A dead car battery can make even the best of check this out take a turn for the worse, but equipping yourself with the knowledge of how to jump-start a car can safely get you back on the road in no time. While you can experience a dead battery any time of the year, car batteries are especially prone to losing power when the weather outside turns cold.

Luckily, jump-starting a car is easier than it may seem. You just need some jumper cables and a family member, neighbor or friendly stranger with a car to get started.

How to Use Jumper Cables

Connecting cables and terminals improperly may damage or ruin the battery, destroy the entire electrical system of the car, or shock and injure you. Red is positive. The red cable is the positive cable. Black is negative. The black jumper cable is typically negative. Of course, if your jumper cables are both black, look for the negative symbol, a cables sign -to find the negative cable and battery terminal. When jumping a car, which cable goes on first?

Attaching the cables appropriately is also important for preventing sparks, which could ignite and cause a fire. Take the keys out of the ignition before starting.

Think back to science class. Cables should never touch one another. To further minimize the risk of shocks or electrical damage to your vehicle, ensure the cable clamps the metal parts of the vehicle cables never touch each other. Attach the red cable to the positive terminal on the dead battery first. Start with the positive hook and attach one of the end more info to the positive terminal on the dead battery. Attach the red cable to the positive terminal on the jumping battery.

Attach the black cable to the negative terminal on the jumping battery. Attach the black cable to a grounding element on the dead battery. Do NOT attach the black cable to the negative terminal on the dead battery. Instead, the clamp will go on a grounding element, an unpainted piece of metal, such as a bolt, of the car that has the dead battery.

Jump-starting a car is a straightforward process than any DIYer can handle. All you need is some jumper cables and a power source — like another car or a jump starter. Yes, you can jump a order in the rain! Rainy conditions may be uncomfortable, but you can still safely jump the car battery. If the temperatures outside are cold, though, it may take five or more minutes for the battery to recharge enough to drive again.

Safety first! Remember to protect yourself with gloves and protective eyewear whenever cables working inside your vehicle. Recruit someone to help. Ask a family member or neighbor if you notice a dead battery at home.

Position another vehicle near yours. The easiest way to jump-start a dead battery is to have the two vehicles facing each other without touching, but vehicles can also be side by side. Open the hood of both cars. With the vehicles in position and turned off, open each car's hood. Depending on your vehicle, you can open the hood from a button inside the car, or there will be a lever or latch under the front of the hood that you can hook and press with your finger to unlatch hook hood.

Use the hood prop rod, nestled along the front of the hood, to hold the hood open. Inspect for damage. Have your vehicle towed to an auto shop, or have a professional come out to inspect the damage and recommend next steps.

Connect the jumper cables. Connect the jumper cables using the information in the section above. Finally, connect the black cable to an unpainted piece of metal somewhere on the car that has the dead battery but NOT the negative terminal of the dead battery. Start the jumper car. After safely connecting the jumper cables, ask the other person to start their car.

Order a few minutes, then start the car with the dead battery. Give the dead battery a minute or two to recharge before starting the car. Then, start the vehicle. Disconnect the jumper cables in the correct order. With the vehicles running, you can carefully disconnect the jumper cables. However, be sure to never touch the metal parts of the cables to each other or any other metal parts, and remove the cables in the following order:.

Drive the vehicle. Put the jumper cables back in order place, and thank the helpful person who lent their own car for a jump-start. Now, the jumped battery needs more time to recharge fully. Battery boosters are convenient, especially if your vehicle battery dies in a more rural or isolated location. Charge the battery booster. Then, you can store it safely in its case in your vehicle.

Attach the positive cable. Hook the positive cable to the positive terminal on the car jumper. Attach the negative cable. Connect the clamp on the negative cable to an unpainted more info part of the car for grounding.

Turn on the battery booster. Turn on the vehicle. Now, turn on the vehicle. Disconnect the battery booster. At this point, you can disconnect the battery booster by removing the negative and positive cables.

Place the battery booster back in its case and store it away. Drive the car. You may also want to consider connecting the battery to a charger. Sometimes, cold weather or parasitic draw, such as from leaving a dome light on overnight, will leave you with a dead battery.

Look for these signs:. Frequent jumps. If the battery keeps dying, it has probably reached the end of its lifespan. Old battery. Most vehicle batteries today will last about three to five years.

The battery is likely too old and needs a replacement. Sputtering engine. Click, click, click. You turn the key in the ignition, but the engine takes a few tries cables it sputters to life.

This is a sign of a weak battery in need of replacement. Of course, if you need to jump your battery repeatedly, it may be time to consider a new one.

December 05, 2023

How to Jump-Start a Car December 05, Find a Battery. Find a Location. Order Online. Learning Positive vs. How to Connect Jumper Cables When jumping a car, which cable goes on first?

However, be sure to never touch the metal parts of the cables to each other learn more here any other metal parts, and remove the cables in the following order: Remove the negative, black cable from the car with the dead battery. Disconnect the negative cable from the negative terminal on the jumper car. Place the fully disconnected negative cable on the ground, away from the vehicles. Remove the red or positive cable from jumper jumper car. Remove the red cable from the positive terminal of the car that had the dead battery.

Jump-starting a car with a jump box is similar to jumping a car with cables. Signs Your Dead Battery Needs to Be Replaced Sometimes, cold weather or parasitic draw, such as from leaving jumper dome light on overnight, will leave you with a dead battery. Look for these signs: Frequent jumps.

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