Few problems can throw a wrench into your plans as quickly as a dead car battery. Thankfully, learning how to jump-start a car will only take a moment of your time. As long as you take the proper precautions, the actual process is quick and easy, too! Our simple ten-step guide will show you the proper way to jump-start a car, so you’ll never have to wait for a jump-start car service to come and get you moving again.
The Proper Way to Jump-Start a Car
The proper way to jump-start a car is to work carefully, using rubber gloves, eye protection, and a respirator, where one is available. If you feel unsafe on the side of the road near Red Bank, calling a service like AAA is always an option. However, most will simply be able to follow the steps below:
- Find a friend or another driver who has a car with a working battery. Have them park their vehicle facing the car with the dead battery. Turn the working vehicle off, and engage both parking brakes.
- Locate the batteries underneath the hood, and expose the terminals. Identify the positive and negative poles.
- Make sure that the terminals are free from corrosion. Too much corrosion can prevent a car from jump-starting effectively, and it may even cause the terminals themselves to become detached!
- Now it’s time to connect the cables. Start by hooking one of the red (+) clamps to the positive post on the dead battery.
- Hook up the other red (+) clamp to the positive pole on the working battery.
- Connect the black (-) clamp to the negative pole on the working battery.
- Take the other black clamp and attach it to an unpainted metal surface on the frame of the vehicle.
- Start the engine of the vehicle with the working battery. The dead battery, if hooked up properly, will now start to charge.
- After a few minutes, you should have no trouble starting up the vehicle with the formerly-dead battery. Remove the cables, reversing the order in which they were connected.
- Allow the vehicle which was just jump-started to run for at least ten minutes before you turn it off. This will allow the battery to be recharged by the alternator. Your owner’s manual may also have a recommendation for how long it should stay on.
More Battery Tips and Tricks
If your car won’t jump-start, the issue could have to do with corrosion on your terminals. However, there are several other possible issues:
- If you hear a clicking sound when you try to start the car, you might be in need of a new starter. You can pick up a new one at our parts department in Eatontown.
- If your electrical systems come on, but your car’s engine won’t start, the issue could have to do with the starter, the ignition switch, the fuse, or the battery. It’s best to schedule service and let an expert take a look.
- It’s possible to clean your battery terminals using nothing but baking soda and water! Applying anti-corrosion gel to the terminals when you install a new battery can help to prevent the formation of corrosion in the first place.
Turn to Jaguar Monmouth Authorized Service for Service
Now that you’ve seen how to properly jump-start a car, we hope you’re ready to get back on the roads near Rumson and Colts Neck! Learning more about DIY car care to prepare for life’s little challenges? We’ve got you covered.