One of the essentials you need if you own a car is to know how to jump-start a car. This knowledge often comes in handy when your car has decided to bail on you, worse if you are late to an appointment or it happens in an unfamiliar area. It is advisable to have roadside assistance but if you do not have one, your frustration could escalate very quickly as you would be at a loss for action.
In view of this, we’ll explain how to jump-start a car, and tips on what backup plans you should think of investing in. So, you would know what to do in case the odds decide to turn against you on an important day or in a strange vicinity!
Have a Backup Plan in Place
Roadside Assistance
A great way to ensure that someone comes through for you when there is an issue is investing in a roadside assistance plan through your auto insurance company. Also, if you have a new driver in your family, let him on the backup plan you have, so they know who to contact in the case of a dead battery or other issues.
Emergency Car Kit
It’s good; somewhat necessary to have an emergency car kit. An emergency kit saves you in time of emergency, as its name implies. Your kit should include:
- Flares or triangle reflectors
- Jumper cables
- A quart or more of motor oil
- A gallon of coolant
- Blanket or space blanket
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Tool kit with screwdrivers, pliers, modifiable wrench, pocket knife
Using Jumper Cables
You can use jumper cables to jumpstart your car if the battery is dead. However, confirm that your friend’s battery has the same frequency as yours. Also, take note that the use of jumper cables may damage your battery if either car has an electronic ignition system or is an alternatively fueled car. Once you have taken all the “jumper cable precautions”, you have your cables within reach and a friend has decided to let you use a working vehicle to boost your numb battery, here are the steps to take:
Put both vehicles in the park with close proximity, but ensure that they don’t have contact. Then, switch off the ignition in both cars.
Link the positive cable to the positive base on your battery. (You can identify the positive battery terminal by a plus sign and the negative by a minus usually.) Ensure the positive cable does not have contact with anything metal but for the battery terminal.
Link the other side of the positive cable to the positive battery base on the “living” battery.
Attach the negative jumper cable (black clip) to the negative base on the car assisting with the jump.
Link the other side of the negative jumper cable, the remaining black clip to an uncovered metal area of the car with the numb battery. (The best things to use are unpainted metals like brackets and bolts).
Start the working vehicle and leave the engine to run for a short while.
Then, start your vehicle. If it doesn’t start, ensure the proper connection of the cables. You may need to rev the engine a bit to speed up the charging process if the battery is a bit old or has been unchanged for a few weeks. If it does not start still, your car may have other issues, and you’ll need to contact your mechanic as soon as possible.
If the jump does it magic and your car starts, leave the engine on for a bit with the cables attached to both cars for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Take away the black jumper cable from the floor on the formerly immobilized vehicle (the vehicle is still running). To prevent sparking, it is recommended that you follow the reverse order of the connecting process.
- Detach the other side of the black cable from the battery of the car assisting with the jump.
- Detach the positive (red) cable from the battery of the automobile assisting with the jump.
- Detach the red cable from the previously immobilized vehicle.
The jump merely restarts the disabled vehicle, not recharge the battery. So, as soon as possible, you can put the jumped battery on a battery charger, which you can purchase at an automotive store, to make sure that it’s charged to full capacity. If you’re uncertain about the long-term health of your battery, check in with a mechanic or a professional at an automotive store for advice.
We hope you found this helpful! Remember, if you have a vehicle that doesn’t run, and you need it transported to a different location; contact us at Ultimate Transport 123!