Imagine running late for work on a cold morning, sitting in your car, and your car doesn’t start. You again tried to start it, but all in vain. The very next moment, you realize that your car battery is dead.
The only option to revive your battery is replacing it or jump-starting a car. We will cover in detail how to jump-start your car. So, keep reading and know the right way to start a car!
Safety Measurements
Although in a hurry, we ignore some vital things to follow. These things may damage and harm us. Therefore, following all the safety guidelines while starting the car is highly recommended. For your understanding, while working on your battery, the first task to ensure your safety is wearing gloves.
There are different kinds of gloves according to the purpose they serve.
- If you are cleaning your battery terminals, wear Nitrile gloves to protect harmful battery acids.
- Mechanical gloves for better grip and protect your hand from any rough surfaces.
- Wear safety glasses to avoid any harm to your eyes.
Tools and Equipment Required
It’s advisable to keep these tools as you may need them if your car battery dies. They are readily available in the market; you can order them online or purchase them from any local auto store. Just keep a few things in mind, never compromise on quality.
- Buy insulated jumper cables with metalheads half-covered and metallic part that is not all visible.
- Wire brush for cleaning battery terminals to remove carbon deposits.
Running Car to the Rescue
After taking all the tools and safety equipment, the next thing you need to do is find another car that is running and willing to help you. It can be any car, but its engine should be running because it can provide enough power to your car’s electrical system and energize your battery.
Both Cars should park close to Each other
It is better to park both the car’s neck to neck. In this way, you can perform the whole procedure more efficiently. If your jumper cables are of short length, it will be easy and convenient; it also avoids any harm if your jumper cables are too stretched out if your cars are parked at a distance to each other. Parking your cars close to each other provides a safety cover to your whole operation.
Clean Battery Terminals
Battery terminals are covered with carbon; their cleanliness is necessary for proper functioning. Suppose the terminals are covered with carbon, then the car engine will not get enough energy to start and perform its function. Therefore, pop up the hood, locate the battery terminals and clean it by wearing nitrile gloves and with the help of a wire brush.
Remove all the carbon and dirt from the battery terminal and ensure enough power after maintaining a connection.
Attach Jumper cables
After cleaning the battery terminals, it’s time to attach them with a jumper wire to make a connection. To make a connection, ensure that the positive terminal of the running car should be attached to the positive battery terminal of the dead car. Similarly, the negative battery terminal is connected to the negative terminal.
The positive battery terminal is red with a positive sign (+), and the negative terminal is black with a (-) sign. Perform the whole process by wearing safety glasses and gloves to avoid any harm and don’t touch the terminals and jumper wire metallic ends directly after or during the connection is made.
Start the Car with Running Engine First
After the connection is made and you make sure that everything is attached, start the engine of a car whose battery is working fine; once you start it to keep the engine running, and then give the ignition to the second car with a dead battery. It may take several attempts, but it will start your car by giving you enough energy to start the engine.
Detach Jumper cables
Detach jumper cables after your car engine starts and running fine. Keep the engine running for a couple of minutes; it will charge your battery, then go to any machine shop and get your car battery checked in case if it needs replacement or any other treatment.
Remove the jumper cables in reverse order, unhook them first from the fine battery and then from the second car. Remember that, If not done correctly, jump-start can damage your car, it can harm your car’s electrical systems or wiring, and chances are high if your car’s electronic relays are weak or faulty.
When should you change the battery of a car?
There is no exact answer to this question, but it’s good to see and maintain all the car parts from time to time to avoid any evil thing. The easy way to find out that your battery is dead is by looking at the battery check light in your odometer, but then it’s too late, and your car may not start. Another way to know is by regular battery checkups.
Conclusion
You may need to jump-start your car, especially in winters; it’s better to keep a regular battery checkup to avoid any inconvenience. Please keep all the necessary tools and equipment in your car to use them in hours of need. Always follow safety guidelines and procedures to keep you harm-free.
