Introduction: How to Jump Start Your Vehicle
Modern technology in vehicle batteries have significantly reduced drivers' need to jump start a car battery. Vehicle headlights that turn themselves off have also reduced dead batteries. Sadly, that doesn't mean you'll never face a dead battery or encounter another driver who is. That's why you should learn the proper and safe way to jump start. Here is how to jump a car battery.
Step 1: Step 1
With both vehicles turned off, locate the batteries on both vehicles. Look at both batteries and identify the positive (+) terminal, marked with red. On many newer smaller cars these will not have the battery where it's easily visible, but you should be able to easily spot the connection points for jumper cables anyway they will be identified just as a battery is with a red cover signifying positive (+) and either a grounding spot or you will ground to the vehicles frame to complete the circuit.
Step 2: Step 2
Next connect one of the red positive (+) jumper cable clamps to the dead battery's red positive (+) post. Once that is completed connect the other red positive (+) jumper cable clamp to the good battery's red positive (+) post.
Step 3: Step 3
Now at this point never let the positive and negative jumper cable clamps touch when the other ends of the cables are connected to a battery. Doing so will generate sparks. Connect the negative black (-) clamp on that same end of the jumper cables to the black negative (-) post of the good battery.
Step 4: Step 4
After both cables are connected to the good battery you can connect to last clamp to the negative (-) terminal of the dead battery.
Step 5: Step 5
Start the good vehicle (the one doing the jumping) allow it to run for five minutes. With the cables still connected try to start the dead vehicle. If the vehicle won’t turn over attempt to reposition the cables on the terminals of both batteries for better contact.
Step 6: Step 6
After vehicle starts disconnect the cables in the reverse order they were connected. Again stressing do not touch the clamps together while doing this task. Negatives first on both batteries then unhook one positive then the other positive cable.
Step 7: Step 7
When cables are disconnected leave the dead battery to charge with the vehicle running for thirty minutes to insure the vehicle will start again when shut off.