Most vehicles can’t work without a battery. Gas cars, electric cars, and even hybrid cars all use batteries to power their electrical components. These typically include accessories like the radio, the headlights, and various safety systems such as alarms.
Unfortunately, batteries will run out of power if they’re not sufficiently charged by an alternator. One way to recharge a dead battery is to jump-start it.
But can you jump a car with a hybrid engine?
Can You Use Jumper Cables on a Hybrid Car?
Yes, you can use jumper cables on a hybrid car the same way you can use jumper cables on a regular vehicle.
It’s best to check your vehicle owner’s manual in case your specific vehicle requires any additional steps before recharging the battery. Not all hybrid cars are built the same way, and some might require special steps for jump-starting.
How to Jump-start a Hybrid Car Battery
Jump-starting a hybrid car isn’t all that different from jump-starting a regular car. Here are the equipment and steps the process usually involves.
What You’ll Need
- Your hybrid car
- Jump starter
- Jumper cables
- (Optional) Donor vehicle with a charged car battery
Steps to Jump-Starting a Hybrid Car
- Prepare your jump-starter and get the jumper cables ready. Alternatively, prepare the donor vehicle for power transfer. Do not turn either of these on yet.
- Park your hybrid vehicle in a safe, secure place and set the parking brake to keep it still. Ensure that all accessories powered by electricity are disabled and turn off the ignition.
- Lift the hood of your vehicle and secure it with a prop rod to access your hybrid car’s battery.
- Locate the positive and negative terminals of the car battery. The positive terminal will often be colored or marked while the negative terminal can be found on the unpainted part of the chassis.
- Connect the red/positive cable to the positive terminal and connect the black/negative cable to the negative terminal.
- Turn on the jump starter or start the donor vehicle.
- Turn on your hybrid car. Power from the jump starter or the donor vehicle should transfer.
- Let the engine run to power the alternator. Once the engine is running, you can remove the cables from the source, followed by the cables attached to your vehicle.
Tips to Extend Your Hybrid’s Battery Life
Some ways to ensure your hybrid’s 12 volt battery lasts as long as possible include cleaning its terminals, preventing parasitic draws, and refraining from leaving the car parked for too long.
Clean Your Terminals
Some batteries will corrode their terminals worse than others, and when they do, you can typically see greenish gunk and flakes on its terminals. These contaminants increase electrical resistance and make the battery work harder than it needs to.
Watch Out For Parasitic Draw
Sometimes, accessories (especially aftermarket ones) will passively drain power from your vehicle even when they’re not in use. To prevent parasitic drain, disable or unplug accessories when they’re not in use.
Don’t Leave Car Parked Too Long
Keyless entry and anti-theft systems draw power from your vehicle even when your car is parked and not in use, so don’t leave your vehicle on standby for too long.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about jump-starting hybrid cars.
Can you use a hybrid to jump another car?
While it is technically possible to use a hybrid to jump another car (whether it’s a hybrid or not), it’s strongly recommended to avoid doing so. Hybrid cars aren’t designed to jump-start other vehicles. The battery is too small and doesn’t have enough amperage to adequately charge other cars.
What happens when a battery dies in a hybrid?
When the battery of a hybrid car runs out of power, the vehicle will start drawing power from the petrol engine. This means fuel is burned, powering the vehicle until the battery is recharged.
Can a hybrid still run with a dead battery?
Yes, a hybrid can still run with a dead battery. If the battery cannot power the hybrid, it will draw power from the petrol engine. These vehicles are called hybrids because they combine the characteristics of electric cars and gas cars to create a new category that uses both electricity and fuel.
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