How to Jump Start a Car

Need to jump start your car battery? It’s really very simple. Learn how to properly jump start a car by following these steps from Allen Samuels Auto Group. If your battery seems to be losing power, or is unable to hold a charge, stop by one of our local local service centers for a replacement.

The Correct Way to Jump Start a Car

To jump start your car you’ll need a set of jumper cables and another vehicle. Once you’ve got that arranged, follow these steps:

• Have the car with the good battery park facing the other vehicle, then make sure that the vehicle is turned off. Check to make sure both parking brakes are engaged.
• Open both hoods and find the batteries. You may need to remove a plastic hood to expose the battery terminals.
• Identify the positive and negative terminals. Make sure they’re clean and free of any corrosion.
• Connect the red clamp to the positive post on the dead battery.
• Attach the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the battery with the charge.
• Connect the black clamp to the negative post on the good battery.
• Attach the other black clamp to an unpainted metal surface on your car’s frame.
• Once the jumper cables are securely attached, start the engine of the vehicle with the good battery first, then the one with the dead battery.
• 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.
• Keep the engine running on the restarted vehicle for at least 10 minutes to ensure that the weak battery is fully recharged. Consult your owner’s manual for more info on recommended times.

Battery Troubleshooting: Tips and Tricks

If your car still won’t start, you’ll most likely have to replace the battery, although there could be other issues:

• If the car won’t start, and you hear a clicking sound when you turn the ignition key, the starter could be malfunctioning. Have one of our service techs take a look.
• If the car doesn’t start, but the electrical systems turn on, it could indicate a problem with the ignition switch, the battery, the starter, or a fuse. Bring your vehicle to one of our service centers and well get to the bottom of the problem.
• After you have successfully jump started your vehicle, make sure to keep it running for 10 to 15 minutes so that it can recharge.

Turn to Allen Samuels Auto Group for Service

If you need your battery checked out or replaced, or if you require any routine auto maintenance service, such as an oil change or tire rotation, the experts at the Allen Samuels Auto Group service center near you can help. Want to learn more about DIY auto maintenance? Check out our guide to the TPMS. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!