How to light a battery from another car. Is it possible to do this on modern foreign cars with an injector

12.10.2019

Salon

How to "light up" a car? This question can arise at any time, but it becomes especially relevant in the cold season. After all, at low temperatures, even new batteries are discharged much faster. There are a number of nuances that you need to know before you "light" the battery from another battery. In particular, technical equipment, procedures, precautions. We will cover all this and more in detail.

First of all, it is necessary to determine the situation when it makes sense to “light up”. The procedure is performed only in case of battery discharge (full or partial). In this case, the starter is spinning at insufficient speed or. If the starter works fine, but the car does not start, then you need to look for the cause of the malfunction elsewhere.

Errors when "lighting"

Here are some common mistakes that inexperienced car owners make. We have tried to rank them in order of safety priority.

"Light up" from a car with a running engine.
Do not turn off the ignition and / or electrical appliances in the process of "lighting up".
They “light up” from a battery that has a lower capacity than that which their battery has.
Do not follow the sequence of actions (algorithm for connecting individual contacts).
Use low-quality wires or wires with a small cross-sectional area, poor-quality contacts on the "crocodiles", fragile insulation.
They do not adhere to safety rules (including fire safety).

In order to avoid these errors, and to clarify for car owners, we bring to your attention a clear algorithm, following which you can safely start the engine of your car from another battery.

The correct process of "lighting"

Wiring diagram when "lighting up"

Now let's move on to the consideration of the algorithm, how to properly give a "light" to the car. The sequence of actions will be as follows:

Before the procedure, the engine of the donor car must run for about 5 minutes at 2000 ... 3000 rpm. This is done so that the battery is additionally recharged.
Before "smoking" engines, ignition, as well as all electrical appliances of both vehicles must be turned off! This is a mandatory requirement, which we will discuss with you later.
Connect the ends of the "positive" wire first to the battery of the donor car (from which they “light up”), and then to the recipient car.
Connect the ends of the "negative" battery wires. First, to the "minus" of the battery of the donor machine, and then to any metal surface cleaned from paintwork (for example, an engine block) or to a ledge on the machine body. However, remember that at the time of starting the engine, there is a possibility of a spark on the “minus”, which can get on the accumulation of oil and dirt, which in turn can cause a fire and even an explosion. Therefore, observe fire safety, and "light up" in the open air or in a well-ventilated area. If you did not find a suitable protrusion, then connect the wire to the "minus" of the recipient's battery.
Be sure to observe the polarity! One wire should connect two "pluses", and the second - two "minuses". If you reverse the polarity, a short circuit will occur, and there is a high probability of failure of all vehicle electronics. And this is fraught with costly repairs!
Sit on the steering wheel of the recipient vehicle and try to start the engine. If the battery of the donor car is in order, and you did everything right, then the engine will start without problems.
Set the number of engine revolutions within 1500 ... 2000 rpm, let it run for about 5 minutes so that the battery gains some capacity.
Disconnect the wires from both batteries in reverse order (that is, first disconnect them from the recipient, and then from the donor, first remove the "negative" wire, and then the "positive"), pack them, close the hoods of the cars.

"Light" the battery from a battery with the same voltage (most cars have 12V, but trucks can have 24V, motorcycles can have 6V). Failure to do so will result in discharging and possible battery failure.

How to "light up" a car

If it was not possible to “light up” the car within a few seconds, then you should not “torment” the battery. Try to do the following:

With the wires connected and the engine and ignition off at the recipient, start the donor engine.
Let it run for about 10 minutes at 2000...3000 rpm. This will charge both batteries.
Turn off the engine, ignition and all electrical appliances of the donor. Try again to start the recipient's engine.

Usually, diesel cars have a larger battery capacity, so you can “light up” them, but not all gasoline cars can give them their charge.

Thus, it is not difficult to “light up” a car from another battery correctly. Now let's look at a few common myths and useful tips.

Additional information and myths

Connecting the "minus" to the engine housing

A common question among motorists is whether it is possible to light a cigarette from a running car? There is a very definite answer to it - NO! This is absolutely not recommended. Let's try to explain why...

The fact is that at the moment the engine is started, switching processes occur, the result of which is a significant current surge. When the engine is turned off, then only is involved in the circuit. If the engine is running, then a generator and all other current consumers (including an expensive ECU and other electronics) are connected to the circuit. And for them, sudden surges in current and voltage are very harmful, because they can disable them.

