Jump a car: how?

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Knowing how to start a car is a skill that all car owners should possess. It’s not a difficult thing to learn and can save a lot of time and frustration in the event of a dead battery. The first thing you need to know is how to tell if the problem is a dead battery, rather than some other mechanical problem. If you turn the key in the ignition and the car clicks, sputters, or does nothing at all, you will need to use jumper cables to get the car started again. If the headlights, radio, and heater work, or if the engine cranks but won’t start, the problem is not with the battery.

Read your car’s owner’s manual to see if there are any special instructions for charging. Your owner’s manual probably has jumping instructions as well, should you need them. It’s always a good idea to keep a pair of jumper cables in your vehicle, as you can never be sure someone stopping to help will have their own pair. They don’t take up much space and are a very wise investment. A flashlight, in case you need to jump start a car in the dark, and a hand towel are also good to have available.

To jump start a car, you will first need a second vehicle with a working battery. Place the two cars close to each other, so that the cable can reach between the batteries. Turn off both cars and then open the trunks. Check to make sure all cables are tight, which can cause the battery to act like it’s dead.

Jumper cables have two clamps on each end, one red and one black. Connect the red clamps to the battery first. The battery must be labeled, showing which terminal is positive and which is negative. Wiping the batteries with the towel or other cloth can make them easier to read. If the terminals are not labeled, just remember that the largest terminal is almost always the positive side.

After you have connected the two red ends, connect the black clamp to the negative terminal of the charged car only. On the side with the dead battery, the clamp should be attached to a clean, unpainted metal part of the car. The engine block is usually a good place to connect. Connecting the black clamp to the dead battery can cause multiple sparks and will not allow the battery to charge properly. It can even cause an explosion.

The next step in starting a car is to turn on the charging car and let it run for two to three minutes. This will send power to the depleted battery, allowing it to gain enough juice to get started. Start the car that had the dead battery. If it starts with no problems, remove the wires in the reverse order they were connected, removing the black wires first. Let the vehicle run for 30 minutes, while driving or idling, to fully charge the battery.

If the car doesn’t start, please check all the wires are well connected and then try again. If the vehicle still won’t start, the battery may need to be replaced or the vehicle may have some other problem. These instructions may not work for all makes and models; check with your owner’s manual or a mechanic before attempting to start a car.

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