How To Jump Start a Car

How to Jump start a Car?

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How to Jump Start a Car?

Jump-starting a car is a simple process, Ensure to follow the below steps carefully to safely jump-start a car:

Requirements:

  • Two Jumper cables.
  • An auto with a charged battery.

Steps:

1. Make Ready Both Cars:

  • Park the cars close enough so that jumper cables reach both battery terminals, but ensure they’re not touching.
  • Turn off both engines and put the cars in Park (for automatic) or Neutral (for manual). Engage the parking brakes.

2. locate the Batteries:

  • Locate the batteries in both cars. They’re typically under the hood.
  • Identify the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals. They’re usually marked with red for positive and black for negative and you can find + and – symbols on terminals.

3. Connect the Jumper Cables:

  • Connect one end of the red (+) jumper cable to the dead battery’s positive (+) terminal.
  • Connect the 2nd  end of the red (+) cable to the + terminal of the healthy battery.
  • Connect one end of the black (-) jumper cable to the negative terminal of the healthy battery.
  • Connect the 2nd  end of the black (-) cable to an unpainted metal surface of the car with the dead battery. Look for a clean, non-painted metal part, like a metal bracket or bolt, away from the battery and the fuel system.

4. Start the Working Car:

  • Start the engine of the car with a healthy battery and let it run for a few minutes.

5. Start the Dead Car:

  • Try to start the car with the dead battery. If it doesn’t start, wait a couple of minutes and try again.

6. Remove the Cables:

  • When the car with the dead battery has started, carefully remove the jumper cables in reverse order.
  • Remove the black (-) cable from the dead battery car’s unpainted metal surface.
  • Remove the other end of the black (-) cable from the working car’s negative terminal.
  • Remove the red (+) cable from the working car’s positive terminal.
  • Remove the 2nd end of the red (+) cable from the dead battery car’s positive terminal.

 

7. Keep the Recently Jump-Started Car Running:

  • Keep the recently jump-started car running for at least 10-15 minutes to ensure the battery gets charged.

Remember to handle the cables carefully, ensuring they don’t touch each other or any moving parts of the engine to prevent sparks. If you’re unsure about any step or if there’s damage to the battery, it’s best to contact a professional for assistance.

How do we know if, a car battery is dead?

The following are indications that the battery is dead,

  • If the battery is nearly or more than 3 years old then it is almost in dead condition.
  • If the car is starting makes a ticking sound and doesn’t start at all.
  • Turn on the headlights and indicators and see if they work. Most likely if the headlights don’t work, the battery is dead.
  • The battery has been dead if it needs frequent jumps and pushes within a day.
  • Battery voltages are less than 12.4 volts (dead battery sometimes has 6V only).

If

  • Jumpstart work.
  • Push starts will work.
  • The ignition coil is in good condition.
  • The alternator is good as the engine will not stop once started.
  • The lights/fan is okay, with the alternator current generation.

This means problem with the Battery and it needs replacement