[Closed] can i bump start a car even if i cant get the ignition light to come on

Yes, provided the alternator is outputting then the car will run on that and start to charge the battery.

Thanks,

how can i tell the alternator is outputting , cant get the ignition to tick over if thats any help

Yes, but don't even attempt to get your GF to bump start it - women just seem totally unable to do it. She'll have to push whilst you sit in the driver's seat and shout words of encouragement.

Good Luck

think the alternator is gone absolutely no power

Be very careful - if I remember correctly bump starting can damage a catalytic converter. Not a prob obviously if you haven't got one though.

if the car has an immobiliser and the battery is so utterly flat that you can't get anything at all to work (no internal lights, or radio etc) there might not be enough power for the computer to 'read' the chip in the key - so the engine wouldn't start even if you did try to bump it

**i think**

i await being told that this ins't the case!

its a 2000 vw lupo research ( internet)has come up with diffferent things
can jump start without alternator
cant jump start it without the alternator

whats the truth, can i handle the truth

you can jump start it. Don't worry about the alternator comment, that was for after you've got it going. I would be a bit wary of bump starting it as it can damage cats if I remember rightly.

Is there enough power to unlock the steering lock solenoid?

try jumping it first. you'll have to push it a long way to get a battery that flat anywhere near enough life into it to avoid it sucking up everything the alternator has to offer. have the other car hold 3000rpm for a minute or two, then see if you get ignition lights, if so go for it. it may still not start though if the battery is REALLY knackered it may not go even with another source of juice.
good luck.

What Del said. The rest appear to know heehaw.

having left lights on myself once or twice - you have two hopes of push (bump) starting it. and one of them is dead.

not only will you need a jump, but a set of crappy thin leads from hellfrauds may not even do it.

put yer hand in yer pocket, pay the nice man, learn your lesson.

Unlikely you'll be able to start it. Couldn't bump start our Ibiza when we left the interior light on for a month and we live at the top of a VERY big hill.

If its as flat as a pancake its unlikely you can bump start a petrol, an older D maybe due to mechanical pumps etc, but the petrol will likely not even have enough juice to fire a spark and the alt wont kick in until the engine is up to idle speed. Bearing in mind your starter will turn it at ~250rpm theres no hope you can push it at 800+ 🙂

Get yourself some jump leads and a spare car, watch out for the leads melting and fire the slave car up as soon as poss, and take it for a good run. Keep your hand lightly on the leads at the connection points to the clamps, if they start to feel hot, pull one off and let it cool, repeat a few times - letting the lead cool will stop it melting but allow a decent bit of juice to be transferred to the battery.

The comments about not bump starting due to cat are vaguely valid but generally not an issue without repeated long bumps.

ok thanks everyone i also live at the top of a big hill and reckon i could get the car upto 25 mph but i might buy some decent leads tomorrow to be on the safe side

Don't try and bump start it if it has a catalytic converter!
Bump starting will/may introduce petrol into the exhast system
with is very bad for the cat, or at least that is what they told me.

Just get the jump leads! But,

Get yourself some jump leads and a spare car, watch out for the leads melting and fire the slave car up as soon as poss, and take it for a good run

coffeeking, since when has it been possible to bump start any diesel? I thought they were unbumpable...

Petrol NO chance .. need power to generate a spark etc and in order for the alternator to charge the engine must be running but in order for the spark the alternator must be working .. best case it will start and stall very quickly thereafter.
Diesel will bump depending on how the fuel is controlled(mechanical pump and no elctric solenoid) you can actually do this without a battery attached if you want!!!! the compression of Diesel is what ignites it and it does not require a spark or electrical power ... the fact the diesel engine is cold though means you are unlikely to start it in the real world but you would on a very big hill.

coffeeking, since when has it been possible to bump start any diesel? I thought they were unbumpable...

Bump started my transit a couple of weeks back and it's been fine...

Wait for your MOT emissions test before being so confident grasshopper.

edit: read things properly before replying samuri

coffeeking, since when has it been possible to bump start any diesel? I thought they were unbumpable...

I have bumped my diesel even with veggie oil in the tank, and even without enough power to light the glow plugs. It took a few goes though and we had to tow it up the hill of which I live at the bottom a few times. Pain in the arse, and it only worked once, didn't work another time we tried it.

I've also bumped a small petrol car (old skool one tho sans electronics) on a very small hill. The battery was flat enough not to click when I turned it on, but still got it started.

lupo is now going thansk to some borrowed jump leads

thanks

coffeeking, since when has it been possible to bump start any diesel? I thought they were unbumpable...

You thought very wrong 😀 We had a dicky battery on an old diesel, we used to use the 2m steep drivespace behind teh car to bump it in reverse each morning to save stressing the battery lol.

If any car was going to be bumpable it would be a D, as it is compression ignition - all you need is a little fuel in there and sufficient piston speed to compress it before the charge leaks past the rings and it'll go bang 🙂 More modern D's require the electrics to be running and the high pressure pump to be turning so they're a bit more picky, but still possible with a run up.