When Do You Need Jumper Cables?

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Mark Blocker for Expert Village. On this next segment we're going to discuss how to determine when to use jumper cables. Well there's several key things you need to look for to determine whether jumper cables are necessary or you may have another problem. If your engine is turning over and cranking fine, chances are you don't need jumper cables; the battery is not the problem. There's something else going on there. Let's say you left your lights on, dome light, something of that nature and you've come back and you turn your key and the vehicle won't turn over, you don't hear the starter motor, you don't hear the engine turning over, that's a pretty good indication that you may need a jump. Some other ways that you can determine this is turn your headlights on, check and see how bright they are. If they're real bright like normal; try cranking the car over. If the headlights don't dim when the engine tries to crank over; that’s an indication that it's possibly not an electrical problem dealing with a low or weak or dead battery. But if the vehicle still, if the lights go dim and it cranks over real slow or it won't turn over at all, then it's a good indication that you probably need a jump. Watch the segment on automotive electrical systems, a brief overview so that you have an understanding of what you're doing when jumping a vehicle and what's involved."