This article will walk you through how to jump start your car, using the jumper cables
No one wants to see their car battery run down, but regrettably, you can’t just keep driving without having a moment where you have to jump start your car battery.
Aside from the worry and anxiety associated with car battery drain, research has shown that over 85% of people who drive have, on one or more occasions, faced the issue of having to jumpstart a car once or twice.
Fortunately, technicians and electricians have found a simple method of jumping a car battery.
To jump-start a car with jumper cables, you need to position a fully charged battery booster vehicle close to your car, shut the ignitions, and connect a jumper cable clamp to the red positive (+) terminals of both batteries and a black jumper cable clamp to the negative terminals of the good battery. T
he black clamp should be placed on any unpainted metal part of your dead battery car. Jump-start the car by starting the engine with a good battery.
How To Jump A Car With Jumper Cables
So today, I’ll show you six simple steps to jump-start a car, and you can do this in less than 10 minutes.
Here is how to jumpstart a car
1. Get The Booster Vehicle Close To Your Car.
Now, we assume your battery runs low; seek help from another diver with a fully charged battery. Place the vehicle near your dead-battery vehicle.
You can either position the car side by side or in the opposite direction. Ensure the two cars are close enough to each other for the jumper cable or booster cable to connect from one terminal to another.
Now, shut off the ignitions of the two vehicles and remove their respective keys from the ignition. Turn on the emergency brakes and remove all of the vehicle’s accessories.
2. Open The Hoods And Locate The Battery Terminals.
Next, open the vehicles’ hoods and locate each vehicle’s battery terminal. Remove the plastic cover from each terminal for it to be properly exposed to the clamp.
On the battery terminals for each of the vehicles, there are positive (+) signs mostly indicated with a red color, and negative (-) signs often indicated with blue, black, or green colors.
In most instances, the terminal is likely to be corrosion-free; however, if that’s not the case, kindly clean it with a brush or aluminum foil to ensure a clean terminal.
3. Connect Jumper Cables To Both Terminals.
Connect a jumper cable clamp to both batteries’ positive (+) terminals, as well as the negative terminals of the good battery and any unpainted metal parts on your dead battery car.
Important: Please ensure that these connections are made in the correct order, that is,
“RED TO RED,” from both the good battery and the drained battery’s POSITIVE (+) terminal.
BLACK clamp on the NEGATIVE (-) terminal of the good battery, and the other clamp on any unpainted metal part of the dead battery.
4. Start The Booster Car.
Now, ask the driver of the good-battery vehicle that is donating the power to start his car. Now wait a few seconds or minutes while the donor car is still on before you start your car.
In the event that your car refuses to start, allow it to charge for three to five minutes. Restart the car after your battery has received enough power.
5. Unclamp The Jumper Cables From Both Terminals.
Now that you have successfully jump-started your car battery, it’s time to disconnect the jumper cables from the terminals. Unclamp the jumper wire while the jump-started car’s engine is still steaming.
To disconnect the booster cable, carefully remove the clamps from the terminals, starting from the black negative terminal of the jump-started car. followed by the negative terminal of your donor car.
Lastly, remove the clamp from the positive terminal of the booster or donor car. Then, remove the clamp from the positive terminal of the car that needs to be started.
6. Drive Your Jumped Car
So you’re content now, right? So the final step is to turn off the emergency brake light, cover the battery terminals with their respective plastic covers, and close the car hood.
Allow the jumped car to run for 30 to 40 minutes to allow your vehicle’s alternator to charge the jump battery and recharge it.
That concludes the seven simple steps for jump-starting a car. I hope you can now jump a car with jumper cables by yourself. Have fun car jumping!
Causes Of Car Battery Draining Fast
“The main causes of a car battery draining quickly are when you constantly leave your car’s electrical devices or lights on, if you also have a defective charging system, or if you have a faulty alternator,” as well as extreme weather conditions.
Here are the main causes or reasons for a car battery draining:
1. Car Lights Are Constantly Left Running.
If you constantly leave your car light running, regardless of whether your ignition is turned off, this will slowly drain your battery, slowly killing the battery cells.
2. Defective Alternator Or Battery Charging System
It is common for your battery to drain fast if your battery charging system is bad or your battery alternator is defective. When the battery fails to get enough volts, it drains faster.
3. A Faulty Alternator’s Diodes
A faulty alternator diode also causes your car battery to drain faster than it should.
4. Hot Or Cold Weather
When the weather is extremely hot or cold, your car battery could be affected and damaged. If you leave your car in either state for a long time, sulfate will build up, which will shorten the battery’s life.
5. Your Battery Is Old.
If your battery has outlived its useful life, which is usually between 4 and 5 years, The battery may not be able to hold a full charge, making the battery drain faster.
