Can You Jumpstart a Car With a Welder

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Using welder to jumpstart car, will try.

Discussion in 'Electronic Basics' started by Tibur Waltson, Dec 25, 2003.

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1. Could I jump-start my Ford Escort with a 16VDC welder? Actually, the welder
   is 32VAC, 100-amp, but if I hook up some diodes, maybe? Or maybe it's not a
   good idea? But just hypothetically, would it work? I wake in the morning
   with a dead battery and late for work. It's impossible to wait five hours
   even on a strong charger. And I can strip the welder for parts. I might
   consider getting a 100-amp charger/starter but maybe next paycheck? .Will it
   work?
   TIA
   Tibur

2. Not recommended. ECU modules are quite fussy about the voltage they receive
   and they are expensive!

3. If your intention is to utterly fry your electrical system
   (including your engine control computer), then yes, it will work
   admirably well. Be standing by with a fire extinguisher, though, if you
   want to salvage what will be left of your car.

   If you have to jump-start, then use the proper equipment and
   procedures. Welders are for welding, period.

   --
   Dr. Anton Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute
   (Known to some as Bruce Lane, KC7GR)
   kyrrin a/t bluefeathertech d-o=t c&o&m
   Motorola Radio Programming & Service Available -
   http://www.bluefeathertech.com/rf.html
   "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (Red Green)

4. A new battery will be a lot cheaper than a new car!!
   I think I smell smoke!

5. Dunno about smoke, but I'm pretty sure I'm catching a whiff of troll...

6. Each time a car battery goes dead it loses about half of its capacity...
   So if its been dead several times a recharge won't help becasue it won't
   hold the charge becasue its lost capacity..
   Buy a new battery, Auto Zone will sell returns for about 1/2 price and
   they're good!
   Because they carry a guarantee..
   good luck
   hank wd5jfr

7. "Don Bruder" Well, yeah, ..but I have three cars that says "DO NOT SUPPLY MORE THAN 18V,
   Or your electronics will be DAMAGED." stuck to the hood. That means 16V is
   still 2 volts less than the danger zone. Well, anyway considering what most
   of you said, I ought to go and get a real equipment designed for it since car
   computers aren't cheep.

9. Could I jump-start my Ford Escort with a 16VDC welder? I don't know about Escorts, but one thing I liked about Fords in the past
   was the way they mounted the starter solenoid up on the fender well.

   In theory, if you disconnected the large-gauge wire which goes to the starter,
   you could connect the external source to that wire.
   If the battery had enough oomph to pull in the solenoid and run the ignition,
   you could start the car without any risk of excessive voltage
   running through the rest of the electrical system.

10. That solenoid up top, like they used to do it some years ago, sure made them
    easy to hotwire too!

11. "JeffM" Wow, okay, I'll try using some alternator diodes if that's alright. Let's
    see what happens. Thanks.
    Tibur

12. ...if you disconnected the large-gauge wire which goes to the starter Alternators are rated < 42 amps.
    Starters can pull > 100 amps.

13. Continuously, and many automotive alternators are well above
    this. 60A+ isn't unusual and 100A isn't unheard of.
    Intermittently. 60A diodes shouldn't spontaneously combust after
    a few seconds of 100% overload.

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Can You Jumpstart a Car With a Welder

Source: https://www.electronicspoint.com/forums/threads/using-welder-to-jumpstart-car-will-try.3565/

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