How to Jump-Start Your Vehicle

There are several things that can cause a vehicle’s battery to die unexpectedly. Maybe the weather has been a bit colder, or you accidentally left the inside lights on. No matter the cause, it’s important to know how to jump-start your vehicle.

Jump-starting a car requires that you have a pair of quality jumper cables on hand. Many jumper cables require the help of another vehicle to supply power. However, there are portable jumper cable options that come with their own power source.

Jump-starting a car is a pretty simple process. If you’re in a jam, simply follow the instructions below and you’ll be back on the road in no time:

• Open your hood and find the battery: It’s usually very easy to spot a vehicle’s battery, but if you’re having trouble locating it, simply check your car’s manual.
• Ask for assistance: If you don’t have a portable jump-starter, you’ll need to connect your jumper cables to a working battery. This means asking someone for help. It’s best to find someone you know and trust. Once you’ve found someone willing to help, have them park their vehicle close enough to yours so the jumper cables can reach both batteries.
• Connect the jumper cables: Now that you’ve located your battery and have someone willing to help, it’s time to connect the jumper cables. You’ll first want to identify the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals of both batteries. Clamp the red jumper cable to the positive terminal of your battery, then to the positive terminal of your helper’s battery. Once both ends of the red jumper cable are attached, clamp one end of the black cable to the negative terminal of your helper’s battery. It’s important to know that you shouldn’t attach the other end of the black cable to your own battery. Instead, you’ll need to attach it to some unpainted metal part of your car.
• Have your helper crank their car: You’ll want to let your helper’s vehicle run for a little while before trying to turn on your own. This is especially true if your battery is old, as it may need a longer charge. After a few minutes, try to start your car. Hopefully, it starts right up. If not, there could be another issue besides the battery, and you’ll probably want to contact a repair shop.
• Disconnect the jumper cables: After your car is up and running again, it’s time to remove the jumper cables. You’ll want to first disconnect the black cable from your car, then from your helper’s car. Remove the red cable from your helper’s, then from your car. And that’s it!

Jump-starting your car with a portable jump-starter

The process of jumping your car with a portable jump-starter is similar to using jumper cables. Portable jump-starters also feature red and black cables, both with one end built into the device. Be sure to attach the cables to your battery before turning on your jump-starter. Once the red cable is attached to the positive terminal of your battery and the black cable is attached to the negative terminal, simply turn on your jump-starter. Let the device run for a few minutes, then try cranking your car.

If you need further help with your vehicle, contact the professionals at Tom’s Body & Paint, Inc.

Categorised in: Roadside Assistance

This post was written by Writer