Regardless of what type of car you have, eventually you may need to jumpstart it. While jumping a car is fairly easy, it can be a bit dangerous if basic precautions are not taken. Show
If certain battery problems are causing your car to lose battery charge (a leaking battery for example), you should have it serviced or replaced. The best advice is: if you are unsure in any way about what you are doing, call a pro as you can seriously damage your car as well as the other vehicle you're using for the jumpstart. Everything you need to know about jumpstarting a carTools You Will Need
The “Do’s” when jumpstarting a car
The “Don’ts” when jumpstarting a car
The pre-checkThe first thing you should do is locate the battery in both vehicles. In some cars the battery is not in an accessible spot in the engine compartment, which is where jump-start lugs come in to play. If this is the case, locate the lugs. Once the battery or lugs have been located, examine each and make sure you know where the positive and negative terminals are on both batteries. The positive terminal will have a (+) sign along with red wires, or a red cover. The negative terminal will have a (-) sign and black wires or a black cover. The terminal covers may have to be moved to reach the actual terminal. If the terminals are dirty or have corrosion, use the wire brush to clean them off. Jumpstarting the carIn order to properly jump-start a car you will need to create a circuit that carries the current from the live battery over to the dead one. In order to do this successfully the cables should be connected in this exact order:
Final stepTechnically, there are two ways to complete the jumpstarting of a car:
Remember to thank the person who helped jumpstart your car! The vehicle with the dead battery should be allowed to run for 30 minutes if possible. This will let the alternator fully charge the battery. If your battery continues to lose a charge, contact a certified mobile mechanic from YourMechanic to diagnose the problem. The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details How long leave jumper cables on dead battery?Allow both vehicles to run connected for about three minutes. Leave the jump-started vehicle running and disconnect the cables in the reverse order that they were attached and close the hoods. Keep the jump-started vehicle's engine running for about a half hour to allow the battery to fully charge.
Does leaving jumper cables on longer help?Leaving jumper cables attached too long can lead to overcharging your battery and damaging it, or possible damage to the other car, leading to two dead car batteries instead of one. Having your car battery serviced regularly can keep it from going bad, but a good car insurance policy can cover you when all else fails.
How long should you leave jumper cables on after starting?If your car does start, let it run for a few minutes to help charge the battery further. Unhook the clamps in the reverse order of how you put them on. Be sure to drive your car for about 30 minutes before stopping again so the battery can continue to charge. Otherwise, you might need another jump start.
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