EMERGENCY- How to fix my battery, left lights on....

LuckyStar

I left the lights on in my car and now the battery is flat and the car won't start, the engine just revs but not enough to start, how do I fix it???? My dad has jump leads?? It says in the car manual that it takes 24 hours to recharge the battery but my dad says if you jump it and then let the engine run for a while it will be fine??? It's a 97 Punto 1.2 60SX, I really wanted to practise my driving today!!! Help!!!

Stephen

Your car's manual should have a section in it on how to properly jump start it. Some modern cars can be touchy about it but I imagine it will be straightforward enough on a 97 Punto. Driving the car for an hour or two after you get it started should be enough to charge it up. It might take 24 hours to charge if you're using some kind of plug-in electrical charger to charge it in your garage.

LuckyStar

yeah i think thats what the manual meant...

I really wanted to practise my driving today so I'm not hapy at all and the fact I know diddly squat about cars doesn't help!!!

Is jumping a car bad for it? Will it damage my radio? Or the alarm? The previous owner put them in the car, I don't know where the alarm switch is.

Nightwish

My last car (Clio) had to be jumped regularly when I first bought it, as I never drove it which lead the battery to die. The car manual said something similar, that it would take a few hours to do it. In the end it took 15 mins using 1 cable (the current to the car only) and I got my boyfriend to take it for a good long drive, once it got started.

Stephen

Jumping it will probably cause the alarm to activate and its possible it might make your radio lose its stored channels. There shouldn't be any damage though, unless you leave it in gear or something Assuming you have the fob for the alarm you can just blip it off when it starts sounding.

merritt

Jumping isn't a big deal at all. I had to do it so many times this summer, but then I realised that the battery was ten years old and needed to be put to sleep.

But even on the old battery, leaving both cars running for a couple of minutes followed by a little spin did the job!

LuckyStar

Stephen wrote: »

Jumping it will probably cause the alarm to activate and its possible it might make your radio lose its stored channels. There shouldn't be any damage though, unless you leave it in gear or something Assuming you have the fob for the alarm you can just blip it off when it starts sounding.

No, I don't know if I do, my key doesnt have any buttons on it...
I might not even have the alarm switched on, I usually just lock the doors, the car has central locking. I have only driven the car a few times so I'm not that familiar with it but looking at the manual, the alarm is switched off at present. I have never parked the car anywhere else but at home and my dad's car blocks mine from the road so I haven't looked at the alarm yet.

Anan1

Just to be safe, why don't you push start it? Have someone push you as fast as they can. If you're near or on a hill, better again. With the ignition on, depress the clutch fully, put the car into 2nd and let the clutch out sharply. As soon as the engine starts, dip the clutch and rev. You're away.

MarkR

Jump starting is easy. Once it's started take it for a spin. Park it bonnet out (just in case) when you're done just in case you need to jump start it again.

Anan1

You know, I was just thinking there - if the OP knows nothing about cars and is only learning to drive then it might not be a great idea to put them in a situation where they could stall and be unable to restart the car in traffic. Maybe the dad should take it for a good spin first once it's going.

LuckyStar

Anan1 wrote: »

Just to be safe, why don't you push start it? Have someone push you as fast as they can. If you're near or on a hill, better again. With the ignition on, depress the clutch fully, put the car into 2nd and let the clutch out sharply. As soon as the engine starts, dip the clutch and rev. You're away.

that sounds a bit advanced for my driving skills, freewheeling down a hill would frighten the life out of me!!!

PixelTrawler

I've had to jump a punto a few times and recently had to jump a flatmates car off my own car there last week.

Its very easy
Put the leads on in a certain order and take them off in reverse order
e.g +Car1 +Car2 -Car2 -Car1 (closing the circuit). You might get a wee spark closing the circuit. When you get your car started, rev it a little for a minute or two, shut off the second car and remove the leads in reverse order.

Idle your car for 10 mins or so - you have to make sure if you take it out on the road, and if you stall, it will restart on its own. Test this before you set off, at least if it wont start you can jump it again

If you google on line you'll find guides

I've never had a problem with alarms or the radio losing station

(Disclaimer: Im no expert, this is just what I have done a few times, and if you fry your car, dont blame me:))

PixelTrawler

Anan1 wrote: »

Just to be safe, why don't you push start it? Have someone push you as fast as they can. If you're near or on a hill, better again. With the ignition on, depress the clutch fully, put the car into 2nd and let the clutch out sharply. As soon as the engine starts, dip the clutch and rev. You're away.

Just off topic
I know the procedure but how does it work. What kicks the engine back into life when you let out the clutch....

LuckyStar

My dad jumped my car off his and said to leave the engine running for half an hour and then it should be fine, fingers crossed...

peasant

Joebloggs4817 wrote: »

Just off topic
I know the procedure but how does it work. What kicks the engine back into life when you let out the clutch....

By letting out the clutch, you're reversing the normal process. Normally the engine drives the wheels, in this case the wheels drive the engine.

You're substituting the non working starter motor with the weight and momentum of the rolling car. Once the engine turns (and there is enough power left for a spark) it comes back to life again

Capt'n Midnight

For push starts it's easier if you leave the car in a high gear, 4th or 5th but you have to push the clutch in instantly the engine cuts in. Also free wheeling down a hill is good too.

it takes 24 hours to charge the battery with a trickle charger. Bigger chargers are faster and as the others have said a good half hour steady driving will get it fairly full. Stop start driving isn't as good. As your dad said half an hour idling will do it too, IIRC truning on the head lights means the alternator has to work a little harder and so charges the battery a bit faster - though I could be totally wrong, also you may forget to turn off the lights again.

Push starts are bad for catylitc converters because of the petrol spilt into it.
If a car battery is fully discharged that is bad for it , shortens the life drastically or may even kill it. Once you are are up and running again, park on a hill. Then start the car twice to prove the battery has at least two starts in it. You can use the hill start if it don't and then get a new battery, most good motor factors can test the old battery for you.

pred racer

its always a good idea not to connect the earth to the negative batt terminal but to an exposed metal part of the engine/body, Ive been told that by connecting to the batt terminal you run the risk of shagging the ecu in the car you are jumping from!(doesnt make any sense to me as ground is ground and they are all connected but its a simple precaution to take and new ecu's are expensive;))

PixelTrawler

peasant wrote: »

By letting out the clutch, you're reversing the normal process. Normally the engine drives the wheels, in this case the wheels drive the engine.

You're substituting the non working starter motor with the weight and momentum of the rolling car. Once the engine turns (and there is enough power left for a spark) it comes back to life again

Cheers, kinda what I was thinking but wasnt sure

colm_mcm

OT but:

Don't the lights on FIATs turn off when you turn off the ignition?

andyeire

colm_mcm wrote: »

OT but:

Don't the lights on FIATs turn off when you turn off the ignition?

Yes the only way to leave lights on is to press button just above key slot and turn key backwards.Maybe the battery is knackered.

LuckyStar

It wasnt the outside lights, it was the light on the inside near the mirror.

The car was OK in the end, good old dad fixed it, I took it for a drive then for 20 mins and it was grand, thanks for all your help guys!!!