to jump-start / bump-start a car

[milan2003_07]

Hello everyone,

Sometimes it happens that a car's battery won't start because of low temperature outside for some period of time or because a car hasn't been used for quite a long period of time. I've faced this situation twice, it happened last winter and I had to call an emargency car service to help. If a battery isn't charged enough, the engine won't start. What do you call the action of giving charge to a battery from another car? I've found "to jump-start" or "to bump-start".

Please, correct my sentences below, if necessary (I've made up these sentences myself):

1. All January I didn't use my car at all, and when I needed to go to the country, I realized that my car wouldn't start. I called a road service to jump-start / bump-start my car.
2. It was very cold outside and his car broke down on the highway. He asked another driver, who was moving the same way, to jump-start / bump-start his car.
3. I bought special devices to jump-start/bump-start my car and other cars.

 

[Tarheel]

You jump start the car with cables for that purpose.

 

[probus]

I've never run across "bump start" and don't think it exists. When a car won't start two possible methods are jump start and push start. Both may work if the problem is insufficient battery power to crank the engine.

 

[tedmc]

You jump-start a car with a jump-start cable connected to another battery (as in a cable jumping to another battery). I haven't come across "bump-start" either.

 

[5jj]

I used to jump start my old banger with leads from another battery, and bump start it with people pushing me.

 

[emsr2d2]

@milan2003_07 (and the other mods), I've moved this thread back into Ask A Teacher from General Language Discussions, at the OP's request. The first half of post #1 would have been well suited to Gen Lang, but this sub-forum is much more appropriate for the second half. The OP has been made aware that it would have been better to ask the original language question in Gen Lang, wait for responses, then ask for comments and corrections to their own sentences in Ask A Teacher.

Back to the question - yes, we can bump start cars here in the UK. Ideally, you point the car on a slight downhill slope, put the car in second gear, turn the key in the ignition, depress the clutch, and take off the handbrake (or, on the flat, get a couple of people to push). Once the car is moving at 5-10mph, keeping your foot lightly on the accelerator, engage the clutch to (hopefully) pop the car into life! As soon as it fires, engage the clutch to avoid stalling. (I suspect the reason this term is barely used in AmE is that the vast majority of cars there are automatic, not manual.)

A jump start uses cables from one battery to another. In the UK, those are called "jump leads". However, they're less common now because quite a lot of modern cars don't have the kind of battery to which such cables can be connected.

 

[Skrej]

Back to the question - yes, we can bump start cars here in the UK. Ideally, you point the car on a slight downhill slope, put the car in second gear, turn the key in the ignition, depress the clutch, and take off the handbrake (or, on the flat, get a couple of people to push). Once the car is moving at 5-10mph, keeping your foot lightly on the accelerator, engage the clutch to (hopefully) pop the car into life! As soon as it fires, engage the clutch to avoid stalling. (I suspect the reason this term is barely used in AmE is that the vast majority of cars there are automatic, not manual.)

It's common enough in AmE, but we use 'push start' instead of 'bump start'. I think I may have heard it rarely referred to as 'clutch starting' as well, but not in my region.

Downhill slope? Pfft - amateur. Try it on flat slopes. For added challenge, try pushing the vehicle yourself AND hopping in to pop the clutch. It's great for developing your calves, hams, and quads. The trick's to push on the frame just inside the driver's side door. If necessary, you can free up a hand to steer when you inevitably push off center.

 

[emsr2d2]

Downhill slope? Pfft - amateur. Try it on flat slopes. For added challenge, try pushing the vehicle yourself AND hopping in to pop the clutch. It's great for developing your calves, hams, and quads. The trick's to push on the frame just inside the driver's side door. If necessary, you can free up a hand to steer when you inevitably push off center.

I had the fun experience of doing exactly that with my first car, much to the amusement of the three builders who sat on their scaffolding and watched!

 

[milan2003_07]

I've never run across "bump start" and don't think it exists. When a car won't start two possible methods are jump start and push start. Both may work if the problem is insufficient battery power to crank the engine.