When "lighting up" at the donor car, it is desirable (but not necessary) to remove the negative terminal from the battery. This will ensure complete isolation of the electrical circuits of the two vehicles from each other.

Remember that you can not ask the owner of the first car that caught your eye to “light it up”. Ideally, the capacity of the donor battery should be at least (ie, equal to or greater than) the capacity of the recipient battery. Otherwise, there is a risk of a complete discharge of the donor, and even its failure. And at the same time, most likely, you will not start your car. In other words, you can “light up” a small car from an SUV, but vice versa - you can’t!

Also, you can’t “light up” a battery from one that heats up, emits a strong acidic smell, or electrolyte has leaked out of it.

It is not recommended to "light up" from old or discharged batteries. Therefore, if your driver colleague refused your request, arguing that the battery of his car is old, then this should be treated with understanding.

Today, car dealerships offer devices for emergency starting batteries, the so-called starters. They are an analogue of "power banks" for electronic gadgets. "Smoking" from them is simple and safe.

Another common myth is that supposedly it is impossible to “light up” a car with an electronic control unit (ECU). Actually it is not. If the engines of both machines are turned off, then there is no danger to the electronics. The only thing you have to remember, and what we have already mentioned - categorically it is impossible to “light up” from a car with a running engine.

Wire selection

To properly "light" a car from another car, you will need special wires with "crocodiles" at both ends. You can buy them at any auto shop. The cost is around 1000 rubles. For example, the price for AIRLINE is 950 rubles. Try to buy wires of medium or long length, otherwise you may experience inconvenience during operation. Factory wires have insulation of different colors, usually black and red. Black wires are connected to the "minus" on one and the second battery, and red - to the "plus".

Instead of factory wires, it is quite possible to use any improvised ones with a suitable cross-sectional area. It should be at least 16 mm² (and preferably from 20 to 32 mm²). In this case, the stripped ends must first be tied with a loop of the same diameter as the battery terminals. And then just put them on.

When buying wires for "lighting" you need to pay attention to the following nuances:

Cross-sectional area. The larger it is, the more current can pass through it. If you buy a frankly cheap wire with a thin core, then it is likely to burn out, especially when connected to high-capacity batteries. The minimum cross-sectional area must be 16 mm².
Length. A short wire is inconvenient to use. So buy products at least 3 meters long.
Insulation material. Do not buy wires in a rigid braid. The fact is that in the cold it will harden and may crack. Better buy wires in soft PVC insulation. They bend better and do not crack at sub-zero temperatures.
Clips "crocodile". It is desirable that they be copper, or at least have a copper-plated surface. This will improve their electrical conductivity. Also pay attention to their teeth. They should be sharp enough, and pulled together by a powerful spring that provides good electrical contact. Choose models of crocodiles in which the wires are securely crimped, and preferably soldered. This also contributes to good contact and reliability of the fixture.

Do not buy frankly cheap Chinese wires. They can only hurt. There were cases when in the process of "lighting up" such wires overheated, their insulation melted or smoked. Not only is it impossible to start the engine with their help, they are also a potential hazard. Therefore, we recommend that you do not save money, but buy high-quality wires for "lighting up".

Instead of an afterword

We recommend that you buy and always carry wires for "lighting" with you. They can come in handy in an emergency. Also, always keep an eye on the battery level, especially in winter. As for the process of starting the engine from another car, it is simple, and even a novice motorist can do it. Most importantly, follow the necessary rules. And if necessary, give other drivers the opportunity to “light up” on your battery.

The battery always runs out at the wrong time. So maybe "light up" from a nearby car, if you need to urgently go? But the neighbor said that it is harmful to modern cars! We debunk myths and figure out how to do it right.

For "recruits" who have recently left the car dealership, we recall that "lighting" in the jargon of experienced drivers is the connection through special wires of the battery of one car with the battery of another in order to start the engine of one of them. Simply put, if one has a low battery, you can connect it to the battery of another car and start the engine. The procedure is simple, but requires accuracy and some basic knowledge, otherwise you can "get" for an expensive repair.

