A Beginners Guide to Jump Starting a Car

For many people, especially women, the thought of jump starting a car is unnerving. In most cases, the fear of getting a vehicle started using jumper cables has to do with being shocked but it is also because of lack of knowledge. Although there is a right and wrong way to start a car this way, the process is nothing to fear. With the information provided, people will see this is not as difficult or scary as initially thought.

Importance of Learning

Everyone who drives should learn how to jump start a car but also have a pair of jumper cables in good condition in the trunk. Although this is something that drivers do every day, it is amazing how many drivers have never even tried to get a car started using cables. In addition to the obvious, learning to jump start a car is important specific to safety. Having jumper cables and knowing the right way to use them greatly reduces the risk of a driver being stranded, possibly in a higher risk area.

If someone is old enough to drive, it would be beneficial to learn basic car care and maintenance. Having general education about various things that could go wrong with a car not only reduces possible risk but also creates a sense of pride and accomplishment. Most people who have made the effort to learn proper car care are surprised that what was believed to be extremely hard was actually not that much at all.

Using Jumper Cables

The first option for jump starting a car is with jumper cables. While an individual could experience a shock by mishandling the cables, if each step is followed correctly, this seldom happens. Following are the specific steps a person would fall to get a car started:

The vehicle with the dead battery and the vehicle that will be used for the jump need to face each other closely but without touching although the exact position of each battery would determine the best way to align the vehicles. For instance, if both cars have the battery on the right side, the cars would still face each other but slightly angled so the jumper cables can reach without being stretched.
The ignition in both cars should be turned off and parking brakes set. Even if the jump will take place on a flat road, experts still recommend setting the emergency brake for added safety.
The battery terminals for both vehicles should be clean. However, any visible dirt or corrosion, which often looks like white hardened bubbles, should be brushed off. Although not mandatory, it would help to keep a jump starting kit in the trunk of the vehicle to include the jumper cables but also rubber gloves and a wire brush. If a person does not have gloves, any corrosion that comes in contact with the skin should be rinsed off with water right away.
While holding the jumper cables, the tips, regardless of side or color should never touch since this is what causes sparks to fly. Keeping the tips separated, one black and one red would be used for each vehicle. On the car with the dead battery, the red cable would be connected first to the positive side of the battery, which can be identified by the letters “POS” or a “+” sign. Next, the red cable would be connected to the running vehicle, following the same steps.
With this done, the black cable would be connected first to the running vehicle by using the negative side of the battery identified by the letters “NEG” or a “-”sign. The other black cable would be attached to the car with the dead battery, again going through the same exact steps.

We want to point out that some people will connect both red and black cables to the vehicle with the dead battery first, followed by attaching the red and black cables to the running vehicle. Although this way is not wrong, top automotive experts recommend using the steps outlined above, stating this is the safest and most effective method.

With the jumper cables securely attached to both vehicles, the engine for the car with the good battery would be started. For the quickest results, the cables should stay on for several minutes before trying to get the other car started. If the vehicle wants to start but hesitates, rev the engine of the car with the good battery while turning the key again. When a battery is extremely low, jumper cables might need to be left on for five minutes or slightly longer.
Once the car starts, the cables would be removed but this time, the black jumper cable should carefully be removed from the running car, followed by the black cable being removed from the car that was just jumped. Next, the red cable would be disconnected from the running card and finally, the red cable taken off the battery terminal of the jumped vehicle.

It is also important that once the vehicle starts, the engine should not be turned off for at least 30 minutes to allow the battery to recharge. Usually, after jump starting a car it would restart easily but again, only if the battery was given the 30 minutes to recharge. However, if for some reason the vehicle’s engine will not turn on, there could be a problem beyond the battery that would need to be checked out by a trusted mechanic.