How to Jump-Start a Car
Imagine going to your car in the morning and finding out its battery has gone flat. This can be a difficult situation for anyone but can be managed easily if you know what to do. Jump leads are easy to use but can cause damage to a car and the person using it if not properly used.
Here are some easy ways to help you deal with the situation with the help of jumper cables.
Things You Need to Jump-Start a Car
- Jumping leads that are working properly
- The car with a dead battery should be within reach of the jump leads
- A second car with a fully charged battery – make sure this car is not electric or hybrid as it can cause severe damage to both the cars
Step-by-step Process of Jump-starting a Car
The foremost safety tip during such a roadside emergency is to stay calm. Now once you have all the things you need, you can jump-start your car with the help of another vehicle with a charged battery. The first step is to make sure you know how to perform the tasks safely. If you do not have enough experience or are even slightly anxious about doing it yourself, call for professional help. Do not attempt to do it on your own unless you are certain.
Step 1: Ensure Safety
Follow these instructions to ensure everyone’s safety before you start to jump-start your car:
- Take a closer look at the battery before trying to jump-start it. Do not attempt to jump-start a battery that is leaking or damaged.
- Check out the jump leads and avoid using them if there are any signs of damage.
- Keep a check on the jump leads temperature and stop using them if you feel they are heating up.
- Remove everything in the vicinity of the engines when you are about to jump-start a car. Any dangling cloth, tie, or scarf can get stuck in the moving parts of the engine.
- Keep metal objects like a necklace, rings, hand tools, wires, clips, and watches away from the battery.
- The battery of a car is highly flammable. Therefore, never light a cigarette or keep a naked flame around it.
- Ensure the cars are parked nearby but their bodies aren’t in contact.
- Turn off the ignition and engage the parking brakes.
Step 2: Remove the Jump Leads
- Never take out the jump leads while the car engines are still on. If you do so, you can end up causing damage to both engines.
- When you are calling someone to jump-start your car, make sure their vehicle’s battery is completely charged.
STEP 3: Connect the Terminals
- The red jump lead should connect the fully charged battery’s positive terminal to the dead battery’s positive terminal.
- The black jump lead should be connected with the negative terminal of the charged battery
- The other point of the jump lead should then be connected to an earthing point like chassis or unpainted metal, away from the reach of the fuel system or dead battery
STEP 4: Start the Engine
- After keeping the engines of both the cars off for 3 minutes, turn on the working car’s engine.
- Let it work for a minute.
- Now start the car that has a dead battery
- Leave the engines of both cars on for at least 10 minutes
Step 5: Switch Off and Then Disconnect
- Switch off the engines of both cars and disconnect the leads.
- Follow the reverse order to complete this step like remove the black lead from the car with a flat engine previously and then the red lead from the car with a fully charged engine, the leads should not touch each other at this step, and neither should they touch the cars’ body
Restart Your Engine
Now try to start your car again to see if this process has helped. If after using the jump-start method, your car refuses to start, you need to contact an expert mechanic to fix this issue.
Moreover, you can also jumpstart your car without another car by using a jumpstart box or push-start method.
More Tips and Tricks
If the aforementioned method doesn’t work, try these methods to minimize the range of possible issues and figure out how to get back on the road:
- If you’re only hearing a clicking sound from the engine when starting the engine then chances are your battery is fine. In that case, check your starter it might be malfunctioning.
- In case your engine is not starting but you’re able to turn on your car’s electrical systems then you might be facing an issue with your fuses, ignition switch, or starter.
- You might be dealing with a weak alternator if your car battery dies even after a recharge.
You can always call a mechanic to help you with the procedure. If you are still unsure about how to jump-start a car with jumper cables, especially when you are in a remote area where finding help is difficult, try portable jumpstarting. You would need a portable jump starter for that.
If your car has been sitting idle for several months and you want to start it, then consider going through this guide on restarting a car after months.
Besides dead car batteries, if your car is facing other issues such as a blown head gasket or transmission issues, it’s better to switch to another option and buy a used car. Here is a list of quality second-hand cars:
- Second-hand Nissan for sale in the UAE
- Used Toyota for sale in the UAE
- Second-hand Audi for sale in the UAE
- Used Ford for sale in the UAE
For more information on cars, auto technology and auto DIYs, stay tuned to the UAE’s top car blog.