Jump-Starting a Car Safely: What To Do in an Emergency
Have you ever walked out to your vehicle and found it unresponsive? You turned the key and nothing happened. You don’t have lights, radio, or that telltale rumble that tells you your car is ready to go. Your car battery is just dead. If you don’t know what to do, you should learn how to safely jump-start your car.
Contents
Before You Start
When you found that new Mazda for sale, you probably didn’t think you would have to jump-start the battery, but a number of things can cause battery drain, including leaving your lights on. However, you need to do a few things before you start the jumping process.
Make sure the hoods of your vehicle and the one you plan to jump do not touch. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles and open their hoods to expose the battery posts. Inspect the battery for damage and make sure it isn’t dry or frozen.
Gather Your Supplies
Gather your supplies. First, pull out your jumper cables. You may need a brush to remove any debris and acid from your terminals. Get a friend to help.
Connect the Cables
To jump your car, find the positive and negative posts on each car battery. Spread the cables out between the two vehicles so they do not touch. Do not allow the red and black clamps to touch each other either.
Start with the dead battery. Connect the red cable clamp to the positive terminal post on the dead battery. Then, connect the other red cable clamp to the positive terminal post on the good battery. Next, connect the black cable clamp to the negative terminal post on the dead battery. Then, connect the other black cable clamp to the negative terminal post on the good battery.
Start and Run the Jumping Vehicle
Start the vehicle that will jump yours. Run the vehicle for several minutes to charge the dead battery. Then, try to start your vehicle. If it doesn’t start right away, test the lights or radio. If these work, your vehicle may have a different problem. If not, you may just need to let it charge a bit longer.
Remove the Cables
After the jump-start, keep the engine running on both vehicles. Remove the black clamp from the negative terminal on your battery. Then, remove the black clamp from the negative terminal on the vehicle that jumped yours. Next, remove the red clamp from the positive terminal on your battery. Finally, remove the red clamp from the positive terminal on the other vehicle’s battery.
Again, avoid allowing the clamps to touch until all of them are completely disconnected.
Run Your Vehicle
Run your vehicle in place for at least 20 minutes so the battery can get a good charge. Replace any plastic terminal covers and close your hood. Drive for several minutes to fully charge your battery.
Prepare for Emergencies
You cannot predict emergencies, but you can prepare yourself. Make sure you have cables or a portable charger on hand, maintain your vehicle, and get your battery checked for voltage and remaining life. Then, educate yourself on what to do during an emergency.
