Everyone faces a dead car battery at some point. It’s almost always at the least convenient time and often in foul weather. Luckily, there’s a solution. Jump-starting a car is easy with the right tools and knowledge.
Find a Booster Vehicle
One of the most frustrating car problems is a dead battery. Fortunately, jump-starting is an easy and quick fix with the right equipment. You’ll need a set of jumper cables, a car with a working battery (also called the “donor car”) and a safe place to park them both.
You’ve been wondering how to jump a car. To start, shut off the ignitions in both cars and turn on the parking brakes. Then, open both vehicles and identify the battery terminals, usually marked with a + for positive and a – for negative. Connect each vehicle’s red jump cable clamps to their respective batteries, ensuring they’re securely attached.
Connect the black (negative) cable to an unpainted metal surface in the donor car engine bay, like a bolt or bracket far from the battery. This helps to reduce the risk of sparks igniting the hydrogen gas produced by the dead battery. Start the booster car, wait a few minutes, and then try to start the donor car.
Move the Cars Close Together
Getting your car started using the battery of another working vehicle involves certain safety precautions. Besides jumper cables, you’ll need tools like wrenches or pliers, safety glasses or goggles and gloves to protect your hands. Ensure both vehicles are turned off before starting the jump-start process. You’ll also need access to the engine compartments of the two cars.
Park the vehicle with a good battery “nose to nose” with yours without them touching, but close enough that the jumper cables can reach. Ensure the automatic transmissions are in the park and both vehicles’ parking brakes are engaged. Then, open both hoods and locate the batteries.
Identify the positive and negative terminals on each battery. Connect one end of the positive cable’s red clamp to the corresponding positive terminal on the working vehicle’s battery and the other end of the same cable to the negative terminal on the dead battery. Then, disconnect the cables in reverse order from their placement.
Connect the Jumper Cables
Jumper cables are designed to transfer electricity between a working car battery and a dead one. When connected properly, they allow the running engine of the operating vehicle to charge the dead battery so that it can start on its own. First, park both cars to connect the jumper cables so they’re close enough to reach their batteries (beside each other or bumper-to-bumper works). Shut off the ignition in both vehicles and set the parking brakes.
Next, open the hoods of both vehicles and locate the batteries. Ensure both are charged and free of corrosive debris (such as dirt or rust) on their terminals. Take one of the red jumper cable connector clamps and attach it to the dead battery’s positive (often marked with a “+” symbol) terminal. Connect the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the working battery. Finally, connect the black jumper cable connector to a metal part of the dead vehicle’s engine (such as a bolt or an unpainted section of the engine block). This grounding step helps prevent the battery in the quiet car from drawing too much current through the cables and damaging the starter motor.
Start the Working Vehicle
If your vehicle cranks but won’t start, jump-starting it can help determine whether the problem is a failed starter or a more serious issue. If the engine still won’t start, call for roadside assistance and bring your car into auto care to have a technician diagnose the problem.
Ensure the parking brake is on, and both vehicles are parked close enough so the cables can reach. Remove the positive cable clamp from the dead battery with the ignitions off in both cars and attach it to the working battery’s positive terminal. Secure the negative cable clamp to a metal part of the working car free of paint, such as a fender or exhaust pipe. Starting the functional vehicle will charge the dead battery. If the engine starts, let it run for a minute or two to help recharge the battery even further. If it doesn’t start, the starter is likely at fault and must be replaced.
