To jumpstart a car safely and effectively, follow these steps:
- Prepare the vehicles
- Park the car with the good battery close to the car with the dead battery, but ensure the vehicles do not touch. Both cars should be in park (or neutral for manual transmissions) with engines off and parking brakes engaged. Open the hoods
- Check safety and equipment
- Make sure the dead battery is not leaking or damaged. Remove any metal jewelry and keep away from flames or sparks. Use gloves and goggles if available. Have jumper cables ready
- Identify battery terminals
- Locate the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on both batteries. Positive terminals are usually marked with a plus sign and may have a red cover. Negative terminals are marked with a minus sign
- Connect jumper cables in the correct order
- Connect one red clamp to the positive terminal of the dead battery.
- Connect the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the good battery.
- Connect one black clamp to the negative terminal of the good battery.
- Connect the other black clamp to a solid, unpainted metal part of the dead car’s engine block or chassis, away from the battery and fuel system (this acts as a ground)
- Start the working car
- Start the engine of the car with the good battery and let it run for about 1-2 minutes to charge the dead battery
- Start the dead car
- Attempt to start the car with the dead battery. If it doesn’t start immediately, wait a couple of minutes and try again. Avoid cranking the engine for more than 5 seconds at a time
- Once started
- Let both cars idle for several minutes (around 5-10 minutes) to allow the dead battery to charge further
- Disconnect jumper cables in reverse order
- Remove the black clamp from the grounded metal on the dead car.
- Remove the black clamp from the negative terminal of the good battery.
- Remove the red clamp from the positive terminal of the good battery.
- Remove the red clamp from the positive terminal of the dead battery
- Keep the jumped car running
- Keep the engine running for at least 20-30 minutes or take the car for a drive to recharge the battery fully
Additional tips:
- Never let the red and black clamps touch each other during the process to avoid sparks
- If the battery is damaged or leaking, do not attempt a jump start; call a professional
- Consult your vehicle’s owner manual for specific battery location and jump-start instructions
Following these steps will help you safely jumpstart a car and get it running again.
