How to Jump-Start a Car

If you can’t get your vehicle to start, the most likely reason is that you need a jump start, car battery service, or something similar. Starting with learning how to properly jump start a car can help a lot and keep you from having to call a jump-start car service. Then, if your car won’t jump start, you can check to see if your battery needs to be replaced. 

The experts at Allen Samuels Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram have written this guide so that you and other Nickerson drivers can learn how to do all of this. Keep reading to find out more. 

The Proper Way to Jump-Start a Car

Before you can perform the proper way to jump start a car, you need to have the proper equipment. You’ll need:

• A set of jumper cables 
• Another vehicle 

You can also call a jump-start car service that services the Buhler area like AAA. Once you have that prepared, follow these steps:

1. Have the car with the good battery parked and facing the other vehicle, then make sure that the vehicle is turned off. Check to make sure both parking brakes are engaged.
2. Open both hoods and find the batteries. You may need to remove a plastic hood to expose the battery terminals.
3. Identify the positive and negative terminals. Make sure they’re clean and free of any corrosion.
4. Connect the red clamp to the positive post on the dead battery.
5. Uncoiling the battery cable, hook the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the battery with the charge.
6. Connect the black clamp to the negative post on the good battery. 
7. For the final clamp, connect it to an unpainted metal surface on your car’s frame.
8. Once everything is hooked up securely, start the engine of the vehicle with the good battery first, then the one with the dead battery.
9. Once the dead vehicle has been jump-started, carefully remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were placed on, then shut off the car that was used to help jump-start the dead car.
10. Keep the engine running on the restarted vehicle for at least 10 minutes to ensure that the weak battery doesn’t die again right away. Consult your owner’s manual for more info on recommended times.

How to Troubleshoot Your Battery

If you know how to jump start a car, but the car won’t jump-start, the problem could be that your battery is dead. Of course, if it’s not that you need to replace the battery, then it could be a sign of a bigger problem. You can troubleshoot the issue yourself by doing the following:

1. If you try and start the car but only hear a clicking sound, the starter might not be functioning. Contact us at Allen Samuels Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and schedule service near Newton so that we can replace it for you.
2. If the electrical systems of the car turn on but the engine doesn’t turn over, the problem could be a number of issues. It could be the ignition switch, battery, starter, or a fuse. It’s worth bringing your vehicle to a mechanic at a service center like ours so they can diagnose the issue.
3. Be sure to keep your vehicle running for a while after getting the jump. That allows the battery to recharge fully after it’s been drained.

You Can Trust Allen Samuels Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram for Service

Hopefully, you know more about how to jump start a car. We can help with all your service needs, whether you need to buy and install a new battery or just need an oil change, and you can read our many other service tips and tricks. Still have questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us, and we can help you out!