Occasionally, the car battery just dies out, and this can occur anywhere anytime, and annoyingly when you least expect it. You may be on a long trip, or going to work in the morning, heading out for a quick coffee or bite. Nevertheless, chances are, you will need to know how to jump start a car back to working order if you don’t want to waste hours waiting for help. To get your car back on the road in no time without having to contact your car insurance provider for assistance, here are 4 easy steps to get you all figured out. Here is all you need to know about safely jump starting a car with leads.
Items Needed For Jump Starting A Car
- Jumper cables.
- Another vehicle with a functioning battery.
- Gloves and goggles for safety.
1. Align Both Vehicles.
Before jump starting a car, firstly you will need to align both vehicles to ensure that the batteries are in close proximity to each other. Ensure that both vehicles are not touching each other, brakes are on and the ignition is off to ensure safety while conducting the process. Don’t make matters worse with an unexpected safety accident.
2. Take Out Your Jumper Cables and Connect Them.
A good set of jumper cables is necessary for safety and correct operation. Connect the red jumper cable to the positive(+) terminal of the working vehicle’s battery. This connects the positive charge terminal of the working vehicle with the non-working one. Thereafter, connect the black jumper cable to the negative(-) terminal of the working vehicle’s battery. This connects the negative charger terminal of the working vehicle to the one on the non-working vehicle.
3. Start The Working Vehicle's Engine.
After a safe connection and whilst ensuring safety, carefully start the engine of the working vehicle and let it run for a few minutes. By jump starting a car at this moment, this time should allow it to charge up the non-functioning car battery and hopefully restore ignition. Please be patient with this process.
4. Turn Off and Disconnect.
After a few minutes of leaving the working car’s engine on, the non-working vehicle’s battery should have charged. Turn off the working vehicles engine. Then carefully disconnect the jumper cables in the reverse way they were connected. While doing so, ensure that the terminals do not touch each other or the car for safety otherwise this can leave to a hazardous situation, putting both yours and any nearby pedestrian at huge risk and danger. Please keep any children away from the vehicle.
5. Start The Flat Battery Car.
After careful disconnection, turn on the non-working vehicle’s battery to ensure that it is working. Do this normally by ignition, using the car keys on the ignition and switching it on. If the vehicle ignites, attempt a short test drive of about five to fifteen minutes to ensure that the battery is working efficiently. If the vehicle fails to ignite, wait a few minutes and repeat the process once more. Sometimes this process can take a while so patience is required and repetition, each situation can vary from another and therefore a case by case basis.
Call For Help.
If the vehicle does not ignite after the whole process, that is an indication that the underlying problem is bigger. You should try to call for professional help through your mechanic or company line for professional assistance. Someone like NRMA has roadside assistance who can come and assist and diagnose the situation. Please bear in mind that there is a window of a few hours for the arrival of the technician, which can also vary. To ensure safety when jump-starting a car, it is important to ensure;
The car battery is not leaking ie a clean car
The jumper cables are in good shape and not damaged.
The jumper cables are well insulated.
Avoid contact with metallic objects. This can cause an explosion of the battery.
Ensure that the car engines are off when connecting or disconnecting the jumper cables to either vehicle.
Wear gloves and goggles for extra protection from electric shocks and explosions.
Get rid of any loose-fitting clothing to avoid being caught up on the moving parts of the vehicles.
Avoid any naked flames such as cigarettes around the area to avoid an explosion.
Well, there you have it, all you need to know about jump starting a car. Next time your vehicle battery fails to ignite, brace yourself and figure the safest procedure on how to jump start a car based on your conditions. Following the informative steps above, and ensure that safety is first. Always call for professional help if you experience any major complications.
Quick Tip
To avoid any further complications, it is always wise to make sure that you car engine bay is always cleaned and detailed at all times. Often neglected because it’s hidden underneath the front bonnet, make sure at the least that the battery is clean so that it can be seen which end is positive and negative. Mix up the two charges and you will end up with a very major issue and potentially very dangerous consequence. Always recommended to have a professional car detailer, like Schmicko to inspect and clean the engine bay as to ensure that nothing gets water damaged and well protected.
Car Care Advice For The Everyday Driver & Enthusiast
As a seasoned author on our team, Chester also known as ‘Gadget’, for his love for all things mechanical, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table, particularly when it comes to automotive topics.