When does it make sense to "light up"

The “lighting up” procedure will be effective only if the battery is clearly dead when the starter initially turns poorly and weakly. But if, for example, the starter “threshes” and the engine does not start, then the battery copes with its task. Here it is necessary to look for a reason elsewhere: maybe the sensors are “buggy”, they ask for a replacement of the candle, or the water in the gas tank turned into ice overnight and clogged the fuel line.

The smoking process

Technically, everything is very simple, and, according to the author's experience, even some female drivers can do “lighting up”. Moreover, there are few movements needed here:

1. We connect the “smoking” wires (we will talk about them later) to the battery of the “donor” car (that is, the one that will give a “light”). First we hook the “crocodile” clip to the “+” terminal, then to the “-” terminal.

2. After that, we connect the “crocodiles” at the other ends of the wire to the battery terminals of the “recipient” car (which needs to be given a “light”). In no case do not confuse plus with minus! In DC networks (which is in the car), polarity is of global importance, and its violation can disable all the electronics of the car at once. Therefore, we carefully monitor that the red wire of the “lighting up” kit is on the positive side of both, and the second is on the negative side.

3. After connecting, without further thought and conversation, we immediately get behind the wheel and start the engine of the “recipient” car. If everything is fine and the engine starts, then we set the idle speed higher, about 1,500 rpm, and we go to disconnect the wires from the “donor”. After that, he can safely go about his business.

"Lighting" from a running engine: is it possible or not?

One of the main questions related to "lighting up": is it possible to light up from a car with a running engine. This worries many who have been approached by friends-friends-neighbors with a request to “light up”. For, on the one hand, there are fears that the “recipient” car will use up the entire resource of the “donor” battery and then it will not start.

On the other hand, there are even more serious (and costly in the future) fears that the “recipient” will disable the “donor” electronics. What is right here?

As a survey of official dealer services showed, “lighting up” from a car with a running engine is categorically not recommended.

Ivan Semkiv, master consultant of the service department of the auto center "Autobiography"

On the car from which they “light up”, the engine must be turned off and at least the negative terminal is removed from the battery. This provides a complete separation of the electrical networks of both cars, in which the “lighter”, it turns out, is powered by a remote battery, and the “donor” simply stands without a battery.

Otherwise, the electrics (generator) and electronics (power supply controller) of the “donor” car will receive a strong “hit” in the form of a sudden load from the starter of the second car. The load of the starter when starting the engine is over 200 amperes, which the "donor" electronics may not be able to endure. It either fails immediately, or after such “stress overloads” a lot of malfunctions can occur, often “pop-up”, implicit, when the car suddenly refuses to drive normally, loses its dynamics.

Meanwhile, if the "donor" battery is new, in good condition, then there is no need to be afraid that the "recipient" will use it up in an instant. Before “lighting up”, you need to let the “donor” work for about 5 minutes at a speed of about 1,500 rpm to recharge your battery, after which you can turn off the engine and power the “recipient”.

You also need to keep in mind that standard batteries (which can be judged by the dimensions of cars and engine sizes) are at the same capacity level. Either the "recipient" was smaller than the "donor". Do not try to start a large SUV from a small car. But on the contrary - it is very possible.

There is no point in citing other quotes from the masters - everyone we interviewed agrees with Ivan: the foreman of the Bosch Service station Anton Matveev, Evgeny Ivanov from ROLF Renault, as well as technical specialists from VAZ and UAZ dealer stations.

In general, if the negative terminal is disconnected and the motor is turned off, then you can “light it up” without fear - nothing will “burn out”. And what about the "receiving" car? In the minds of most motorists, the myth has settled that cars with an electronic control unit cannot be “lighted up”. A little something - immediately to the tow truck and to the dealer. Or call company technical assistance. This myth is diligently propagated by dealers and roadside assistance companies themselves. In fact, in short, this is nonsense. Connecting wires to someone else's battery, you just wind up from it, and nothing more. No power surges and destructive effects on electronics.

Ilya Pavlov, Bosch Service foreman

Only “lighting up” from a car with a running engine can be dangerous for a car receiving help. In this case, at startup, when the generator starts to work, a power surge occurs, which can cause the fuse of the power supply controller or even the unit itself to burn out. If the “lighting” comes from the battery of the “donor” car disconnected from the network, then nothing of the kind will happen. Here it turns out, in fact, the same option as starting the engine with “technical assistance”, which brings its own battery - a “booster”, from which it gives a “light” in the same way.

