Do You Rev the Engine When Jumping a Car?

Introduction

When your car battery dies, you may need to jump-start it. This involves using another car’s battery to provide power to your car’s starter motor. Once the starter motor is engaged, it will turn the engine over and start the car.

Some people believe that you should rev the engine when jumping a car. They argue that this helps to get the engine started and prevent it from stalling. However, there is no evidence to support this claim. In fact, revving the engine can actually do more harm than good.

Why You Shouldn’t Rev the Engine When Jumping a Car

There are several reasons why you shouldn’t rev the engine when jumping a car:

It can damage the starter motor. The starter motor is designed to turn the engine over at a specific speed. Revving the engine can cause the starter motor to spin too fast, which can damage its internal components.
It can damage the alternator. The alternator is responsible for charging the battery. Revving the engine can cause the alternator to produce too much voltage, which can damage its diodes.
It can flood the engine. Flooding the engine occurs when too much fuel is introduced into the cylinders. Revving the engine can cause the engine to suck in too much fuel, which can lead to flooding.
It can cause the engine to stall. If the engine is not properly tuned, revving it can actually cause it to stall.

How to Jump-Start a Car

To jump-start a car, follow these steps:

Park the two cars close together. The cars should be close enough so that the jumper cables can reach from one battery to the other.
Turn off both engines.
Connect the jumper cables. The red cable should be connected to the positive terminal on the dead battery. The black cable should be connected to the negative terminal on the good battery.
Start the good car. The good car should be running for at least a few minutes before you attempt to start the dead car.
Try to start the dead car. Once the good car is running, try to start the dead car. If the car starts, let it run for a few minutes to recharge the battery.
Disconnect the jumper cables. Once the battery is recharged, disconnect the jumper cables.

Conclusion

Revving the engine when jumping a car is not necessary and can actually do more harm than good. If you need to jump-start a car, follow the steps outlined above and do not rev the engine.