Jump-starting your car can be a daunting task.
Many people are reluctant to do it, fearing the dangers of the procedure. While this is true, most people don't know how to do it or aren't familiar with the process. With this in mind, jump-starting a car can be valuable knowledge to have for emergencies. This guide will provide you with some helpful tips to jump-start your car effectively to get back on the road as soon as possible.
Maintain The Condition Of Your Vehicle
The first step is ensuring your car is in fine working condition to avoid any unnecessary issues. If you find your vehicle constantly dying on you, it could be time to change. If this is the case, shop around for a new model and make sure the dealership you choose is reputable. Audi's are a solid choice, and the Audi dealer in San Diego says that you can choose to go online to find a model that fits your needs, and when the time comes to purchase, you can be assured that you won't have to haggle with them.
Always Keep A Set Of Cables In Your Trunk
If you want to jump your car in an emergency, it helps to have a set of jumper cables on hand. You cannot rely on other road users, so you should go out and purchase a set of your own and stow them away until needed. They don't take up much space and are incredibly affordable, so you don't have any excuse not to have any.
Take Stock Of The Situation
Before getting started, you should take stock of the situation. With this information, you will be aware of how to move forward and will be able to proceed with as much speed as possible. For example, your course of action will be different if you are at home than if you are at the side of the road. If you are at home, it is a relatively straightforward step of connecting your car's battery to that of another, jumping it, and leaving it to charge the battery for a while. If you are somewhere like a grocery shop car park, you will need to search for help. Having your own set of cables will make this process easier as anyone can help you. Once you have found a willing savior, you can proceed to the job itself.
Ensure That The Vehicles Are Positioned Correctly
Position the running vehicle so that your car faces the car with the live one. You may have a tough time doing this in a parking lot, so get them close to each other. You should apply the park position to automatic transmission cars and the neutral position to manual transmission cars. Make sure you use both cars' parking brakes.
Make Sure The Car Is Not Running
To begin, appropriately arrange the cars, turn off the electrical parts such as the radio, headlights, etc.
Open The Hood And Check The Batteries
Once both vehicles are in place and ready, you should pop the hood and observe where the terminals are located on the batteries. You should note the positive and negative terminals as it is to these that you will connect your jump cables to.
Connect The Batteries
Now that you know where everything is located, you will need to connect the batteries carefully. Follow this order when connecting the jumper cables (remember that positive = red and negative is = black):
1. A positive cable must be attached to the positive terminal of the dead battery.
2. Attach the positive cable to the positive terminal of the working battery.
3. Connect the negative cable to the negative terminal on the functioning battery (these cables are live now, so be careful how you handle the remaining wires).
4. Connect the remaining negative cable to any non-painted part of the dead battery or a bolt to earth it.
Start The Working Car
Once the cables are connected, you can ask the owner of the working vehicle to turn their engine on. Allow at least one or two minutes for your battery to charge before starting your car.
Start Your Engine
After a few minutes, it is time to turn on the ignition of your car. If everything goes well, your vehicle should start up without a hitch. You should keep the cables connected and allow both vehicles to idle for a few minutes more.
Disconnect Cables And Wait A Few More Minutes
Once you are ready, you can disconnect the cables. However, you should allow the car to idle for a few more minutes and enable the battery to recharge.
Now that you know how to restart your car from a dead battery, you can be confident in the future. Just ensure that you have a set of jump cables available in your truck for when you eventually need them.
