How to Jump Start Your Vehicle
If you have ever gotten in your vehicle and it won't start. You know how important it is to know how to properly jump start a vehicle.
The Proper Way to Jump Start a Vehicle
When you are preparing to jump start a vehicle, you should find a set of jumper cables and another vehicle you can use to get power from. Once you have these items ready to go, simply take the following steps to get back on the road:
• Start with the vehicle that has the good battery and park it as close to the dead vehicle. Their hoods should almost be touching each other. Make sure that both vehicles are turned off before you proceed with the next step.
• Open both hoods and locate each battery. Some batteries may have a plastic cover over the battery. If your vehicle does have the plastic cover it will need to be removed.
• Identify the positive (red) and negative (black) terminals on both batteries. If they're clean and free of corrosion, you may proceed to the next step.
•Connect the red clamp to the positive terminal of the dead battery
• Uncoil the battery cable and hook up the other red clamp to the positive terminal on the live vehicle
• Facing the good battery, connect the black end of the cable to the negative terminal
• Going back to the vehicle with the dead battery, connect the last black cable clamp to a flat, unpainted metal surface on the vehicle's frame
• With all the connections in the proper places, start the engine of the working vehicle and let it run for a few minutes. This will allow a charge to pass to the dead battery.
• After a few minutes have passed try to start the vehicle with the dead battery. If your vehicle will not start you may need to call road side assistance such as AAA.
• If the vehicle starts up right away, carefully remove the cables, reversing the order in which you connected them. DO NOT let the ends touch until the parts have all been removed.
• Perhaps you try to start the vehicle, but you only hear a clicking sound. Your battery is probably good, however your starter may be malfunctioning.
• If you're able to get your vehicle's electrical systems to turn on, but your engine still won't start you may be facing an issue with your ignition switch, starter, or fuses. A completely dead battery might also be at fault.
• If you are able to jump start the vehicle but the battery dies again soon after you get back on the road. You may be dealing with a weak alternator.
Call Bob's Main Street Auto & Towing to help solve your problems. Whether you need to schedule emergency maintenance or schedule a routine oil change, the experts on our team can help!