If the alternator goes...?

Question

If the alternator goes bad on a standard (stick), will (I think this is what it's call) push start work? I'm not sure I'm using the right words...so its when you push the car while someone else tries to start it....

I have a saturn, who's altenator died on me today and I was wonder if this method would still work to start the car...

Thanks

Thanks...I need to know because I broke down at a fast food place...and I need to get my car (at least) home. Its not 5 mins away from home...but I don't think I can push it... It has powersteering, which makes it next to impossible to turn while moving...when the car is off or in this case dead.

GRRR..I guess I'll have to have it towed...

Answer 1

i wanna know what planet your on where you found a saturn with a stick. tho, i'm glad i'm not the only nut that shifts his own gears. charge the battery and limp the car to an autozone to change the alternator. that battery should run the engine for about 90 minutes no problem


a push start goes like this:

driver sits in car, turns the key to the run position, puts it in highest forward gear(5th i believe for yours, my truck was 3rd) and holds clutch down. another person gently taps another vehicle, perferably a truck, to the rear of the dead car and pushes it to about 30MPH. they then back off. this is where the person in the dead car makes sure the key's in run and dumps the clutch. if that thing's gonna start, that'll do it. when i bought my truck, i had to do this due to a locked starter

Answer 2

The alternator is a generator that generates electricity for the car's various systems to run on. It is not just there to keep the battery charged so that you can start it. If you push start your car it may well start but it won't run for long before it will misfire badly and stop. If it's a newish car and computerised it won't run properly at all because the system voltage will be too low and the computer will see this as an error and not work properly. If your car stops whilst you are driving you will lose your power brakes and power steering, which is potentially dangerous. I'm afraid you need to get your alternator fixed before you drive the car. Jules, Automotive lecturer. Australia.

Answer 3

Well if your alternator went, it would not matter if you push started it, because it would eventually use up the battery and quit running. You need the alternator to make the car run, the battery's sole purpose is to start the car when it is not runnig, once started the alternator takes over the power supply and charges the battery. So to answer your question, yes you can push start it, but it will only run until the battery goes dead. You must replace the alternator.

Answer 4

Push start will have no purpose in this situation. All batteries have a certain amount of hours(not much) left if the vehicle was solely relying on the battery for electrical power. Alternator basically works by giving the battery a certain amount of voltage with the use of a voltage regulator. Once you completely turn the charging system off, you have nothing to rely on except the battery.

Answer 5

it may start if there is still some charge left in the battery and even get you to the nearest auto store to buy a new altenater, but that is it! The new alt. will and does recharge the battery every time you drive the car and the engines RPM's reach 2000+, That's when the alt. kicks in( it takes a lot of energy to turn that motor from a dead stop and still send enough electricity to each spark plug to turn the engine on). Then it (alt.) supplies all electricity.

Answer 6

Technically i your alternator is the root of your evil (er, problem), a push start won't work. Push starts are best reserved for dead batteries and busted starters.

Answer 7

handle it carefully... it is worthy

Answer 8

if done correctly