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.
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Instructions
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Turn your key in the ignition to make sure you can start your car.
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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.
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Take the cables off of the car receiving the jump in the same order, negative followed by positive.
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Release the prop rod and close the hoods of both cars securely.
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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.
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Comments
View all 28 Comments-
What are the chances of damaging your own car while giving someone a jump start? My father worked with cars for my grandfather and uncle (who were expert mechanics and ran and owned a service station for twenty years) from his childhood into his early twenties and he advised me to never give anyone a jump start. I am asking this question because I was at a concert last night and two guys who were broken down asked my friend and me for a jump start. It was my friend's car and the car is eleven years old and has over 140,000 miles on it. We politely refused and explained that we did not want to take the chance of damaging our own car. One of the men became highly belligerent, threatened us, and I almost had a fight with him before the other man pulled him away. Hell, instead of a jump start, I would have even given them money for a tow truck even though I did not know them but I did not want to run the risk of damaging our own car.
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cmikal
Jun 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. -
Billy Gomban Jr.
Jan 15, 2009
There is an error in this instructions. The last connection should always be the last negative cable not connected. This last cable should not be connected to the battery as it may spark and if the battery is bad and full of hydrogen gas it could explode resulting in sulfuric acid burns on the hands and face of the operator. Instead the last negative connection should be placed on the some part of the engine or engine compartment that is grounded to the negative side of the battery. This way a spark, if any will occur far away from the battery. Also no one should be standing in close to the battery when the car is started as a battery with low acid levels could spark internally, causing the battery to explode.
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HardworkinJudy
Jan 05, 2009
Great tips to keep in the bag with the cables. Thanks!
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deepthinkin
Jan 03, 2009
Everyone should print this out and place beside their jumper cables! Thanks so much..
