Safe Speed Forums

Can this be done? I've heard you can't.

It can be done, it's just that the clutch tends to dislike it. Especially in first gear.

Can I use jump leads instead? From a 1.6 Astra to a 2.2diesel Espace?

I took the question to mean jump-starting as in just connecting jump leads to another vehicle to get the engine started, which is fine. The higher compression on diesels tends to result in the starter current being higher than with a gasoline engine though, so heavy duty jumper cables would be a good idea to minimize voltage drop.

Thanks very much Paul.

If you can, let the engine charge the Espace battery for a while before you tun the key, and dont leave the doors open with the courtesy light on while you are waiting - the Espace has more bulbs than some!

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Yes indeed. I left the door open after taking one of the kids out last night. That was the cause of the flat battery. Thanks for the tips.

As Paul has already said, yes, it can be done. We do it all the time at work when batteries go flat. "Bump" (or "push" starting diesels is also possible but harder work than petrol engines. Also agree with Paul's advice on heavy duty jump leads AND try to keep them as short as practicable to minimise voltage drop. Leaving doors shut and everything off to minimuise electrical drain for a few minutes while the "donor" car chargers the battery of the jump-ee, as Ernest suggests, is also a good idea.

Should I keep the Astra's engine running while charging? Or does it not matter?

Be VERY carefull when hooking up the jump leads to enure you are going + to + and ground to ground. The colouring for the cables on many cars these days can be ambiguous and I come across many that have been reverse connected!

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

After you've started the diesel car its own alternator will be providing charge current for the battery, so you can disconnect the jumper cables.



I noticed that when helping somebody out with a jump a while back. Both cables looked a very murky brown (is that "light" black or dirty red?). Check the battery terminal markings carefully.

Also, jumper the positive terminals first, then connect the negative lead to the negative terminal on the good battery, and make the final connection on the dead vehicle to a solid part of the engine. Remove cables in the reverse order.

(This assumes a modern negative-earth vehicle. Obviously adjust as needed if jumping to an old positive-earth system.)

Keep the Astra engine running whilst starting the Renault to give maximum boost to the donor battery!

Bump started a Transit minibus once... HARRRRD work. If you're jump starting with jump leads I would keep the astra engine running while you have it connected, just watch when you go to start the engine as an alternator has a lower internal resistance than a battery, so you end up with the alternator trying to start the engine which isn't good for it. Personally I run the engine the whole time and haven't done any damage yet. Don't short the leads

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Mike

That item re Transit -Espace battery is under bonnet ,isn't it - Transit one is under driver seat --which makes it very hard work trying to start it using link under the bonnet -twice I've had to get straight on battery -same cause internal lights left on .
When connecting jump leads -try and connect non earthy lead first and last if possible - (if both are eg negative earth which most are now a days) lessens risk of arcs and splashes.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Read the astra user manual. The one at work (53) specifically states not to jump start another vehicle off it.

Huh? The rectifiers in the alternator will prevent current from the good battery flowing back into the stator windings, just as they prevent current from the vehicle's own battery doing so when the engine is stopped.

The old dynamo could act as a motor and turn the engine, but even then it wouldn't happen during any normal jump start. You'd either have to hold the cut-out closed or have some similar fault for that to happen.

I looked online, and this is the official Astra Handbook online. Pages 196 and 197 apply.
http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vx/static/content/pdf/ownersManuals/Cars/Astra/AstraSept2002.pdf
Full of warnings re. connection sequence, danger of igniting gasses etc. but nothing that says dont do it.

It might be a later mod. or different model, but I cannot think of a reason not to jump start providing all usual precautions are followed.

There are devices which plug into the cigarette lighter socket - anyone any experience of these?

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

I use this to trickle charger that i put a cigar lighter plug onto to top the battery up especialy over the winter. The problem is that many cigar lighter sockets are not permanantly live so you would have to leave the ignition on to charge the battery which defeats the object. If you want to check see if the cigar lighter works with the key out.

I also have one of these....


Well worth the money.

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Speed camera policy Kills

They'll work for charging the vehicle battery, but you can't draw enough current through the cigarette lighter to jump start a vehicle -- The starter just needs too much current.

Is having the cigarette lighter powered via the ignition switch common on newer European cars? Every American car and every older British car I've ever owned has had the lighter wired permanently live.

My Peugeot 307 has a permanently live socket in the back, and the front one goes off with the ignition.
Just as well, as I use a 12 volt cool box in the boot!

The Espace had a space for a bigger battery (did on my L reg one) and to be fair it really needed it. There is too much electrical equipment for the standard one in winter - heater, lights, demister, wipers, engine cooling fan, and loads of courtesy lamps etc.

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!