Your car battery is necessary to run a number of important functions in your car, including your starter. Without a charged battery, you won’t be able to start your vehicle—you might put your key in, turn it and only hear a few clicks or complete silence. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to fix the problem: jumping your car.
Giving your car a jumpstart is pretty simple and can often help get your car running again. In some cases, though, your battery might be too old or weak to hold a charge, or there is a mechanical problem, so you’ll need the assistance of an auto mechanic in Phoenix.
Jumpstarting your car needs to be done correctly, or you’ll put the safety of your car and yourself at risk. Here’s what you need to do.
Find another car and cables
In order to jump your dead car, you’ll need the assistance of another functioning car. Pull the running car nose-to-nose to yours, leaving a bit of space between them. The cars should not be touching. Turn both cars off and keep them in park.
Next, you’ll need to get jumper cables. Most jumper cables are between 10 and 20 feet in length with clamps on each end. There will be red and black cables.
Pop the hood on both vehicles and identify the battery connections. Look for either red and black connections, or a positive (+) and negative (-) sign on each battery. If the battery terminals are dirty, make sure to clean them with a rag before attaching the cables.
Make careful connections
Attach the red, positive cable to the positive battery terminal on your dead car. Ensure the clamp is secured firmly. Then, attach the red, positive clamp to the positive terminal on the functioning car’s battery.
Next, attach the black, negative clamp to the negative battery terminal on the functioning car’s battery. Do not attach the other side to your battery!
Attach the other side of the black cable to an unpainted metal surface on your car, as far from the battery as possible. Most people choose a bolt or a metal strut that holds your hood open. This kind of connection will ensure that the jump is safe.
Start the vehicles
Once the connections are secure, turn on the functioning car and let it run for a minute.
Then, attempt to start your dead car. If the jump was successful, your car should turn on. If it doesn’t, you may need to let the battery charge a little more with the other car running, then try again after another minute.
Remove the clamps
With your car running, you can begin to remove the clamps. You’ll need to remove them in the reverse of the order in which you attached them.
Start by removing the black clamp from your car, then the black clamp from the other car. Then, remove the red clamp from the other car, followed by the red clamp from your car. While doing this, do not let the clamps touch each other at any point.
Let your car run for a few minutes, then give it a test drive. Driving will help your car recharge its own battery. Turning your car off right after a jump may result in another dead battery.
Visit an auto mechanic in Phoenix
If your car battery won’t run after a jump or continues to die after jumping it, there may be something seriously wrong with it. Visit an auto mechanic in Phoenix like S & J Auto Repair & Rental to have it inspected.