If you see a car on the side of the road whose battery is dead, the first thing that you might want to do is offer to jump-start their car for them. This will give them the power they need to get to an automotive shop to get a new battery.
Well, what if that car that you are driving is a Tesla? It is said that these cars can not be used to jump-start another car, so do you try it, or do you find another solution?
According to the Tesla owner’s manual, you can not use the Tesla engine to jumpstart a regular vehicle due to the low-voltage batteries in electric vehicles. If you were to use your Tesla to do the job, then you risk damaging your engine.
However, there could be other ways to help out a fellow driver in need. So, we will cover the reasons why you should not attempt to jump-start another car with your Tesla and how you can possibly help them out without needing to damage your vehicle.
Why Can’t You Do This
The reason why you are unable to jump-start another vehicle lies with the engine of the Tesla vehicle. An electric vehicle comes with a low-voltage battery instead of an internal combustion engine that doesn’t work at the same high-power level.
The electric car engines do not have the same level of power as regular combustion engines, so they are not powerful enough engines to jump-start the car. If you attempt to do it, you will actually be causing damage to your engine because it doesn’t have the power it needs.
However, although you cannot use a Tesla to start another vehicle, you could use a car with a regular engine to jump-start a Tesla. This is because the combustion engine has enough power to start the electrical vehicle without taking damage.
What Can You Do To Help
You don’t want to just leave someone on the side of the road who needs help, but you also can’t ruin your car’s engine to get another person’s car running. So, is there anything that you are able to do to help them out?
Well, if you are in an area where there might be other cars along the road, then simply offering to help them flag down another car that would be able to jump-start their car for them can be enough to lend a hand.
Or, if you have access to a roadside car service, you could give them a call and have them jump-start the other car. This might take more time, but if it is a time when few cars are on the road, it might be your last option.
Also, if someone is broken down on the road, they will likely be happy that you are willing to help out at all that they will not mind too much that it will take a while.
However, what if you two are on a street that doesn’t usually have much traffic, or it is late and hardly anyone is out on the road anymore? Well, there is something that you can keep with you to ensure that other drivers can get back on the road.
Lithium Ion Starter
If you want to make sure that you have the equipment to help others when you see them in need, then you do have the option to keep a lithium-ion jump starter on hand. This tool is essentially a small battery that comes with cables for jump-starting a car!
This will work much like hooking up a battery from your vehicle, except that the cables will attach the dead battery to the lithium-ion one. Leave the cables on for a few minutes, then try to start the car.
If the car does not start all the way, turn it off and keep the lithium battery attached for a few extra minutes. Once the car has started, you can remove the cables from the ion battery and from the vehicle.
This is a small tool that you can keep in the trunk of your car if you want to be able to help other drivers out. However, a decent jump pack like this can cost a pretty penny, so you might want to weigh your options.
Getting a smaller, less durable option might work for just emergencies and they will cost less than the high-end choices. However, if you want to have one that you keep for years, then spending more on a high-quality battery might be your best option.
Can My Tesla Be Jump Started By A Regular Car?
A Tesla engine can not be used to jump-start a combustion engine, but a regular engine can be used to jump-start an electrical vehicle. This might seem a bit strange that it does not work both ways, but that is the case.
The Tesla engine does not have the power needed to jump-start a combustion engine, but a regular engine has plenty of power to jump-start an electrical vehicle. It is a much easier job for a powerful engine to give a low-voltage engine the power it needs to start.
However, it can be a tough job when you need to get the front trunk open, but you do not have any power. But there is a way to do it!
To start, you will have to open take the tow eye cover off. Once you have done this, reach in and extend the black and red wires.
You will then take the cables from your Tesla and attach them to the power source on the other person’s car. This will allow you to open the hood so that you can jump-start your car.
Then, you will be able to jump-start your car just like any other with the cables hooked up from black to black, and with the red to the other red cable. Wait for a few minutes before attempting to start your car.
If the car does not start right away, then keep the cables on for a few more minutes before trying to start it again. Once your Tesla is on and running, carefully remove the cables one at a time.
You should also not make any stops until you get to your destination to ensure that your battery will not fail to start a second time. It is better to drive a bit longer and allow your battery to start charging itself again so it will not stop on you again.
Don’t Take Any Chances
If you take a look online, you will be able to find videos or articles about Tesla owners who have successfully jump-started other vehicles. This is misleading and can cause other owners to attempt to do the same thing.
However, it should be reiterated that a Tesla is not made to jump-start combustion engines. This is because they will take damage to the engine.
Even if people have claimed to have done it successfully in the past, it does not mean that their engine has not suffered. So, it is important to not listen to everything you see or hear, and do not take any chances.
This is a nice car, and you do not want to spend good money on it only to have to spend more trying to fix a damaged engine because of an issue that could be avoided.
So, if you want to be able to help people out on the road, get yourself a lithium-ion battery that will let you start their car, but that will not hurt your engine in the process. Or, if you do not have one, offer to help flag someone else down.
This is the best that you can do in this situation without risking your vehicle, and you do not want to be the next person stuck on the side of the road.
Do you?!
Final Words
Taking care of your Tesla is a major part of owning an electric car that does so much for you and the environment. The Tesla brand has been known for its high-quality vehicles and the innovative technology used to make them what they are today.
However, you need to make sure that anything that you attempt to do with your car is something that is actually feasible, especially for the specific model you have.
While helping others is clearly important, you don’t want to do so at the risk of damaging your own vehicle. Unless of course, you’re Elon Musk and just trying to show off 😉
Knowing what your vehicle’s limits are will keep you from doing anything that will put your engine, or any other part of your car, at risk of being ruined.
Although there are some people out there that swear that this can be done, you should follow the official Tesla manual that clearly states that jump-starting another car should not be done.
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