How to jump-start a hybrid car battery

Charlotte Phillips, 1 month ago

3 min read

How to
Battery
Car ownership
Electric vehicles

WhoCanFixMyCar explores how to jump-start hybrid car batteries.

Being faced with a dead battery is never ideal, and the thought of dealing with a dead battery in a hybrid car might add some extra anxiety to the problem for you. However, dealing with this problem is easier than you might think.

Contents
Can a hybrid car be jumped?
Is jumping a hybrid different from a petrol or diesel?
How to jump-start a hybrid car battery
FAQs

Can you jump-start a hybrid car?

Yes, you can! One of the similarities between hybrid engines and standard petrol and diesel engines is that jump-starting a dead battery can be done in both.

Should you need it, hybrid vehicles can be jump-started with the help of any standard 12-volt power source.

Is jump-starting a hybrid car different from a petrol or diesel?

Jump-starting a hybrid car is similar to jump-starting a petrol or diesel vehicle. Some slight changes to the standard jump-starting procedure will have your car back on the road quickly. Whatever type of car you're jumping, it’s crucial to be cautious and follow safety advice; jump-starting car batteries can be dangerous if done incorrectly.

How to jump-start a hybrid car battery

If you find yourself stuck with a dead hybrid car battery, you can carefully follow the steps below to get yourself back up and running again.

Ensure both cars being used for jump-starting are entirely switched off. This includes your radio, air conditioning system, and GPS.
Open both vehicles' bonnets.
Connect one end of your jump cables to the positive terminal inside your hybrid. Connect the other end of your jump cables to the terminal with the same colour inside the other car.
Then, connect one end of your other jump cable to the negative terminal in the working car.
The other end of the cable will go in slightly different places depending on the make and model of your hybrid, so check your owner’s manual to find this.
Once all of the cables are connected, start the working vehicle's engine and let it run for a few minutes.
Then start up your hybrid; it should run as usual.

Get a hybrid battery repair quote

FAQs

Can I jump-start another car with my hybrid?

As long as the battery in your hybrid vehicle is charged up and in good working condition, you should be able to jump-start another car with it.

You should be able to jump-start a non-hybrid with your hybrid and a hybrid vehicle with another hybrid.

Can a non-hybrid car jump-start a hybrid car battery?

Yes, you can even use a non-hybrid car to jump-start a hybrid car battery.

Having battery problems with your hybrid car?

Jump-starting your hybrid car battery is often just a short-term solution to a bigger problem going on with your battery. Suppose you find yourself needing to jump-start your battery consistently. In that case, your car battery is likely coming towards the end of its life, and you should consider booking a battery replacement.

You can find the average cost of a hybrid car battery repair for some of the most common makes in the table below.