How to Jump Start a Car

You get into your car, turn the key and nothing happens. Your car battery does not have enough current to activate the high amperage motor. You need a jump, a power boost from another car's battery. Here's how set it up.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Battery jumper cables

1. Park a car close enough to yours so that the jumper cables will comfortably reach both car batteries. Open the hoods on both cars and secure them with prop rods. The car that is providing the jump should be shut off, not running.

2. Clamp one end of the jumper cables onto the car battery of the car providing the jump. Connect the positive (or red) clamp to the positive(or red) battery post first. Make sure the other ends of the cables are not touching each other. Connect the negative (or black) clamp to the negative (or black) post of the battery.

3. Connect the other end of the cables to your car's battery by installing the positive clamp onto the positive post of the dead battery. Again, make sure the clamps do not touch each other. Connect the negative clamp to a clean ground on the engine of the dead car or directly onto the negative battery post. Connecting the black clamp onto the engine will reduce the possibility of a spark around the dead battery.

4. Start the car that is doing the jumping and let it charge your dead battery for 5 to 10 minutes. Then shut off its engine.

5. Turn your key in the ignition to make sure you can start your car.

6. Remove the negative clamp from the car providing the jump. Do not allow the clamps to touch. Remove the positive clamp from the same car.

7. Take the cables off of the car receiving the jump in the same order, negative followed by positive.

8. Release the prop rod and close the hoods of both cars securely.

Tips & Warnings

• Corrosion on the battery terminals can cause your car's battery to appear dead. Clean corrosion from the terminals and keep the terminal clamps tight on the battery posts.
• Never restart a dead engine while the jumper's engine is running. Electrical damage to the car providing the jump could occur.
• To avoid sparks around the battery of the car receiving the jump, the negative cable should be clamped onto the engine away from the battery. The metal surfaces on engines are negative in most cars.
• Do not allow battery cable clamps to touch each other while they are hooked to a battery.

[cmikal]

on 6/13/2009 Everything I have seen on jump starting a vehicle says both vehicles should be off when making the final connection. Why? In my opinion you run the risk of killing your own battery before you get the dead car started. You also run the risk of ruining your own starter due to the big drain from the dead battery PLUS the strain of you trying to start the good vehicle with a dead battery load attached. It seems to me the good vehicle should be running at the point you make the final connection to prevent both of you from needing a jump start.

[danielzrib]

on 8/22/2008 I always wondered which cable to connect and disconnect first. Thanks for the great info!

[DiscountTickets]

on 8/21/2008 Great article, I'll print a copy of this to study, and know what to do whenevever I will need it some day.

[Fike]

on 8/21/2008 There are so many differing ways of describing how to do this. I've almost always left the charging car's engine running while turning over the engine on the car that needs the charge. Am I doing some harm by proceeding this way?

[BigDaddyUSMC]

on 8/21/2008 I gave this article 2 out of 5 stars.
This is the basic idea on how to jump start a car with a LOW battery , But not the best way to start a car with a DEAD battery

By shutting of the motor on the car with the good battery you will reduce the power available to start the car with the dead battery. Once the motor is turned off you are relying on just the other cars battery & not the power being supplied but the alternator or generator of a running car.
If you have a DEAD battery & it will not hold a charge . Once the motor is turned off on the running car it could make it hard & maybe impossible to start the car with the dead battery. Because there will not be enough power & you could possibly drain the good battery to where there isn't enough power to restart either car.

There is a difference between a DEAD battery & one that has been run down.
A DEAD battery is one that wil