Knowing how to jumpstart a car is essential for every driver because a dead battery can leave you stuck at the most inconvenient moment. Therefore, knowing how to jumpstart a car to get back on the road fast and safely is crucial. In this article, you will learn the simple instructions and safety tips to jumpstart a car, regardless of whether you’re using jumper cables or a portable jump starter.
Reasons for a Jumpstart of a car
Knowing how to jumpstart a car is crucial because there are several common scenarios where a dead battery might leave you stranded. Here are the main reasons why you might need to perform a jump start.
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1. Leaving Lights or Accessories On
A dead battery is often caused by accidentally leaving the headlights, interior lights, or other accessories on the automobile.
2. Extreme Temperatures
Your automobile battery can be affected by both hot and cold conditions. While severe heat can quicken the chemical reactions inside the battery and cause it to lose power more quickly, extreme cold could decrease its ability to keep a charge, both the scenarios eventually lead to jumpstart a car.
3. Old or Worn-Out Battery
The average lifespan of an automobile battery is three to five years. They eventually lose their capacity to carry a charge, particularly if they are regularly subjected to harsh conditions. If your battery is old, it might not start your car reliably.
4. Corroded or Loose Battery Terminals
The battery may not charge effectively if the battery terminals are corroded. The flow of power can also be disrupted by loose or unclean connections, which could lead to problems with starting. You can also fix the corroded battery terminals of your vehicle to prevent the jumpstart of car.
Tools Required To Jumpstart a Car
- Jumper cables with a red clamp and a black clamp.
- A car with a dead battery.
- A vehicle with a good battery or a portable jump starter.
Step-by-Step Guide to Jumpstart a Car
Step 1
Safety Initially
Begin the process of car jumpstart, keeping the following considerations.
- Ensure the keys are out of the ignitions and that both vehicles are turned off.
- To ensure that the jumper wires can reach the terminals of both cars, park the automobile with the good battery sufficiently close to the vehicle with the dead battery.
- Apply the parking brakes to both of your cars.
Step 2
Connect the Jumper Cables
- Locate the battery terminals on both vehicles by opening the hoods.
- Attach one end of the red clamp to the dead battery’s positive terminal (marked with a “+”).
- Attach the other end of the red clamp to the positive terminal of the good battery.
- Connect one end of the black clamp to the good battery’s negative terminal (marked with a “-“).
- Attach the other black clamp to an unpainted metal surface on the engine block or the car frame with the dead battery. This helps prevent sparks near the battery terminals.
For a successful jumpstart of a car the connections of battery terminals must be secure and tight.
Step 3
Start the Engine
- With a good battery, start the car and let it run for a few minutes.
- Attempt to start the car with the dead battery. Wait a few more minutes and try again if it doesn’t start immediately.
Step 4
Disconnect the Jumper Cables
Once the car starts, you must disconnect the jumper cables in reverse order to prevent any electrical shorts.
- Remove the black clamp from the car’s metal surface or the negative terminal with the dead battery.
- Remove the black clamp from the negative terminal of the good battery.
- Remove the red clamp from the positive terminal of the good battery.
- Remove the red clamp from the positive terminal of the dead battery.
Step 5
Let the Car Run
After a jumpstart wait for the car battery to fully recharge, drive the newly started vehicle for at least 20 minutes or keep it running.
Using a Portable Jump Starter to Jumpstart a car
If you want to jumpstart a car with a portable jump starter, follow these steps.
- Make sure there is enough charge in the portable jump starter.
- Assemble the cable clamps by fastening the black clamp to the negative terminal and the red clamp to the car battery’s positive terminal.
- Turn on the power bank or portable jump starter.
- Start the car. After the vehicle starts, detach the cable clamps in the opposite sequence and switch off the portable jump starter.
Safety Tips
Following are some safety tips that must be considered while you jumpstart a car.
- Use gloves and safety glasses to protect yourself.
- Before starting the car, always make sure the connections are secure.
- Do not let the jumper cables touch each other while attached to the battery terminals.
- If the car with the dead battery doesn’t start after several attempts, replace the car battery.
- Connect and disconnect the cables in the correct order to prevent electrical damage.
Conclusion
Knowing how to jumpstart a car with jumper cables or a portable jump starter can save you time and hassle. Always keep these tools in your vehicle and follow these steps to ensure a safe and successful jump start.
