Does Revving the Engine Help Jump a Car?

When your car battery dies, it can be frustrating and inconvenient. You may be wondering if there’s anything you can do to jump-start your car without having to call for help.

One common suggestion is to rev the engine of the donor car while the jumper cables are connected. This is said to help increase the alternator’s output and provide more power to the dead battery.

However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. In fact, revving the engine can actually do more harm than good.

Why Revving the Engine Can Be Harmful

• Increased wear and tear on the engine. Revving the engine puts extra stress on the engine’s components, including the pistons, crankshaft, and bearings. This can lead to premature wear and tear.
• Increased fuel consumption. Revving the engine also increases fuel consumption. This is because the engine is using more fuel to produce more power.
• Increased risk of engine damage. In some cases, revving the engine can actually cause damage to the engine. This is especially true if the engine is already running at a high RPM.

What You Should Do Instead

If you need to jump-start your car, the best thing to do is to follow these steps:

1. Park the donor car close to your car. The jumper cables should be long enough to reach both batteries.
2. Turn off the engines of both cars.
3. Connect the jumper cables in the following order:
   • Red cable to the positive (+) terminal of the dead battery.
   • Red cable to the positive (+) terminal of the donor battery.
   • Black cable to the negative (-) terminal of the donor battery.
   • Black cable to an unpainted metal surface on the dead car.
4. Start the donor car.
5. Wait a few minutes. This will give the donor car’s alternator time to charge the dead battery.
6. Try to start your car. If your car starts, remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that you connected them.

If you follow these steps, you should be able to jump-start your car without having to rev the engine.

Conclusion

Revving the engine does not help jump a car. In fact, it can actually do more harm than good. If you need to jump-start your car, follow the steps outlined above instead.