jump start a car

How to Jump Start a Car

Is there anything more frustrating than running out of gas? Well, there sure is: a car battery going out!

You expect your car's battery to last - but, sometimes, it seems like it's not made to last for long. That's when you take out your jumper cables and get ready to work.

This 10-step guide will help you bring your battery back to life so you can get back on track. Let's get started!

1. Safety first
Jump starting a car is an easy, safe thing to do. You'll probably face no issues as long as you follow these simple guidelines:

• Never jump a battery that's damaged
• Never jump a battery with damaged cables
• If temperatures rise, stop immediately
• Don't put the cables near metal
• Don't smoke near the battery
• And, finally, start with both engines turned off

2. Line them up
Time to get to work. You'll have to line up the cars; that way, it'll be easier to work with the cables on both sides.

You probably won't be able to move both cars (otherwise, you wouldn't be here), so make sure the second car lines up with yours.

Once that's out of the way, turn off the ignition and keep the handbrakes on.

3. Grab your cables and connect the red sides first
Pop the hood of both cars. Grab the red cable and connect one end to your battery's positive side. It should be the color red.

Do the same thing with the second's car battery, using the other end and placing it on that battery's positive side.

Simply put, connect both positive (red) parts of the batteries. Easy!

4. Do something similar with the black ones second
Once the reds are ready, grab the black cable and connect it to the battery's negative terminal of the second card. You should always do this first before moving forward.

Now, pay attention! You don't have to connect the other end of the cable to your battery's negative terminal. This isn't like the red cable part.

You're supposed to connect it to an earthing point (for example, your car's chassis) far away from your battery and fuel system.

Once again: the black cable connects with the battery's negative terminal of the second car. The other end goes to an earthing point, not your battery.

5. Start your friend's car first
Everything is connected! Wait for three to five minutes before you move forward. Now the fun part begins: start your friend's car first; then, wait for a minute or two.

6. Then, start your car
Your friend's car has been running for a good minute now. That means it's time to start your car. You're almost there!

7. Let them run - but make sure they stay in place!
With both engines running, let them go for a good ten minutes. You don't have to do much, now is the time for the cars to do the work.

8. Turn off the cars
After ten minutes have gone by, it's time to see if it all worked. It probably did! But, before you check, make sure you disconnect everything the right way. So, turn off the cars and...

9. Disconnect and try it out
Disconnect the black cable first and then the red cable. You should do it in reverse as you did before. 
The right order is: 

1. Earthing cable
2. The other battery's negative terminal
3. The other battery's positive terminal.
4. Your battery's positive terminal
5. 
   

Once everything is out of the way, start your car and get on your way! Or, you know, try again if that didn't work.

10. Give us a call
​Still stuck? Sometimes, you won't be able to bring your battery back to life - but we will take care of your trouble! Contact us and we will get you going in way less than ten steps!

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