How to Jumpstart a Car

For those of you who might be younger that’s the famous actor who played MacGyver. You don’t have to be like him and wait for a tow to show up to give you a boost, all you need is a little know how and a set of cables.

• Test your battery A simple test to perform is to turn on your headlights and start the car. If the headlights dim significantly, your battery is toast. A jump-start may not solve the problem since it can no longer hold a charge.

Note: if your car won’t start, but the engine is trying to “crank over”, the battery probably isn’t the problem.

Step 1: Safety First

Ensure both cars are off and parking brakes are engaged. Anytime your working on a car these two things will prevent serious injury or death.  A pair of safety glasses and leather gloves would also be advised.

Use caution when jumping on the side of the road. If you can, push the car off to a safe place away from traffic.

Step 2: Locate the positive battery terminal

You should see this marked with a red cap or denoted by a (+) sign on the battery itself. There may not be a red cable attached to it so look carefully.

 

Step 3:

Connect one end of the red (positive) jumper cable to the positive terminal on the stalled battery.

Step 4:

Then connect the other red (positive) cable clamp to the positive terminal of the good battery.

Connect one end of the black (negative) jumper cable to the negative terminal of the good battery.

 

Step 5:

 Then connect the other black (negative) cable to a clean, unpainted metal surface under the disabled car’s hood. Somewhere on the engine block is a good place. Do not connect the negative cable to the negative terminal of the dead battery!

Step 6:

Start the car that’s doing the jumping, and allow it to run for about 2 to 3 minutes before starting the dead car.
Remove cables in reverse order.
Keep the jumped car running for at least 30 minutes to give the battery sufficient time to recharge itself.