How to Jump a Battery

Have you ever tried to start your car only to find out that the battery died, and now you’re stranded? This is a situation that no one wants to be in, especially if you don’t know how to jump a battery. By learning a few easy steps, you can be prepared to jump-start your vehicle so that you never find yourself stranded with a dead battery. If you want to learn more about how to take care of your vehicle’s battery, visit Premier Clearance Center Metairie near Chalmette and Covington.

Follow These Steps to Jump a Battery

The first step when jump-starting a vehicle is to make sure you have everything you need to get the job done. You will need jumper cables and access to another vehicle with a good battery. The two vehicles will need to be facing each other, so park the working vehicle close enough to where the jumper cables will reach inside both hoods. Both vehicles should be turned off with the parking brake on before you get started.

• Pop the hoods, locate the batteries, and remove the battery’s plastic hood if necessary. Then, you need to find the terminals. The red is positive and the black is negative. Check to make sure there isn’t any corrosion before you proceed.
• Starting with the dead battery, grab your jumper cables and connect the red clamp on the positive terminal.
• Head over to the working vehicle, uncoil the battery cable and repeat this step by connecting the other red clamp to the positive terminal on the good battery.
• Find the black end of the jumper cable and connect it to the negative terminal on the working battery. Return to the vehicle with the dead battery, and then clamp the other black cable clamp to an unpainted, flat metal surface of the vehicle’s frame.
• Start the engine of the working vehicle and let the engine run for a few moments for the dead battery to charge.
• Then, try and start the other vehicle. Make sure it is running smoothly before you remove the cables. The cables should be removed in the reverse order of how you connected them. Be careful not to let the ends touch until each part is fully removed.
• Finally, you need to keep the vehicle that had the dead battery running for at least ten minutes, so the battery has time to recharge.

What to Do if the Jump Start Wasn’t Effective

It can be frustrating to go through the process of jumping a battery only to find out that your vehicle still won’t start. If this happens, it could be due to a few different issues. A malfunctioning starter could create a clicking sound when you try and start the vehicle after a jump start. A problem with the fuses, starter or ignition switch could cause the electrical system to work but not the engine. If you find that your battery dies again even though the jump start was successful, this could be a sign of a weak alternator.