Everything is clear. The only question is about "crank an engine". I've looked it up in online dictionary. Does it mean the same as "to start an engine"? I also know that a engine can start when the temperature outside is below zero, and the dictionary suggests "cold start" or "cranking". Does "to crank an engine" refer to starting the engine in cold temperatures?

 

[milan2003_07]

I used to jump start my old banger with leads from another battery, and bump start it with people pushing me.

The explanation is very clear. Does "banger" mean an old car that has been used for a long time?

The way we use external cables is the way you've described (and some other participants of our discussion). I've used it twice because last winter is was quite cold in St.Petersburg where I live and I didn't use my car for a long time. However, I didn't ask another car's driver, but called a special service and they jump-started my car. After the engine had started I was told to sit in the car for about an hour and heat(?) it. Then everything was OK.

 

[5jj]

The explanation is very clear. Does "banger" mean an old car that has been used for a long time?

Yes. It's welll past its glory days.

 

[Skrej]

Everything is clear. The only question is about "crank an engine". I've looked it up in online dictionary. Does it mean the same as "to start an engine"? I also know that a engine can start when the temperature outside is below zero, and the dictionary suggests "cold start" or "cranking". Does "to crank an engine" refer to starting the engine in cold temperatures?

'Cranking' refers to the process of turning the engine over until it has enough momentum to continue on its own. It has nothing to do with temperature, although extremely cold weather can make it difficult for the engine to crank.

The early versions of the internal combustion engine required you to manually crank a handle outside the car to turn the engine over. It's a fairly laborious process, as you can watch here. Although we now have electric starters to perform the task, we still use the term 'crank'.

You turn a key in the ignition, which sends an electrical signal to the starter, a small motor which then cranks the engine over several times until it has enough momentum to continue on its own.

 

[Skrej]

The explanation is very clear. Does "banger" mean an old car that has been used for a long time?

Yes. It's welll past its glory days.

It's what we'd refer to in AmE as a 'clunker' or perhaps 'jalopy', although I think the latter term may be somewhat dated.

 

[SoothingDave]

Modern cars don't allow you to start by popping the clutch. They prohibit the car from having the spark to start unless the clutch pedal is pressed in.

 

[milan2003_07]

It's common enough in AmE, but we use 'push start' instead of 'bump start'. I think I may have heard it rarely referred to as 'clutch starting' as well, but not in my region.

Downhill slope? Pfft - amateur. Try it on flat slopes. For added challenge, try pushing the vehicle yourself AND hopping in to pop the clutch. It's great for developing your calves, hams, and quads. The trick's to push on the frame just inside the driver's side door. If necessary, you can free up a hand to steer when you inevitably push off center.

I'm very interested in the language and, in particular, technical English and therefore I'm wondering about some technical terms. Does "pop the clutch" mean that you press it many times with some short interval between the pressings?

What is "calves, hams, quads"? I can't find an appropriate translation for these words. Does it refer to some car mechanisms?

 

[Tarheel]

What is "calves, hams, quads"? I can't find an appropriate translation for these words. Does it refer to some car mechanisms?

That changes the conversation from cars to the human body.

calves - calf muscles
hams - hamstrings
quads - quadriceps

 

[SoothingDave]

No, "popping the clutch" is when you release the clutch with the car moving in order to try to get the engine started.

 

[Skrej]

Does "pop the clutch" mean that you press it many times with some short interval between the pressings?

The action you're describing would be referred to as 'pumping'.

We typically wouldn't pump the clutch, but one might pump the brakes or the accelerator. AmE uses the term 'gas pedal', often shortened to just 'gas', so without context one might easily confuse 'pump the gas' (rapidly press the accelerator) with 'pump the gas' (refill your vehicle with gasoline, aka BrE 'petrol'). Typically we'd say 'pump gas' or 'pump some gas' for the latter, but the definite article is quite possible in the right context.

Conversely, instead of 'pumping' the gas/brakes/horn, you might 'hit' the gas/brakes/horn, meaning one long, hard steady push.