Hybrid & electric · Warrington
Hybrid and electric cars: the 12V battery only.
An electric or hybrid car that will not wake up may have a flat 12V auxiliary battery, or it may have run out of driving charge. This page explains the difference, what we can and cannot consider in Warrington, and what to send us.
Two batteries
A flat 12V is not a flat driving battery.
The 12V auxiliary battery
Most hybrids and electric cars still carry a small low-voltage battery that powers the computers, locks, lights and the systems that wake the car up. If it is flat, the car may appear dead. An eligible 12V auxiliary battery is the only thing this service can consider, and only where the manufacturer allows it.
The high-voltage driving battery
The large traction battery stores the energy that drives the car. If it is depleted, the car has run out of driving range. That is a recovery or charging problem, not a jump-start, and it is outside what we do.
Symptoms
What it can look like.
These can point towards a flat 12V battery, but they can also have other causes. This list is not a diagnosis and we cannot promise one.
- Car will not wake up, unlock or show a ready indicator
- Dashboard dark, dim or showing odd warnings
- Key fob or app works intermittently
- Clicking from the low-voltage system, or nothing at all
- Charge flap or charging will not respond
- Battery shows plenty of driving charge but the car will not start up
How we check
Manufacturer first, then voltage.
Details
You send the make, model, year and what the car is doing.
Manufacturer procedure
We check what the manufacturer says about the auxiliary battery for that model and year, including any approved jump points.
Voltage and suitability
We confirm the low-voltage system really is 12V and that our equipment is suitable.
Decision
We tell you honestly whether it looks possible. If not, we say so rather than attend anyway.
Procedures differ by make, model, year and manufacturer, and some cars do not allow an external boost at all. This is not a DIY guide, so please do not attempt connections yourself based on this page.
- Symptoms can look alike. We describe possibilities, not a diagnosis, and cannot promise the cause until the car has been looked at.
- No high-voltage repairs and no work on traction batteries, cables or components.
- No roadside charging of a high-voltage driving battery. If you have run out of range, you need charging or recovery.
- Not every low-voltage system is 12V, and not every car allows an external boost. Suitability is confirmed first.
- No guaranteed start, attendance or availability. Cost is confirmed before work is agreed.
Before you enquire
What to send us.
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- Make, model, year and trim or battery size
- Hybrid, plug-in hybrid or fully electric, if known
- What you see: warnings, dead screen, clicking, charging behaviour
- Roughly how much driving charge is showing, if the display works
- Whether the car has been charged or jump-started recently
- Location, postcode and safe access: driveway, car park, garage level
- Where the owner handbook is, or any manufacturer guidance you can read to us
- A contact number
Can you charge my electric car at the roadside?
No. We do not charge high-voltage driving batteries. If you have run out of range, you will need charging or recovery.
Can you jump-start a hybrid?
Only an eligible 12V auxiliary battery, where the manufacturer allows it. We never work on the high-voltage system.
Is my car 12V?
Usually the auxiliary system is, but we do not assume it. We confirm voltage and suitability from the details you send.
The car shows full charge but will not start. Is it the 12V?
It may be, but we cannot promise a diagnosis from a description. Send the symptoms and we will say what looks possible.
Will a jump-start fix it?
Not necessarily. A battery that keeps going flat may be failing or being drained, and a battery test can help assess it.
What if you cannot help?
We will say so, and suggest recovery, the manufacturer or a specialist garage rather than attend with false hope.
Tell us the car and what it is doing.
We will say what looks possible before work is agreed.