October 29, 2024

Using Jumper Cables on Your Car Battery

Murphy’s Law states, “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” While that may sound a little bleak, any Mechanic will tell you that it does hold some merit when it comes to car maintenance.

With modern computer integration, vehicles are great for monitoring and self-diagnosing their internal issues, but some problems are impossible to foresee, even for a Mechanic. Many people are quick to assume that we must be referring to more complex issues, but it’s actually the opposite. You’ll know what we’re talking about if you’ve ever had a flat tire, chipped windshield, or a battery die out of the blue. No computer chip can help with the cards life deals sometime

Here’s our guide to safely boosting a car using jumper cables. Oh, and please do remember to keep jumper cables in your car!

Using Your Jumper Cables To Boost Your Car Battery:

Using jumper cables to boost your car battery can get you back on the road if your battery is dead. Here’s a step-by-step guide to do it safely:

What You’ll Need:

  • A set of jumper cables.
  • A functioning car with a charged battery (the donor car).
  • Your car with the dead battery.
  • Protective gloves and glasses (optional but recommended).

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Park and Prepare:

  • Position the cars: Park the donor car close enough for the jumper cables to reach but ensure the two cars are not touching. This prevents electrical transfer between the vehicles.
  • Turn off both cars: Turn off the engines, remove keys, and set both vehicles in park (or neutral if manual) with the parking brake engaged.
  • Open the hoods: Locate the batteries in both cars.

2. Connect the Jumper Cables:

  • Identify the terminals:
    • Positive terminal: Marked with a “+” or red.
    • Negative terminal: Marked with a “-” or black.
  • Attach the clamps:
    1. Red clamp to dead battery: Attach one red clamp to the positive terminal of the dead battery.
    2. Red clamp to donor battery: Attach the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the donor car’s battery.
    3. Black clamp to donor battery: Attach one black clamp to the negative terminal of the donor car’s battery.
    4. Black clamp to grounded metal: Attach the remaining black clamp to an unpainted metal surface on the engine block or frame of the car with the dead battery (not the battery itself).

3. Start the Cars:

  • Start the donor car first and let it run for a few minutes.
  • Try starting the car with the dead battery. If it doesn’t start, wait a few more minutes and try again.

4. Disconnect the Jumper Cables:

  • Remove the clamps in the reverse order:
    1. Black clamp from the grounded metal on the dead car.
    2. Black clamp from the donor battery.
    3. Red clamp from the donor battery.
    4. Red clamp from the dead battery.
  • Avoid letting the clamps touch each other during removal.

5. Let the Boosted Car Run:

  • Once your car starts, keep it running for at least 20-30 minutes to recharge the battery. Driving is better than idling for recharging.

Safety Tips:

  • Never cross the cables or connect positive to negative—it can cause sparks or damage the electrical system.
  • If the car doesn’t start after a few attempts, the battery or alternator may need professional attention.
  • Keep the jumper cables stored in your car for emergencies.

By following these steps, you can safely boost your car and be back on the road.

IMPORTANT: You need to ensure that the last jumper connection made is to the dead battery, not the live battery on the booster car.

7) Without touching the wires, check that the jumper cables are connected securely to the battery and that the cables aren’t dangling near any engine parts in either of the vehicles.

8) Once you double, and triple check the cables, start the booster car and let it idle for a few minutes while your car begins to charge. The charge time for you battery depends on how dead it is. If it’s an old battery that’s been dead for over a month, the boost process could take a little while. If your battery is new and dead because you left the lights or accessories on, then the battery shouldn’t need much time to charge.

9) Next, it’s time to start the dead car and let both vehicles idle. If your car still doesn’t start, don’t push it or you could damage it further. At this point, something more serious is likely to blame, and it’s a good idea to contact your local Mechanic for help.

10) Once you’ve boosted the dead vehicle, remove the jumper cables in reverse order, watching that you don’t let the cables fall into the engine or allow the clamps to touch each other.

11) Disconnect the negative cable (which is usually black) from the engine block or the unpainted surface you used. Doing this will break the circuit and remove your risk of being electrocuted. Now unhook the other end of the negative cable (black) from the negative post (“-” sign) of the booster car battery.

12) Remove the positive cable (which is usually red) from the positive terminal (“+” sign) of the other car’s battery. The very last thing to do is disconnect the other end of the positive cable (red) from the positive post ( “+” sign) of your battery.

13) Before turning off the engine, drive your car to a safe location, like home or a mechanic. When you shut it off again, there is a chance you’ll have to boost it one more time to get it going, so don’t get stuck!

Safety Tips When Using Jumper Cables:

  • Be extremely careful when working with any car battery. It has the potential to explode, and leaking chemicals can harm your skin.
  • Wear protective equipment like gloves and goggles.
  • Don’t let the cables touch each other. This can severely damage a car’s computer and charging system.