When does it make sense to "light up"

The smoking process

Technically, everything is very simple, and, according to the author's experience, even some female drivers can do “lighting up”. Moreover, there are few movements needed here:

"Lighting" from a running engine: is it possible or not?

On the other hand, there are even more serious (and costly in the future) fears that the “recipient” will disable the “donor” electronics. What is right here?

As a survey of official dealer services showed, “lighting up” from a car with a running engine is categorically not recommended.

Ivan Semkiv, master consultant of the service department of the auto center "Autobiography"

Ilya Pavlov, Bosch Service foreman

Attention to wires!

Lighting wires may be needed only a couple of times in a lifetime (or not needed at all - which is what we all wish), but if someone decides to buy such an accessory for himself, then his choice must be taken seriously. There are a lot of options and prices here - from 200 to 4,000 rubles per set. First of all, it is worth cutting off frankly cheap products with a hard braid and a thin wire. Prices for more or less normal wires start at 800 rubles for a 3-meter set and from 1,200 for a 5-meter one.

For "lighting" wires, a large cross-section of the conductive core and its material are very important, which ensures a minimum of losses in the transmission of electricity. From my own experience, the author knows that cheap Chinese wires simply do not help - they heat up, smoke, and power is not transmitted even from a powerful and full battery. Rigid braids should also be cut off immediately - they will crack and break in the cold.

Very important is the design of the crocodile clips that cling to the battery terminals. It is best that they are copper, and the wire in the "crocodiles" is securely crimped or soldered. The springs of the "crocodiles" must be reliable, and the teeth "corrosive". For a suddenly jumping "crocodile" can do a lot of trouble: from the failure of electronics to a fire.

And one more thing: less than three meters of wire is not worth buying. After all, when “lighting up” the cars must be driven closer to each other, which can be difficult on the road or in the yard. If the batteries under the hoods are located on different sides (for someone they are on the left, for someone on the right), then the length may not be enough.

Quit "smoking"!

I do not want, summing up, to express banal thoughts, but still I have to. If the battery in the car "breathes its last", then you should not wait until it is "burned" - replace the battery! Well, when good people ask you to “light up”, you don’t need to be afraid, hesitate and blame the instructions for the car (there is nothing about the dangers of “lighting up” in it). If your battery is “live”, then spin the engine for 5 minutes to recharge, disconnect the terminal - and let them start the engine.

When one driver asks another for a light, it is not customary to refuse, even if you do not smoke! Of course, we are not talking about cigarettes, but about a simple and at the same time complex procedure for starting a car engine using a donor car battery. The process of "lighting up" has many points that must be taken into account, otherwise errors can lead to serious damage to the car.

Is it possible to "light up" from the injector and the machine?

Recently, the fleet of large cities has been significantly updated, many modern foreign-made cars have appeared that have complex electronic components that are sensitive to overloads and emergency situations. “Lighting up” a foreign car from a donor car can be attributed to such an emergency situation. So, your foreign-made car does not start, the starter barely turns, and you assume that the problem is a discharged battery (battery). You ask a friend to "light up" from his car - he agrees, but says that he will not start his car. And this is absolutely the right decision, since in this case you will simply be powered by a third-party battery - this is a fairly safe process for any car, including foreign cars. Pay attention to the wires that will be used to connect the two batteries - the wires must be undamaged, the terminals are made in the form of "crocodiles", allowing you to reliably connect. An important point when connecting is not to reverse the polarity! Otherwise, many vehicle systems may fail. After connecting the battery, wait 2-3 minutes, allowing the dead battery to recharge a little, then you can start the engine. After a successful start, carefully disconnect the wires first from the donor car, then from the running car. The question often arises, is it possible to use a foreign car with complex electronic systems as a donor car? Practice shows that it is possible to use it, but only in the process of “lighting up” the donor car is better not to start. In this case, all electronic systems will remain intact. There is an opinion that cars with an automatic transmission (automatic transmission) should not be used as a donor, and it is also better not to start using the "lighting" method. But again, practice shows that you can do both, following the rules - the donor car must not be started.

