How to Jump Start a Car
Whether you’re stuck on the highway, in your garage, or facing the elements, knowing how to jump start your car when facing a dead battery is an indispensable skill.
It’s a super easy process, so don’t stress! We have you covered with this easy step-by-step guide!
Step 1: Find a Helper Vehicle
Locate a running vehicle and position it so the two batteries are as close as possible.
Turn on the Helper Vehicle, turn your vehicle to the off position.
If you have a battery pack, this process is almost identical moving forward, just position the battery pack close enough to the battery so the jumper cables can connect.
Step 2: Connect the Jumper Cables
Make sure the Helper Vehicle stays running from here until the end of the process.
Unravel your jumper cables and identify the red and black clamps. Red is for positive, and black is for negative.
Connect the red clamp to the positive terminal of the dead battery, then attach the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the working battery.
Next, connect the black clamp to the negative terminal of the dead battery, then attach the other black clamp to the negative terminal of the working battery.
You may get a small spark when you connect the final clamp. This is normal.
Step 3: Charge & start
Leave the two cars connected while the Helper Vehicle is running for 1 minute. This will put some charge in the dead battery.
Start the engine with the dead battery. After 30 seconds, you can disconnect the jumper cables.
If the car won’t start, turn it off and wait another 5 minutes for the Helper Vehicle to put some extra charge in the dead battery.
Be careful when disconnecting the jumper cables that the clamps don’t short out on each other or one of the cars.
Step 4: Disconnect and Drive!
Now that the car is running again, you need to get the battery back to full health.
You can do this with a battery charger back at home if you have one.
Otherwise, you will need to keep the car running for at least 30 minutes now to make sure it starts again next time you need it. Within 24 hours (or even better if you do it now), you should run the car for about 3 hours so it gets a full charge. Driving is best, but you can also leave the car running in Park if you prefer.
There you have it – a step-by-step guide to jumpstarting your car!
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand or some expert advice, ClickMe Cars is only a call away!