When you find yourself with a dead battery, are you prepared to connect your car with jumper cables? Knowing how to use this simple tool will save you on waiting for assistance or staying stranded on the road.
Please remember if your battery is frozen, leaking fluid, or visibly damaged, it can be dangerous to connect your car with jumping cables.
Follow these Step-by-Step instructions on how to properly jump-start your car with another car's battery.
Try to position the other car's hood close to your car's dead battery as much as possible. The battery can be found on the front, left, or right side of the vehicle.
Have both vehicles completely turned off.
Open the hoods from both vehicles and identify the positive terminal of each battery. Find the word "positive" or the "+" sign.
The red jumper clip goes on the positive battery terminal of the other car, as the other red clip goes to your dead battery's positive terminal.
Identify the negative terminal for each battery, find the word "negative" or the "-" sign.
The black jumper clip goes on the negative battery terminal of the functioning battery. as the other black clip goes to your dead battery's negative terminal.
Start the vehicle with the functioning battery, allow it to charge for five to ten minutes.
Start your vehicle. If you find it not turning on, turn off both cars and make sure each clip connection is securely on. Start the car with the functioning battery and charge the dead battery for another five minutes.
Good job! You should be able to start your vehicle now. Carefully remove the jumper cables, start with the black clips, then remove the red clips. Shut your car's hood and drive for a minimum of fifteen minutes before turning it off again. This will give your battery some time to recharge once again.
If you run through the steps listed above and your vehicle still won't turn on, it could be another problem other than a dead battery.
Check your owner's manual to fully understand how to jump your car, there may be special instructions that don't apply to other cars.
Quick Tip: Have a local mechanic test your battery life at least twice a year to prevent battery failure.