Keep it safe.
Before anything else, make sure that the vehicle
you will be handling is in a well ventilated area.
Otherwise, you run the risk of causing an explosion in case
flammable gas has already formed as a result of normal
battery discharge. Cables that will be attached to the
battery could spark and ignite hydrogen gas, which is
flammable. This is a slight risk if the battery has not been
used for some time and/or the car has been sitting in an
enclosed space with very little or no ventilation. Next, make sure that the battery is actually the reason why
the car would not start. This is a critical step on how to
jump start a car and must not be ignored. If another issue
is causing the problem, jump starting the vehicle will
probably not help. You could usually tell this once you
attempt to start the ignition and you hear the engine crank.
However, if you turn the ignition and nothing makes a sound,
it is likely that the battery is dead and can be revived by
jumping.
Using the cables
Always keep jumper cables in the trunk of your
car - these will come in handy at some point. Look for the
positive and negative ends of the cables. Keep in mind that
the positive end is used on the positive post of the battery
and the negative end will be used on the negative post. Use
cables that are at least 10 feet long to accommodate the
distance between two cars. Check the cables for any damage
or corrosion. Use only clean, untangled jumper cables and
make sure these do not get caught in car parts such as the
engine, fan or belt.
Using the booster car
The booster car is the vehicle with the healthy
battery from which you will be sourcing power to jump your
car. Park the booster vehicle near the car with the dead
battery but make sure the two cars do not touch. Set both
cars on 'neutral' or 'park', then turn off all functioning
features such as the radio, lights and A/C.
Open the hood of both cars and locate the batteries. Check
for corrosion and leakage. If there are green or blue molds
present, clean these up first. Make sure the batteries are
not frozen, cracked or damaged. If either one is, it is
better not to proceed and just simply call for assistance.
However, if all is well, then go to the next step.
How to jump a car - any car
Locate the positive and negative terminals of the
batteries. These are marked + and -, respectively. Take one
end of the positive jumper cable (the red one) and clamp it
around the positive terminal of your car battery. Take the
other end of the positive jumper cable and connect it to the
positive terminal of the booster battery.
Next, take the negative (black/blue) end of the jumper cable
and clamp it around the terminal of the booster battery.
Connect the other end of the negative jumper cable to a
metal surface on your car, somewhere unpainted and clean,
such as a bracket or bolt away from your car's dead battery.
Any area in the engine block will work. This is an important
step to provide a reliable ground during the jumpstarting
process and reduce the danger of igniting hydrogen gas that
may be present. Ensure that the connections are secure.
Check the cables one last time to make sure they are not
touching any parts that will move once either car is
running. Once this is done, you can begin the actual
jumping.
Start the booster car and let it run idle for about 3 to 5
minutes. This will give the dead battery sufficient time to
get charged and recover. Next, turn the ignition on your
car. If the charging was successful, your car should start.
This is often true of fairly new batteries that just got
drained. However, if your car battery is older or was unused
for an extended time period, expect it to take longer to
charge. If this is the case, just be patient and wait.
Once your car has started, allow the engine to run for a
short while, keeping the booster vehicle on idle at the same
time. If your car engine would not start, however, let it
rest before restarting. If it still does not start, do not
attempt to turn your car on again as this might damage the
ignition. If the jumping fails, it is possible your battery
is no longer functional and you might need roadside
assistance from there.
If your car engine does start and continues to run, begin
disconnecting the jumper cables in the reverse order of
connection. Do this while keeping both car engines running.
If you are on the road, drive your car home or find a garage
before switching the engine off. If you turn it off at this
point, you might have to jump it again, depending on the
condition of your battery. After jumping, have your car
battery charged completely to keep it in tip-top shape.
What happens if you need to keep driving?
If you are traveling or are too far from home, a garage or a
repair shop, you could keep driving the vehicle until you
find a safe location.
More tips:
If you are jumping the car on a street or highway, make sure
you are parked safely from the road. Place early warning
devices to warn other drivers about your location,
especially at night.
