Jumper cables can help start a car with a dead battery. Check the terminals for corrosion and connect the cables to a fully charged battery, being careful not to let the positive and negative clips touch. Let the car run for a few minutes before turning it off and consider replacing the battery if it’s old or damaged.
As many motorists know, keeping a set of jumper cables in the trunk is an excellent precaution. Car batteries can lose charge, stranding the driver and passengers. With jumper cables, it is possible to start the vehicle by transferring electrical current from a fully charged battery to the depleted battery. If you have never used a jumper cable set to start a battery before, the process is very simple and requires no more than a few steps.
Your first task is to check the terminals of the apparently dead battery. If corrosion builds up on the terminals, you may not need to pull the jumper wire set from the trunk. Just clean the terminals and make sure the battery connections reconnect properly. However, if the car still won’t start, it’s time to pull the cables out.
Because you need a fully charged battery to act as a power source, you’ll need the help of another motorist. To ensure that the jumper cable set will reach from the charged battery to the depleted battery, position the vehicles so that they are facing each other or side by side in the same direction. The length of the cables should reach between the batteries without stretching their entire length. This will help prevent any strain that could cause one of the cables to slip out of place during charging.
With the vehicles in place, it’s time to connect the jumper cable set to the batteries. Note that the clips at the end of each jumper wire are color coded. The red clips should be attached to the positive terminal of each battery. One end of the black clip should be connected to the negative terminal of the running car, while the other end should be connected to a clean, unpainted metal surface of the other car. It must not be connected to the other negative terminal, as this can cause dangerous sparks or fire. In general, it is recommended to connect the clips to the fully charged battery first, and then move to the depleted battery. Do not allow a positive and negative clip to come into contact with each other at any time during the process.
With the cables in position, start the running car and let it run for a few minutes then try to start the stationary vehicle. If the battery is extremely weak, it may take a couple of minutes to charge up enough to start the engine. Once the stopped engine is running, first remove the clips from the now recharged battery. Then remove the opposite set of clips from the second battery. Reattach the jumper wire to the trunk.
In general, it’s a good idea to allow the vehicle to run for several minutes before turning it off. If you suspect that the battery needs to be replaced, drive the vehicle to a repair center immediately. A damaged or old battery is not likely to hold a charge, which means the car won’t start a second time if the engine is turned off. Don’t risk it and find a garage where you can install a new battery.
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