Have you ever found yourself in a situation where the only way to get your car back on the road when your battery dies is to jump start it? Worry no more — In this article, we'll share step-by-step instructions on how to go about this.
First things first, it's important to understand the basics of car batteries.
The typical car battery is rechargeable and regardless of the car type, they're all designed to perform similar operations – power the vehicle and all its electrical components. Find out more on the common reasons that could result in your car battery dying here.
How To Jump-Start Your Car: Guide
Step 1: Park the two vehicles close enough where a connection can be made. Turn the ignition off and engage the parking brake on both cars.
Step 2: Inspect the batteries and Jumper cables.
Open the hoods on both cars and locate the batteries. Before you get to connect the two cars together, inspect the batteries and the jumper cables to ensure there are no signs of damage or leaking. Then remove the plastic hoods covering the battery terminals.
Step 3: Connect the Jumpers carefully
Next, it's time to locate the positive and negative battery terminals that you will be connecting to the jumper cables. The terminals are always clearly marked with a "+" and a "-" sign.
TIP: A "+" sign or red indicator means POSITIVE | a "-" sign or black indicator means NEGATIVE.
- First, attach a RED clamp to the positive terminal (+) on the DEAD battery.
- Next, attach the RED clamp from the other end of the cables to the positive terminal (+) on the BOOSTER battery.
- Then, attach the BLACK clamp to the negative terminal (–) on the BOOSTER battery.
- Lastly, attach the final BLACK negative clamp to a clean, metal part of your car’s engine block or chassis. This is a precaution to help avoid a spark near the potentially explosive gas fumes surrounding a battery.
Then proceed to step away from the engine compartments, and make sure all hands and clothing are clear from the engine parts.
Step 4: Start your Engine
Once all is clear, you can start the engine in the car with a good battery and allow it to run for like two or three minutes and then rev the engine slightly by pressing on the gas pedal lightly. This will allow your vehicle's dead battery to gain some charge.
Then attempt to start your vehicle. If it won't start right away, turn the car off and let the other vehicle continue to idle for 10 or 15 minutes, and then try again. If it still doesn't start, then your battery or some other component probably requires a replacement, and a jump-start will not be possible.
Step 5: Disconnect the Jumper Cables
If your car starts, leave both idle for around 10 minutes.
You can now turn off both car's engines and carefully disconnect the jumper cables in reverse order of how they were connected. Lastly, close the hoods of both vehicles and put away your jumper cables.
You've jump-started your vehicle and are good to go—for now.
After a successful jump, driving the vehicle for at least 20- 30 minutes allows the alternator to recharge the battery.
Don’t have jumper cables on hand, or do you need a new battery for your car? Tire World has it for you. Shop online from our eShop or simply visit any of our branches to get helpful advice from our trained technicians.