Jump-starting a car can be a tricky task if you don’t know what you’re doing. Whether your car’s battery has died due to leaving the lights on or extreme cold weather, knowing how to properly jump-start your car is a skill every car owner should have.
Here are the steps to properly jump-start your car:
Step 1: Find a working car with a good battery. Position the cars so that the hoods are close to each other, but not touching.
Step 2: Turn off both cars and make sure the keys are out of the ignition.
Step 3: Open the hoods of both cars and locate the batteries. The battery terminals will be marked positive (+) and negative (-). Make sure the terminals are clean and free of any corrosion.
Step 4: Take the jumper cables and connect one end of the red cable to the positive terminal of the dead battery. The positive terminal is usually marked with a plus sign.
Step 5: Connect the other end of the red cable to the positive terminal of the working battery.
Step 6: Connect one end of the black cable to the negative terminal of the working battery.
Step 7: Connect the other end of the black cable to an unpainted metal surface on the car with the dead battery. This will help prevent any sparks.
Step 8: Start the working car and let it run for a few minutes to charge the dead battery.
Step 9: Try starting the car with the dead battery. If it doesn’t start, let the working car run for a few more minutes before trying again.
Step 10: Once the car with the dead battery starts, leave it running for a few minutes to charge the battery.
Step 11: Disconnect the jumper cables in the reverse order that you connected them. Start by disconnecting the black cable from the unpainted metal surface, then the black cable from the working battery, the red cable from the working battery, and finally the red cable from the dead battery.
Step 12: Close the hoods of both cars and take a short drive to allow the battery to fully charge.
By following these steps, you can safely jump-start your car and get back on the road in no time. Remember to always keep a set of jumper cables in your car in case of emergencies. It’s also a good idea to have your car’s battery checked regularly to prevent any future issues.