Some drivers have the opportunity, without removing the battery from the car, to recharge it using a charger powered by a 220 V network. For example, this can happen in a garage. An important point - be sure to remove both terminals from the battery and then start charging. If you charge the battery at a negative temperature, the process is very slow and may not give a positive result. Manufacturers recommend charging the battery at a positive ambient temperature. When charging maintenance-free batteries, the charging current should be no more than 1/10 of the battery capacity. Be careful not to overheat the battery, otherwise stop charging immediately.

There are a lot of terrible rumors about "lighting up" - that is, starting a car with a dead battery from a car with a working one. Say, this way you can easily ruin your car due to monstrous power surges - the generator will burn out, the processor will be covered, the switch will crumble, and the pistons will fall out into the exhaust pipe. Some are generally firmly convinced that it is impossible to start “from the cigarette lighter”: “ I tried, even the starter didn't turn over.! In general, it seems to me that it is time to illuminate this side of the winter life of a driver and dispel the fog of ominous rumors.

On the one hand, it is impossible to call this method of helping your neighbor completely safe for the helper - after all, those people on automotive forums who write: “ Gave a "light" in the parking lot and I burned out XXX andYYY onN thousand bucks! Never do that!”- actually do not lie. It is quite possible to burn something important when lighting up. If only simply because, as you know, “give a fool a glass item, he will break the thing and cut his hands. If you carefully ask the victim how exactly the lighting procedure took place, it always turns out that at least one gross mistake was made. In general, if you do not have a clear idea of \u200b\u200bhow to do it, don't do it. And even better - carefully read this article, and you can always help your neighbor, as well as accept help if necessary.

About the dangers of smoking

What is the danger of "smoking"? The only thing with sudden changes in the load in the vehicle's on-board network. The more modern the car, the more delicate electronics it has, and the higher the danger of burning something. However, do not forget that a sharp drop in voltage in the on-board network is a regular situation for any car: this happens when the engine is started “cold”, when the starter consumes a lot of current. Much more dangerous is a short-term increase in mains voltage, which can really lead to all kinds of trouble. Where does he get promotion from? From the great mind of the ill-considered actions of some users. So, for example, removing the terminal from the battery while the engine is running is not the most reasonable act. Deprived of load and feedback, the generator can raise the voltage in the network to 17 volts, and at the same time it is quite possible to burn something electronic.

Surely there will be people who will object: “I did this a hundred times and nothing burned down!”. Indeed, the probability of damage to on-board electronics is far from 100% - it all depends on a bunch of factors: idle speed, generator power, relay-regulator design, endurance of the electronic systems of a particular machine, and so on. (For example, a VAZ 2101 with an electromechanical PP380 is difficult to disable even the EMP of a nuclear explosion). However, the danger exists and the cost of a mistake can be high. Therefore, without a really urgent need, it is better not to experiment, and if it’s locked up, then you need to turn on some powerful but “strong” consumer in advance - an engine cooling fan, a rear window heater, etc. It is not recommended to use a radio or headlights as such a load.

In general, the task of the driver when "lighting up" is to reduce the possibility of power surges to a minimum. How to do it?

Security Guarantees

Method one

The easiest, most reliable and absolutely safe way is to change the battery for a while. If you have a running and warm car and a frozen and non-starting car at the same time, then the one that is started, we jamming and remove the battery from it. It should be noted that the situation of disconnecting the battery for any car is regular - during maintenance this is assumed automatically. However, keep in mind that this will reset your radio settings, and possibly also the settings of the engine controller (on some machines). The radio will have to be set up again, and the controller will set itself up after a while. If you have a radio with a code, then I really hope you have it recorded somewhere ...

So, we put a warm charged battery on a chilled car, and its dead battery - on a warm one. With a warm battery, a serviceable car will start in any frost - we leave it to warm up. We put the dead battery on the donor car and start it (it is assumed that the battery is not discharged “to zero” and it will be enough to start the warm engine). Then we sit, smoke and wait until the cold car warms up, and the dead battery recharges a little, for which it is better to keep the speed higher - about 2000. In about ten minutes turn off both cars and change the battery back. Now a warm car should start easily with a recharged battery, and you can accept gratitude from a rescued colleague and calmly go about your business. This method is quite troublesome (unscrew the battery fasteners, carry heavy batteries ...), but it is also reliable. In addition, it does not require third-party devices - lighting wires.

Method two

If you are reluctant to remove the batteries, and there are lighting wires available, then you can approach the problem differently. We adjust the warmed-up car-donor to the recipient nose to nose (however, so that their bodies do not touch) and start the artificial respiration procedure of lighting up.

