Jump started my car... with my bicycle!

[RobertSmalls]

I guess I was way more tired than I realized last night. I parked the car, unloaded my luggage, then went back out to write down the mpg for the trip. Well, I left the keys in the car all night... with the ignition "ON". Woke up this morning to 4V on my 12V battery, and a car that would not start.

So I rolled by bicycle over, and hooked its tiny little 12V illumination system battery to the Insight's battery cables with 16 gauge wire. Turned the key in the ignition and it fired right up. Then I hooked my Optima Yellow Top back up and took off. I got predictably terrible mileage as I used gasoline to charge my two batteries.


The DC/DC converter runs until the high voltage battery is almost empty, then it thankfully shuts off and allows the 12V battery to deplete itself. To recover from two flat batteries, you need the engine running to recharge the HV battery. But to start the engine, you need a few amps of 12V to power up various computers. But to turn on the DC/DC converter, you need a tiny amount of current to kick over a few relays and whatnot. So that's why a Honda hybrid can be jump started with a 9V battery, or a bicycle.

[bryn]

love it.
in my mind i had an image of you riding your bike towing the insight with someone in the front seat waiting to pop the clutch

[Old Mechanic]

I had a 58 Volkswagen that would occasionally just not crank. It was still 6 volt. Finally found an old VW mechanic who knew how to fix it, two solenoids in series circuit.

In the 6 months it took to finally figure out a cure that would make the key actually start the car. I bought a Tecumseh lawn mower engine spool and put it between the adjustment washers on the generator. 4 winds on a rope and voila, a pull starter.

Ign on
Blip throttle once for some fuel
Set timing so it did not backfire when you pull started it
Wrap cord around spool 4 turns
Place foot on right bumper guard
PULL!

regards
Mech

[ShadeTreeMech]

...how big are your arms again??? I'd be able to push start a bug I reckon, but not pull start it!

[bgd73]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

I had a 58 Volkswagen that would occasionally just not crank. It was still 6 volt. Finally found an old VW mechanic who knew how to fix it, two solenoids in series circuit.

In the 6 months it took to finally figure out a cure that would make the key actually start the car. I bought a Tecumseh lawn mower engine spool and put it between the adjustment washers on the generator. 4 winds on a rope and voila, a pull starter.

Ign on
Blip throttle once for some fuel
Set timing so it did not backfire when you pull started it
Wrap cord around spool 4 turns
Place foot on right bumper guard
PULL!

regards
Mech

hilarious...
my mom drove one around with no clutch.. I don't know how she did it either.
pop her in gear and jump down the road.
the manual start could be why the old ford inlines attempted 3 main bearings...
it is a bit more difficult today.
I still whirl over a 1781cc subaru by hand when it comes time for repairs, timing belt , playing with distributor. It goes with the steretype that the engine is small... even after mentioning displacement. Frictionless does seem smaller doesn't it?


for the battery, if needing a charge, I have a tiny charger that cranks the amps.. was given to me as errored or even broken. Lucky error...

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

The DC/DC converter runs until the high voltage battery is almost empty, then it thankfully shuts off and allows the 12V battery to deplete itself.

Actually, it doesn't work that way, at least in my experience. If you have ignition or ACC on, the 12-volt battery can drain even though the IMA battery stays fully charged, at which point you can't start the car even by push-starting.

That's also a reason to keep an eye on the state of the 12-volt. If it gradually goes bad, you won't notice in normal driving, until one night you see the DC/DC converter stops working, the engine starts misfiring, and you coast to a stop. New 12-volt battery, and problem goes away.

[dremd]

Awesome story!

I jump started my Supra once with my 24 volt Scooter.

I have started a Air cooled VW engine with a 1/2" ratchet on the alternator pulley, running correctly they fire up on first compression stroke. It took me a few years t realize that all of the sound equipment was killing the "lifetime warranty" alternators, what can I say, I was in high school.

[Boydness]

Originally Posted by bryn

in my mind i had an image of you riding your bike towing the insight with someone in the front seat waiting to pop the clutch

I pictured exactly the same thing!

[Grimm]

Very cool. Sure beats push starting it.

[Old Tele man]

Originally Posted by bryn

love it.
in my mind i had an image of you riding your bike towing the insight with someone in the front seat waiting to pop the clutch

...that was my mental visualization too!