Jump Start Your Car

July-10-09

ACE Auto Electrician under Battery, Car Maintenance, Electrical

Jump Starting Your Car

Battery Jumper Leads

If your battery has been drain such as by leaving lights on for an extended period of time without the engine running, take the following precautions to prevent damage to the battery and the starter motor when jump-starting your car:

Make sure the vehicles aren’t touching.
Don’t risk causing damage to the battery or even for it to explode. Ensure both car batteries are the same voltage eg 12 Volt.
With both cars off, connect a positive cable end to the positive battery terminal of the dead battery.
Don’t let the cables touch each other.
Connect the other positive cable end to the positive terminal of the source battery.
Connect a negative cable end to the negative terminal of the source battery.
Attach the remaining negative cable to unpainted metal on the car engine (as far from the dead battery as possible).
Wait a few minutes. Turn on the headlights of the disabled car before starting it. This absorbs voltage spikes that can cause damage to your vehicle’s computer. Try to start the disabled car. If it doesn’t start, start the source car and then try starting the disabled one again.
When the car starts, be careful to disconnect the cables in the reverse order.
If the car still doesn’t start, don’t keep trying to charge it or you are liable to damage the starter motor. Call us to arrange a service technician to attend to your car.
Even if you’re successful, ensure a full recharge by hooking up the battery to a charger overnight or by driving the car for 8 to 16 km or at least 30 minutes. Depending on the condition of the battery, additional time may be required.
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