Tips To Avoid Car Battery Dead
Here are some pointers to help you avoid a dead car battery at any time or place.
1. Change Your Car Battery After 4-5 Years
A good quality battery has a normal useful life of 4 to 5 years; replace your battery when it becomes weak.
2. Buy A Quality Battery.
Getting a quality battery for your car will save you the stress of having to jump-start a car because your battery won’t go down. I recommend that you always buy your car batteries directly from the manufacturer.
3. Always Keep A Spare Battery In The Trunk.
A spare battery will save you from having to jump a car or jump a battery, especially on remote and lonely routes.
4. Always Ask Your Electrician To Routinely Check Your Car Battery.
On a regular basis, take your car to the battery shop to have a routine check on your car battery.
Recommended Car Batteries
Here are the five best car batteries for you, based on how long they last, what other people have said about them, and the reputations of the companies that make them.
The Best Car Batteries for You
1. Optima RedTop
Based on my experience and the public’s opinions and reviews, I think an Optima RedTop battery is the overall best car battery for you.
Optima RedTop is best known for durability, longevity, and high-quality batteries. The durability of a battery is something that every car owner should look for before purchasing any car parts, especially a car battery.
The Optimal RedTop is a brand that has been selling quality car batteries for the past 40 years. This brand’s years of experience speak loudly.
2. DieHard Platinum AGM.
This brand is also known for its quality and durability. DieHard Platinium is among the car battery manufacturers with the best customer reviews.
It has a higher mileage than the majority of batteries on the market today.As a result, we strongly advise drivers to use DieHard platinum batteries.
3. Odyssey Performance.
This is a high-quality absorbed glass mat bedding with a long list of features. With its longevity and 4.5 positive ratings across all platforms, there is no doubt that this battery is among the best car batteries on the market.
Again, we strongly recommend this car battery brand for you.
4. ACDelco Gold
For more than 10 decades, ACDelco has been one of the leading manufacturers of quality motor equipment, including quality car batteries. You can trust this brand for quality batteries.
5. EverStart Maxx.
EverStart Maxx is the battery that came with my car, and I’ve been driving it with it for the past three years without ever having to jump a car.
FAQ
How Long Does It Take To Jump A Car?
It takes approximately 5–10 minutes to jump a car. Jump-starting a car may take less than 5 minutes if you receive assistance from another driver.
However, depending on where you are, it may take you longer to find another driver to assist you in jumping your car.
How To Connect Jumper Cables To Battery
To connect jumper cables to batteries, first, connect the red jumper cable clamp to the positive (+) terminal of the GOOD battery and then to the positive terminal of the DEAD battery.
Connect the black jumper cable clamp to the negative terminals of the GOOD battery. The other side of the black clamp should be placed on any unpainted metal part of your dead car battery.
Jump-start the car by starting the engine with a good battery.
When Jumping A Car What Goes First?
What goes first when jumping a car is positioning the good battery car close to or adjacent to the dead battery car. Then open the hoods of both cars and locate the battery terminals.
How Can I Jumpstart My Car By Myself?
To jumpstart your car on your own, you’ll need a fully charged spare battery, which you should keep close to your dead battery car. Next, open the hood of your car and locate the battery terminal.
Now, connect the jumper cable clamp to the two terminals as follows:
Clamp one side of the positive (+) red clamp of the jump cable to the battery-positive terminal, and the other side to the dead car battery-positive terminal.
Clamp one side of the negative (-) black clamp of the jumper cable to the negative terminal of the good battery and place the other side of the clamp on any unpainted metal surface of your car.
Then jump start your car, leave it to steam for a few minutes, and drive.
What Are The 5 Steps To Jumpstart A Car?
The 5 steps to jump-start a car are
- Position the good battery close to your car.
- Open the hood and locate the battery terminals.
- Connect the terminals accordingly.
- Jumpstart the car by starting your engine.
- Disconnect the jumper cables.
What is the correct order to attach jumper cables?
Here’s the right correct order to attach to jumper cables in your car:
- Attach the red positive clamp on the jumper cable to the good battery positive terminal and the other side of the red positive clamp to the dead battery positive terminal.
- Attach the black negative clamp of the jumper cable to the negative terminal of the good battery. Place the other end of the negative clamp on an unpainted metal surface on the dead battery.
- Now jump in the car, and the engine will pick up. If the engine fails to start, allow it to charge for 5 minutes, then restart the engine again.
Conclusion
Knowing how to jump a car battery the right way is essential for every car driver. However, it is also important to get yourself acquainted with the reasons why car batteries drain fast and the tips to avoid
Getting a good car battery is very important if you want to avoid the mess that comes with a regular dead battery.Â
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