that the engine you will use to transfer the energy needed should have a great alternator for this whole process to function. Here I will mention the steps you should follow to jumpstart the car.

Best Method: Use A Car Jump Starter

My favorite: AUTOGEN Car Jump Starter

Even though we will mention two methods for jump-starting a car, the best method is using a car jump starter. The thing is, you won’t always have another car near you to assist you with getting electricity from a healthy battery. So, having a car jump starter will be beneficial even if you are on the road all alone.

Personally, I keep the AUTOGEN Car Jump Starter with me wherever I go, so if any problems occur in the future, I have a way of jump-starting my car without the assistance of any other car.

It’s relatively cheap considering the fact that you won’t need to buy another car jump-starter for another 7-12 years. You only get to use the car jump starter rarely, so it won’t really break, tear or wear in any way.

Anyhow, let’s now see how to jump-start a car with the help of another car that has a healthy battery.

Try To Find An Engine Which Has A Healthy Battery

First and foremost, if you can’t start your engine and you know that the issue is related to the alternator the first thing you need to do is find another engine that has a healthy alternator indicating a great battery.

This is essential because the power transfer will be from the other car, so it must have a charged battery to be able to charge your car. Otherwise, things won’t work well and you will end up without being able to jumpstart your car.

Also Read: How Far Can One Go With an Overheating Car?

Connect the Engines With Adequate Cables

What you need are jumper cables, so you can connect the dead and healthy battery and transfer the power your car needs. However, once you have all of the equipment required, then just start the process. The most important thing is that you must know how to attach the clamps properly.

Always attach the red clamp to the positive end of the healthy battery and the other red clamp to the positive end of the dead battery.

Next comes the black clamp, which you need to attach to the negative terminal of the battery that you use as an energy source, and the other black clamp to the metal part which doesn’t have any color.

Let The Healthy Battery Engine Run for At Least For 3-4 Minutes

Once the connection of the cables is finished, it’s time to let the car which you use as a source to charge your car to let run for at least three to four minutes.

Ensure that the car that needs to get charged is turned off; after 4 minutes of charging, try to start the engine. If you still can’t start the car, it indicates that it needs a little bit more power, so you need to wait for another four minutes, then try to start the engine again.

Make Sure That All The Accessories Are Turned Off

If you want your car to get charged properly, then ensure that all the accessories are turned off. By turning off those accessories, your car will be able to get the power it needs for those necessary components that are vital for starting the engine.

Start Your Engine And Go To A Mechanic

If your jumpstart process is successful, then it is always better to drive to a mechanic and try to fix the issue since this is only a temporary solution, and it won’t last for too long.

Also Read: Can Low Oil Be The Cause for The Car To Not Start

Final Words

Jumpstarting a car with a bad alternator won’t have any drawbacks, and you can do it whenever you are dealing with such an issue, yet you need to know that it is only a temporary solution. An alternator is a vital part of an engine that keeps it charged so you can drive for too long.

If the alternator is bad, then you need to contact the mechanics and let them fix the issue, so you can drive safely without dealing with many problems that might happen. This was all, and I hope that you liked this post and found the answers to your queries.