Chances are, at some point in your life you’ll encounter a flat tire (see our article on how to change a flat tire) or a dead battery, either with your car or with the vehicle of a friend or family member. The next time you come across a battery that just won’t start, here’s a guide you can follow to safely boost a car using jumper cables. Show
You want them close enough so that the jumper cables will reach, but not so close that they touch. Be sure both cars are in park (or in neutral if they have a manual transmission), put on the parking brakes and double check that all the car accessories are turned off. Unplug anything that’s hooked up to the cigarette lighter that might be plugged into your car, like a USB charger. As you prepare to connect the cables, you may want to consider wearing protective eye equipment as well as safety gloves. Generally, the battery’s positive terminal is larger than the negative one and could have a cover on it. Attach the other red clip to the positive terminal of the other car. This is normally marked with a “–“ sign on the booster car. Be sure that it’s attached to an unpainted metal surface on the engine of the dead car. This could be an unpainted bolt or bracket that is as far from the dead battery as possible. Doing this provides a solid ground and reduces the possibility of igniting the hydrogen gas emitted by the car battery. Safety Tip: You want to make sure that the last jumper connection made is the dead battery, not the live battery on the booster car. Also, double check that the cables aren’t dangling near any moving engine parts in either vehicle. The length of idle time depends on how dead the battery is. If it’s an old battery that’s been dead for longer than a month, then the boost process could take a while. If the battery is new and drained due to lights or accessories left on, then the battery won’t need a lot of idling time. If the dead vehicle doesn’t start, don’t persist or you could damage the starter. At this point, you might want to consider other factors as to why the vehicle won’t start. Again, watch that you don’t let the cables fall into the engine or allow the cable ends to touch each other. Depending on the condition of the battery (new versus old), it could require another boost to get the juices properly flowing, so keep in mind when you shut it off that there is a chance you’ll have to repeat the boost process to get it back on again. Car jump safety tips:
Related ArticlesWhich lead goes on first when jump starting a car?First the clamp of the red cable is connected to the positive terminal of the assisting vehicle. The other end of the red cable is connected to the positive terminal of the broken down vehicle. Then the black clamp is connected to the negative terminal of the assisting battery.
What happens if you connect the negative terminal first when jumping a car?Never connect the black cable to the negative (–) terminal on your dead battery. This is very dangerous, could result in a possible explosion. Make sure you follow the instructions in your owner's manual when jumpstarting your vehicle.
Why do you connect positive first when jumping a car?Connect positive first, negative having less potential won't arc. The higher the voltage, the greater the chance of arcing and fusion. On a car if negative first and you are touching any metal part of car, when attaching positive there is possibility of arcing through you. Your body becomes part of the circuit.
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