Jump Starting a BatterySo how do you make a dead battery start? If it is dead, shouldn’t you just replace it? We are going to cover 5 ways to start a dead battery even without jumper cables. I’m willing to bet that most of you have never tried or even considered idea number five!

#1 – Find a Charger

Should you find yourself at home, the obvious first step would be to dig out and connect your charger. I could write countless articles on how and why selecting the proper chargers is important, but let’s keep it really simple: Use a Smart ‘Trickle’ Charger. Using grandpas old 1950’s style automotive charger or some gigantic beast mode charger may actually cause more harm than good.

#2 – Use Jumper Cables

The old tried and true method when stranded out on the road. The problem is, either you have to have a pair with you or you need to wait for a passer-by to come along with a set of cables. And if you do have them, you still need to wait for someone to stop and offer the use of their vehicle and battery.

#3 – Use a Portable Jump Starter

Nowadays, this method is by far the most popular. Everyone likes the idea of a self-rescue! There are two types of jump starters, lead acid based and lithium based. The lead acid jump starters are a little bulky and need to be maintained and kept charged every 30-90 days. Many people forget about them in their trunk and find them deader than a door knob. The lithium jump starters in comparison are 1/10th the size and some can literally fit in your pocket! They can go 6-9 months before needing to be topped off. Plus these little gems get used regularly to keep your smart phone, tablet and game players charged via the 5V USB port.

#4 – The Classic Bump StartThe Push Start or Bump Start

Some of you younger chickens may not have a clue what popping the clutch or a Bump Start entails. But if your car has a manual clutch you can try this technique. If you don’t have a clue what I just referred too, please skip to idea #5 it may be your only hope.

To bump start, you will need some assistance from gravity, like-minded traveling companions or kind bystanders. First, place the vehicle in second gear, turn on the ignition and depress the clutch. Now have your hoard of friends push the car until you reach 5-10 mph. (If you are by yourself, do your best to get your vehicle pointing down a hill and let gravity assist). Once you have reached your desired speed release the clutch to fire the engine and then before the car stalls out depress the clutch again.

#5 – Call Upon a Friend

The TV game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, used to permit contestants to use three lifelines.  One of those lifeline’s was the Phone a Friend where the contestant was allowed a 30 second call to a pre-selected list of friends. This last idea is something everyone can do regardless of skill level. No its not simply pulling out your phone to dial a friend. In fact it does not require a phone at all! But you will need to rely on that mustard seed sized faith to dial up your creator.

!!!WARNING!!! This next bit of content may ruffle some feathers. For those of you that absolutely detest the name of Jesus and can’t stand Christians—authentic or the hypocritical-Sunday-only-pew-pushers—then you may want to stop reading. The following account of how Mr. Armstrong started a dead battery will make you clench your fist, tighten your sphincter, and curse His name all the more. It just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t give you a chance to exit before bringing you to the point of cursing your maker! Plus if you truly hate these Jesus people with that much passion you wouldn’t believe what he shared with us anyways.!!!END of WARNING!!!

But for the rest of you faith filled patrons, or those of you that dare not call it faith and simply have a peeked curiosity, keep reading to discover the ultimate battery LifeLine.

Dead Batteries Alive

by Logan Armstrong

Many try to discredit, deny, and disprove the power of God; however there is a move of God that still occurs in our world today. The miraculous power of Jesus is still alive and well. He is changing people’s lives. Jesus shows his miraculous signs and wonders to prove the power of His gospel and to point you to His endless love. I want to share just one story about the God of miracles and how he moved on the streets of Washington DC. How he made a dead battery come alive!

One afternoon as I walked down the sidewalk I saw an older man with the hood of his car open. He stood there with a puzzled look on his face. He tried desperately to get his car started but just couldn’t. The Holy Spirit immediately told me that I needed to go over and talk to this man. Hesitantly, I stopped and then walked over to the guy. He was looking his car over to see if he could figure out what is wrong. After both of us complete a basic diagnostic (emphasis on basic as I unfortunately do not know much about cars), we come to the same conclusion: It’s the battery. The car won’t turn over. The headlights won’t turn on. The interior lights won’t put forth light. There is no sound when the key is turned. His battery is as dead as dead can be.

Up until this point, I wasn’t much help. And since I was out on a walk, I obviously didn’t have jumper cables or even a car to jump or bump start his dead battery. However, I know Jesus who makes dead hearts alive and cares deeply about every single one of us. So in the quietness of my heart I prayed and asked Jesus to make this dead battery alive.

I asked the man if he would be willing to try starting the car one more time as I prayed. He reluctantly gets behind the wheel and stares at me. I lay my hands on the battery and pray. As I audibly say the word AMEN the man turns the ignition key and the car comes to life! It starts without any hint of trouble! The car battery that was dead was now made alive. To say the guy was blown away may be an understatement. No human explanation can explain what happened, other than the fact that God showed up. This was Jesus, only Jesus.

Jesus is focused on both the physical needs and spiritual needs of a person. He showed up in a mighty way to show his power in this man’s life and my own. All the glory and honor; all the credit belongs to Him and no other. Just as Jesus can make dead batteries alive he wants to jump start your heart so to speak. He wants you to come alive and experience a peace that surpasses all understanding. A sense of belonging that is beyond human words. A love so intense you cannot help but weep tears of joy. He wants to have a relationship with you and is relentlessly pursuing your affection. There is no better moment than right now to call on the name of Jesus.

My Personal Lifeline

So there you have it. Five verified and tested methods to help make your cars dead battery start. I have to admit I like to be prepared for emergencies and have the WEEGO JS12 Lithium Jump Starter in my vehicles. There are several great options and brands to choose from such as Noco Boost. All of the units we carry have passed stringent safety and reliability tests. They are perfect for all of your marine and automotive needs including boats, cars motorcycles, RVs, UTVs and trucks.

I will also stay encouraged knowing I have the ultimate Lifeline with me at all times. When all else fails I can dial a friend that sticks closer than a brother and brings dead batteries to life. On second thought, perhaps I (we) should get in the practice of using this Lifeline before all else fails. You know, before we exhaust all human efforts. I can see the waters parting now...