We turn off the donor engine. We take out and connect the lighting wires. First, the positive terminals of both batteries are connected. Then the negative wire is connected to the donor car to the negative terminal. We connect the remaining end of the negative wire to some part under the hood that is clean from paint, securely connected to ground, for example, to the engine mounting ear on the recipient car ( not to the terminal battery!). It is necessary to make the last connection, which closes the circuit, at which a spark will inevitably slip, to be made as far as possible from the battery - the battery emits explosive gas.

Now we start the “donor” engine and let it run at high speed for at least a couple of minutes, or better, all ten: a dead battery immediately begins to “suck” energy from a charged one, so it is necessary that they are fed by a generator. We turn off the engine donor and then without disconnecting wires, we start the engine of the recipient. If you have normal wires, then everything will work out. We give the engine a little work to establish a stable speed, and then disconnect the wires in the reverse order of connection. All fanfare and thanks from the rescued.

Attention! This method can only be used if the recipient vehicle is known to be in good working order! - That is, it does not have a short circuit in the battery or on-board network, the motor is not jammed, and so on!

Method three

This method is recommended for electroparanoids, frightened on auto forums, and also in cases where you cannot guarantee that the car that starts is in good order. At the beginning, it is similar to method two, however, before connecting the wires, the donor battery is disconnected from the on-board network by removing the terminals. Next, you connect it with wires in the same sequence as in the second method. Give the dead battery a couple of minutes to “feed off” from a charged one, and then, without disconnecting wires, get a recipient. Once the engine is running stably, disconnect the wires in reverse order and put the terminals back in place.

The advantage of this method is that you risk only the battery - even if the recipient has a short circuit, your car will not suffer. In addition, this method can be applied if it is impossible to fit the cars nose to nose (for example, it happens in a densely crowded parking lot) - you can simply remove the battery from the donor, bring it to the recipient and connect it with wires.

The disadvantage is that the radio settings will still be reset.

Questions and answers

1. Can you smoke from a running car?

There is no single answer - it depends on the machine. For example, in the manuals for the Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute and many other cars, this is directly recommended. Here is a quote from the manual:

Start the engine of the booster vehicle and run the engine at
moderately increased speed.
Start the engine of the disabled vehicle.
Once the disabled vehicle has been started, run both engines for an additional three minutes before disconnecting the jumper cables.

However, if your car's instructions do not directly indicate that this is allowed, and at the same time your car is not a carbureted "Moskvich" of a mossy year, then it's better not to risk it. 90% of the cars will survive this calmly, but how do I know that it is yours that is not included in the remaining 10?

2. What wires to buy for lighting?

None. Alas, over the years of searching, I have never been able to find wires suitable for use on sale. Studies conducted by the magazine "Behind the wheel" confirm my conclusions - there are no normal wires in stores.

To transfer the inrush current, you need a stranded copper wire with a diameter of at least 1 cm, and in thick silicone insulation and reliably soldered (and not crimped) in massive anodized crocodiles. Chinese handicrafts, which are stuffed with outlets, do not even come close.

So go to the electrical supply store, buy a wire, buy crocodiles, a soldering iron in your hands - and go ahead.

3. Is smoking harmful to the battery?

Like any intensive use - not useful. It is not recommended to “light up” more than once a day so that the battery has time to recover. If you often "light up", then you need to monitor the condition of the battery - the level of electrolyte and its density, periodically recharge. However, you should not believe the horror stories about the "shedding of plates" and other horrors. The battery, when ignited, does its direct duties - it gives the starting current. This is no more harmful than regularly starting a well-frozen engine with thick oil ...

4. How long can the recipient's starter be turned on?

The energy of a fully charged working battery when "lighting up" is enough for an average of 3-5 attempts to start a car engine with a discharged battery. With more attempts, there is a danger that a healthy battery will itself be discharged so that it will not be able to start its own engine. In addition, if during these 3-5 attempts the motor did not start, then the problem is probably not in the battery - look for a malfunction.

conclusions

“Giving a light” to a chilled colleague, of course, is possible. If you follow all the above instructions, then it is quite safe for both participants in the process. Well, mutual assistance on the road is something we cannot do without.

Help your neighbor - they will help you too!