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Battery troubles; we've all had them, usually at the most inconvenient time. But, if you are prepared and know what to do you won't be held up long. This article will tell you how to jump start your car's battery.
Jump starting is fairly easy, but it must be done right to avoid disastrous results. If done wrong your car can explode or damage the electrical system, not to mention serious injuries can be incurred by people nearby.
Here are some rules to follow when jump starting a car.
Always use good quality jumper cables; do not use cables that are broken or split. Before jump-starting take a look at the battery to make sure all the cables are firmly attached to the battery. Check the battery posts and clean them if there is a build up of battery acid;
it will be a white powdery substance that can be scrapped off with a wire brush.
When jump-starting a car, it is recommended that you wear protective glasses and insulated rubber gloves. Park the two cars involved in the jumping process nose to nose or close enough so that they can be connected with the cables. Put the cars in park and turn off the engines and all electrical draining systems like the radio. Put the parking brake on.
You will attach the first cable to the car that is providing the jump, (the car whose battery is working). Connect the positive cable, usually the red clamps or the one marked with a plus + sign to the post of the positive (+) terminal on the battery. Now connect the positive or other red clamp to the positive terminal post on the dead battery of the car receiving the jump-start. Be very careful not to touch the positive and negative (black and red clamps) together or you can destroy the good battery.
The next step is to connect the clamp of the negative (usually black or - sign) to the negative terminal post of the good battery. Connect the other end of the negative or black clamp to an unpainted metallic surface like an engine bolt on the car with the dead battery. DO NOT put the negative clamp on the negative terminal post on the dead battery because the battery can ignite and cause an explosion.
Now, start the car with the good battery, press on the gas peddle slightly and then release.
Let it idle. When you are ready to start the car with the dead battery just turn the key on and don’t crank the starter for an excessively long time. If it didn’t start right away give the ignition a few minutes to cool off then try it again. You can check to see the clamps are properly attached to the battery posts.
When the car starts you may remove the jumper cables. Take them off in the reverse order that you put them on, making sure that none of the clamps touch each other. You will now need to drive or run the car with the previously dead battery for at least 15 minutes to rejuvenate the battery.
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