If my alternator is dead, can i use jumper cables to start my car?

Question

If my car broke down and I suspect the alternator is broken, can I use jumper cables on the battery to start my car to get it home? Is this possible?

Answer 1

sure! your jumping the battery, not the alternator. but if the alternator is,nt working, you won,t get too far.

Answer 2

yes you can get it running to get home but any time you shut the car off you will need a jump even after replacing the alternator you may have drained the battery enough that you will need another jump to restart. then let the car run for awhile to charge the battery up  

Answer 3

It's possible if you leave the jumper cables on for awhile so your battery can charge enough for you to get home. I've heard of fully charged batteries lasting for an hour of driving, then the car just dies. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.  If you have AAA, you can get your car towed at no cost to you, to either your home or your favorite repair shop. I didn't get AAA for years, and had to have my car towed 40 miles once. ONCE. lol And, for future reference, if you have a newer (1990 and up) car/truck you mustn't put in the new alternator and then jumpstart your vehicle in hopes of the alternator charging your battery. Todays alternators don't work that way. You will cause your new part to fail if you try this. Charge your battery to full before you install your new alternator, or replace the battery if it's too far gone to bring back to full charge. I hope this helps.

Answer 4

only if the battery has enough power for short time.battery does not charge it self.if your battery is dead the altenator will carry a charge so it can run.but with no alt to keep a charge no.

Answer 5

Yes, but you'd drain your battery in the process. If it's a short trip, you shouldn't have a problem. Your alternator is what recharges the battery, so to conserve power, don't run other things like the air conditioner or radio. The engine doesn't need a lot of power to make a spark, luckily, but before you drive off, keep the jumper cables connected for awhile and try to charge the battery as long as you can.

Answer 6

You can use jumper cables to charge the battery enough to drive the car for a short distance.  You'd have to let it charge for quite a while, then drive it for only a very short time; as soon as the battery is dead, the car will die again too.  This won't be very good for your battery, however; and it would be safer just to have the car towed home.