If you are reading this blog post, it is likely that your car battery is dead. Perhaps, right now, you’re typing ‘how to jump start a car’ on Google and that’s why, you’re here in our blog! While jump starting a car can be intimidating at first, it is actually quite simple and shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. If you follow our instructions below, we guarantee that you will be able to jump start your car! We want all our customers to feel comfortable with the process before attempting anything on their own.
However, if for some reason the steps in this blog post do not work for you (which we highly doubt), then post a request on Swezo and you’ll have a professional mechanic visiting you right away to help get you back on the road. Now let’s get started!
How to Jumpstart a Car – The Important Steps
1.Make sure your vehicle is having an appropriate position: Generally, car batteries are kept under the hood and hence, you must have both the cars parked right next to each other or in a front-to-front position. This is done so that the cables can reach where the battery is placed. However, don’t forget that not all automobile brands have the car battery fixed under the hoods; some manufacturers are also installing batteries in the trunk in the latest car models. So, make sure you already know where your car battery is from beforehand to avoid having confusion at the last moment.
2. Turn off the running car: Now, you’ve positioned the cars properly. It’s time for the next step – turn off the running car completely; but before that, check if the headlights, stereo, and other electrical parts are all switched off.
3. Look for the battery terminals: You can easily identify the terminals by looking for the positive (+) and negative (-) signs.
Read more: When is the Right Time to Change My Car Tyres?
4. Attach the cables: Finally, it’s time to take out your portable car jump start kit and initiate the jump starting process. Open the hoods of the vehicles and get your jumper cables. You already know the positive and negative terminals on the battery, don’t you? Now, attach the cables by following the below-mentioned steps:
- Attach the red clamp to the positive (+) end of the dead battery
- Another red clamp to the positive (+) end of the active battery
- The black clamp must be attached to the negative (-) terminal of the functioning battery
- Another black clamp should go into the unpainted, metal object inside the dead car
It is crucial to check that the second black clamp is not fixed with the battery. It must be only attached to an unpainted, metal object. The reason is simple – the second black clamp functions as the base or primary connection. It should never be attached to the dead battery as it involves a greater risk of sparks, fire and even explosion when the car begins functioning. Rather, simply fix it to the bolt on the engine, a part of the chassis or any other metal part of the car.
5. Turn on the active car: Are the jumper cables attached securely? Great! Now, turn on the engine of the active car and let it be turned on for a minute or two. This is the minimum time required for the dead battery to acquire a mini power boost from the running battery.
6. Run the dead car: Turn on the car that has a dead battery. If the battery should be charged by now, the engine will start smoothly. However, if bad luck prevails, you turn the key and it still remains dead, turn off the engine again completely and allow the functioning car to operate for a few more minutes. And then try the same method again.
If there’s no improvement even after doing this, it is a clear sign your car battery needs a replacement.
7. Bye bye jumper cables!: So, both cars are now functioning smoothly. The last step of the jump starting procedure is removing the cables and it must be done in reverse order. This means starting from the fourth step in the fourth point we mentioned above!
Remove the:
- Black clamp from the unpainted, metal object
- Black clamp from the active car’s negative battery end
- Red cable from the positive terminal of the working car
- Red cable off the dead positive terminal
That’s your step-by-step guide about how to jump start a car. But have you ever wondered why your battery got exhausted like that? We’ll give a quick explanation about that too!
Your electronic devices are charging for a looonggg time: You must have left your mobile phone or tablet on charge inside the car and went to meet your friend in a café, ‘assuming’ you’ll be back soon. But it’s been five hours and your gadgets have been consuming your battery’s power happily!
NEVER leave your gadgets charging inside your car, no matter how soon you’re gonna be back.
2. The stereo system is turned on: It is one of the most common mistakes made by many car owners, at least once in a lifetime. You may have muted the stereo to speak on the phone or stopped on the way to ask someone for direction to the main road and forgot to turn off the system before leaving your car.
The result?
A muted stereo system draining your car battery.
3. Headlights are left on: Just like the stereo system and electronic devices on charging, you may also forget to turn off your car’s headlights after parking the vehicle. For this reason, vehicle manufacturers have begun installing a new feature or ‘alarm’ that start ringing when you open the door to go out, but the headlights are still switched on.
Even if your car doesn’t have such an alarm, always check the headlights before exiting the parking zone.
Read more: 6 Easiest Ways to Tell Your Car Suspension is Failing
Finding it Difficult to Jump start Your Car?
It’s always frustrating when your car won’t start. When the battery is dead, you need to jumpstart it! The process can be tricky if you don’t know what to do. Luckily for us, we have mentioned all the steps in this helpful guide that outlines how to jump start a car without a hassle. To make sure your vehicle has enough power all year round, schedule regular car servicing by posting a request on Swezo, Australia’s #1 online automotive marketplace that connects you with thousands of trusted mechanics and auto part sellers.
