Too often, vehicle owners come to us after they tried to jump their car and made a critical error, costing them more than just a simple quick fix. For a variety of reasons, vehicle owners often find themselves in a situation to jump their battery. It could even be something as simple as leaving your lights on for a long period of time after the engine has been turned off. If you don’t have any already, investing in a set of jumper cables is a good idea. Just having them in your car in the case of an emergency won’t hurt.
In order to jump your car, you do need to have a second, live vehicle. Once you have both cars situated to connect both ends of the jumper cables to the cars’ batteries, make sure the right connections are made. Always proceed with caution. If you mistakenly jump a battery the wrong way, it could have a small explosion and put you and anyone around in a harmful situation.
- Connect one end of the positive (red) cable to the positive (+) terminal on the battery of the dead car.
- Connect the other end of the positive (red) cable to the positive (+) terminal on the battery of the car that’s working (the booster car).
- Connect one end of the negative (black) cable to the negative (–) terminal on the booster battery.
- Connect the other end of the negative (black) cable to a clean, unpainted metal surface (such as the engine block) on the engine of the disabled vehicle. Try to find a spot on the engine far from the battery, as this connection might cause some sparks.
A failure to connect the right ends could result in a further damage and end up compromising the entire electrical components of the vehicle. Don’t forget to pay attention. Even a simple mistake like that could be costly.
The final important step to take is keeping the car running. Many times people start their car, drive 10 minutes down the road and then shut it off once they reach their destination. Keep the car running for at least 30 minutes to make sure the battery recharges fully. Even after this has taken place, stop by AV Bumper to Bumper to make sure the battery is thoroughly checked or replaced.
