If a jump start didn’t work, will a booster work?

Question

Car has been idle for several weeks and came to find it wasn’t starting up. Battery is 1.5 years old and first time it’s died on me.

Tried to jump start it by commecting leads for some 15 minutes but still wasn’t starting. At the end battery was showing 5 volts.

It’s definitely the battery because when we were charging with leads attached the electronics would come on but when disconnected they wouldn’t plus battery reads 5 volts.

since jump starting for 15 minutes didn’t work does that mean using a booster from local garage will not work too and so I need to try a battery charger instead or might a boaster do it?

Answer 1

Sure, a booster can work faster than a jump and be enough to start the engine. Just how fast depends on the amperage of the booster, the capacity (cold cranking amps) of your battery, how extinguished your battery is, and any shorts in your car's electrical system.

By the way, even though it's a relatively new battery, be sure you've checked the water level. Also, it might help a bit to rinse the terminals with baking soda and water to remove any conductive, white corrosion powder.

Answer 2

Dirty battery terminals and posts can restrict the effectiveness of a jumpstart. In this case you are best off to unhook the battery, clean the terminals, charge the battery and then have the battery tested. If it tests bad replace it with a new one. If it tests good then put it back into the car and problem should be solved. If there's still problems then further troubleshooting will be required.

Answer 3

Did your car work prior to being stored ,

Things to consider

• Did your fuel go off , preventing starting -> new gas
• Are there any nests/rodents chewing on wiring harnesses -> check under bonnet
• Are there parasitic loads preventing your car from starting(lights/radio on)->Turn off all accessories
• Is your battery sulfated from not being charged -> Bad battery on load test
• Can your alternator support your electrical system with a faulty battery -> Mechanic has to test
• Is your starter fried -> Do you hear a click when cranking (solenoid to engage starter)
• Is there enough voltage at the starter motor via wiring loom termination.(How fast is the crank , if at all)
• Is the immobilizer engaged?