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Can you start a car without jumper cables if the vehicle has a low battery?
Some friends and I are camping for the week and I wanted to make a mid-week run to the grocery store to grab a few things we forgot. Unfortunately, the car wouldn’t start when we went to leave. I think the battery is low and we don't have jumper cables. Can you start a car without them?
Jack Walsh · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Having a low car battery and being unable to start your car can be frustrating, especially without jumper cables.
If your car has a manual transmission, follow the below steps:
- Position your car on an elevated surface or have some friends give you a push to gain momentum
- Turn on the ignition and shift your car into second gear
- Once rolling, release the clutch quickly
- If it doesn’t start, press the clutch over and over again
If your car has an automatic transmission, the push-start method used on manual vehicles will not work. Instead, you need to:
- Find a portable charger to recharge your car battery
- Call a friend or find someone with jumper cables to give you a start
- Call roadside assistance
Hopefully, one of these methods will work before having to call a roadside assistance service. However, if you have to call a roadside assistance service, you should check to see if your
towing and labor coverage
covers the cost.If you don’t have this coverage, consider adding a roadside assistance membership through
Jerry
. Jerry partners with Urgently for an industry-leading roadside assistance membership for as little as $4.16 a month.View full answer
- Gregory R.
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