Knowledge is power so knowing how to jumpstart your car could empower your attempt to move from one location to the next. Especially, when you are about to drive off but your car just won’t start.
Today, we will learn about which steps you need to get right while jumpstarting your car.
Apart from a dead car battery, there are a number of reasons why the car may not start. The process of jumpstarting a car isn’t complicated at all.
That’s a fact!
Though there are some moves that you should perform correctly in order to juice up your car battery. For example, Avoiding the connection of the negative terminal clump on the dead battery.
In fact, getting this process right will determine how long it takes to jumpstart your car.
How to jumpstart your car with another car.
This is not such a complicated process. All you need is a little knowledge around the car battery, a working battery from anther vehicle and a set of jumper cables.
1. Park the 2nd vehicle opposite your vehicle.
Ensure that the vehicles are close enough for the jumper cables to reach the two batteries under the hood. Of course the proximity of the two vehicles depends on the length of your jumper cables.
2. Identify the battery terminals.
Locate the battery terminals from batteries of both vehicles. That’s because the battery terminals vary depending on the type of battery and the manufacturer. But the terminals are clearly marked as positive [+ve] and negative [-ve].
The positive terminal usually has a plastic cover around it. Do not remove that plastic covering. Secondly, the wire running from the positive terminal is red in color. However, sometimes the cable could be green in color.
Alternatively, the wire running from the negative terminal is usually black. This is a standard color for that terminal’s wire. This is the last terminal to disconnect when starting and to reconnect when the car battery charge is done.
3. Connect the jumper cables.
The jumper cables also have the same colors as the terminals, that is red and black. Because it is important for you differentiate between both of them.
The connection starts at the dead battery. This is very important. While you connect the cables to the dead car battery, ensure that the other end of the jumper cables is on the ground.
Another important point is to ensure that the jumper clamps do not touch each other.
Next, attach the red clump to the positive [+ve] terminal. Make sure that the black clump doesn’t touch that positive terminal. Afterwards, confirm that the battery connection is on point in order to ensure that the electric juice will be transferred.
Next connect the red clump on the opposite end of the jumper cable to the functional battery. Ensure that the red clump is on the positive terminal. At the same time, connect the black clumps to the negative terminals of the good battery.
Note that you should start with connecting clumps to the positive terminal before connecting to the negative terminal. Secondly, remember to ensure that the cables are not touching each other.
Here is the tricky part!
Move to the dead battery’s hood and assess it to find an unpainted metallic part. For example a bolt that is sticking out above the other parts. This is the metallic onto which you will connect the black jumper clumps.
Do not connect the black jumper clumps to the negative terminal of the dead battery.
4. Start the engine.
This is the next step after ensuring that the jumper cables are well connected. But before starting the vehicle, ensure that the cable is free from any moving engine parts like the engine fan.
Start the engine of the car with the good battery and let it idle for sometime. This idling lets the charge to flow into the dead battery.
While the good battery vehicle is running, try to start the car with the dead battery. Incase you don’t get a response, shut the engine of the bad battery vehicle and let the good battery vehicle keep running. Give it approximately, 10 to 15 minutes.
Try starting the bad battery vehicle again. If you’re unable to restart it, then your battery is beyond repair. Meaning that its time for you to buy a new battery.
But if the car starts, keep it running. Afterwards, the other car with a good battery can still run.
5. Disconnect the cables
During disconnection you have to be very careful. Start by disconnecting the black jumper clump connection on the metallic surface under the bad battery hood.
Afterwards, disconnect the red clump from the positive terminal of the dead battery vehicle. Do not let the clumps to touch each other.
Finally, remove the red jumper clumps from the positive terminal of the good battery vehicle. Afterwards, remove the black jumper clumps.
How to jumpstart your car without cables.
This is one of the oldest methods of jumpstarting your car. Especially, when you find yourself in a place where you have no jumper cables.
You will need to push the car in order to give it enough momentum. If you aren’t this strong, you can call upon someone else to assist you.
Reality is;
This will only work for vehicles that have a manual transmission.
- Turn the ignition to the ”On” setting.
- Push down the clutch.
- Put the car into first gear.
- Ensure that the handbrake and the foot brake aren’t engaged.
- Start pushing the car.
- Once the car gains momentum up to 5MPH, warn those pushing to back-off.
- Quickly engage the clutch.
- At this point, the engine should be able to start.
- Otherwise, if it doesn’t start and the car is still in motion, switch to second gear.
- Push the accelerator down and engage the clutch. Do this while changing the gears since it takes more than one attempt.