A Visual Guide to Jumpstarting Your Car

1. 1

   Leave a vehicle next to yours that is running while you are away. A good battery from another vehicle is required to provide a boost. A second car can be parked next to yours in a parallel fashion, or you can turn it around so that the hoods are facing each other. You're good to go if the length of the jumper cables is sufficient to connect both batteries. Ensure that no automobiles are touching one another. [1]

   • A small explosion or battery short could result from the vehicles coming into contact with one another. Although this is highly unlikely, you should still leave some space between the cars. [2]

2. 2

   Avert both cars' attention by switching off their electrical systems Make sure the lights and wipers are not set to come on as soon as you start your vehicle by double checking before you leave a dead vehicle. Turn off the engine in the running vehicle. [3]

   • You don't want your battery to waste power by running extraneous parts once charging has begun.

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3. 3

   Pull out your jumper cables. Using the jumper cables, you can connect the vehicle's dead battery to a good one to borrow power and get the car started again. [4] In this situation, any pair of jumper cables will do. If you can, go for the heavier and longer cables. Because of their greater length and diameter, longer cables are more manageable. [5]

   • Once you've resolved the immediate issue, go out and buy a set of jumper cables if you don't already have a set in your trunk. Have jumper cables on hand in case your car battery dies.

4. 4

   Find the terminals for the battery cables on both cars. Take the hood off every car. Each vehicle's make and model dictates the battery's specific location. [6] Find a small box with two protruding metal bolts. The connections are made with these metallic screws. Power outlets have black and red covers, and the positive and negative terminals are always labeled with () and (-), respectively. [7]

   • To gain access to the ports, remove any plastic covers by popping them up with your fingers.
   • Corrosion may be the problem if you notice a white, chalky substance on your terminals. To remove the grime, use a battery terminal cleaner. [8]

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1. 1

   Please attach the red clamp to the positive terminal of the defunct battery. [9] All of the jumper cables in your set are clearly labeled with colors. Connect the positive red clamp to the positive terminal of the dead battery. A red cap could be on the positive terminal. You can find the () under the terminal if there are no covers. Release the handles to open the clamp's jaws and clamp onto the terminal. [10]

   • When doing this, avoid bringing the metal clamps of the two sets of cables into contact with one another. A spark could fly, burning your hands or starting an engine fire. Don't mix them up while you work.
   • Briefly, the dead battery's red cable goes to ground, the live battery's red cable goes to ground, the black cable goes to the live battery, and the black cable goes to the ground.

2. 2

   Link the other red wire to the battery's positive terminal. [11] Connect the positive terminal on the donor vehicle to the other end of the red cable, which has already been clamped onto the dead battery. You should attach this clamp in the same manner as the first one. The positive () terminal is attached by simply wrapping the jaws around it and releasing the handles. [12]

   • To simplify matters, you could have the other driver hook up their vehicle to the other end of the clamps after you've fastened them to the dead battery. You can avoid the need to repeatedly walk back and forth by using this method.

3. 3

   Join the negative end of the black cable to the terminal of a good car battery. Get in the habit of using the black cable's working end Clip the black end of the cable to the car's negative (-) terminal. [13] In case you were wondering, the lat metal clamp is now live and should not be touched. Avoid placing it on any surface other than unfinished wood, metal, or concrete. [14]

4. 4

   Connect the final black clamp's ground wire to a bare metal surface on your car. To complete the circuit, a piece of metal must be used to ground the charge. In the engine compartment, any bolt will do. [15] The engine block itself can also be utilized. A piece of the frame made of any unpainted, thin metal will do. [16]

   • To jumpstart a car in this manner is the safest option. In theory, you could jump it by connecting the positive terminal of the working battery to the negative terminal of the dead battery. However, this is a much riskier procedure, as it would be impossible to prevent a short in this setup.

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1. 1

   Charge the good battery by turning on the car. You should have the other driver hop in and turn the key to start their car. After they start up their motor, your battery will begin to recharge. [17]

   • They should turn off any lights or headlights that automatically turn on when they start their car. You probably killed your battery by leaving these lights on.

2. 2

   It will take a few minutes for the battery to charge. When you turn the engine over by hand, your battery needs to have enough juice to start the engine. For this, your battery may need a few minutes to build up enough power. One way to test a car's battery is to turn on an interior light. A ready light is one that shines steadily and does not flicker. Give it a few more minutes if it seems dim or won't turn on. [18]

   • There is no fixed waiting period. While some batteries can be recharged in just 2 minutes, others may require 5-10 minutes. One should wait a little longer if they are not in a hurry.
   • If you want to move things along more quickly, you can ask the driver of the car with the good battery to give it a little gas. [19]

3. 3

   Start your car by inserting the key into the ignition. Having waited a few minutes, you can get into the driver's seat and start the car as usual. [20] Make sure the clamps are properly connected if it doesn't start the first time. To try again, please wait a while. Assuming the jumper cables are properly connected, the engine should turn over if a dead battery is the only problem. [21]

   • To diagnose a bad starter, listen for a clicking sound when you turn the key.
   • A faulty alternator could be to blame if the battery dies again after you've taken these steps. [22]
   • If the engine won't start despite the fact that the lights are on, but the gas gauge is within normal range, the problem may lie with the fuel. Alternatively, if it's extremely cold, the fuel line could be frozen or the fuel pump malfunctioning. [23]

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1. 1

   So that your car's battery can charge while you finish up, go ahead and turn the engine on. While you're thanking the other driver and putting away the cables, don't forget to keep your engine running! Turning off the engine won't give the battery enough time to recharge. You can leave it on for a while while you finish up the cleanup. [24]

   • If you can, try to get at least 20 minutes of driving time after you're done to let the battery fully recharge. [25]

2. 2

   To begin, you must free your car of its black ground clamp. Hold the clamp's handles firmly, and then the unpainted metal, once your vehicle is running. Get that black cable out of your car. It is still energized, so you must either set it down on concrete or hold it without touching the clamp. [26]

   • Be cautious as you detach the jumper cables as they may still contain electricity.
   • To recap, unplug the cables in the opposite direction they were plugged in. Therefore, the black ground is eliminated before the black donor. First, the bad battery's red tape is removed, then the donor's red tape.

3. 3

   To disconnect the healthy battery, first detach the black cable, then the red one. To free a good battery, unclip its black cover. The same battery can then have its red clamp removed. If you need help keeping the ground clamp from touching anything, have the other driver do it. [27]

4. 4

   Take out the bad battery's final red cable. Check that the other three clamps are completely disengaged. Then, free the positive terminal of its final clamp. Before calling it a day, make sure the terminal covers are back in place and the car's hood is shut. [28]

   • Once all of the clamps are removed, the cables lose power. Avoid touching them if you can because they might be warm, but there is no danger of sparks or explosions.

5. 5

   Get a mechanic's opinion to rule out any serious issues. A dead battery can be caused by the weather if it is particularly cold. Another common reason is forgetting to turn off the lights. However, your battery's death could have been caused by some other mechanical issue. Do yourself a favor and take your car into the shop if you have any inclination that this might be the case. [29]

   • Wait a few minutes after you realize you left a light on before turning off the car. You should take your car in for service if the battery is dead the next time you try to start it.

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