Different circumstances have made car owners learn how to use a jump starter. It may be during that season with lots of ice and sore throats. Or maybe you’ve left either the car lights or radio on for a long duration. In some cases, the car battery is just at the end of its lifespan.
There are two ways one can jump-start a car’s battery and we are going to look at both of them.
How To Jump Start Using Another Car Battery
This is usually the most common, and available option in the instance of a dead battery.
Although, most car batteries, including the lithium battery come with 12 volts. Always ensure that the two batteries are of the same voltage.
The dead battery is then connected to a functioning battery using a jumper cable, in the following procedure;
Step 1– Park the car with a functional battery facing the car with a dead battery. As close as the jumper cable can be able to reach the two batteries without the cars touching.
Step 2– Switch off both cars and get the keys out of their ignition switch
Step 3– Get the jumper cable’s red-colored clamp and attach it to the positive terminal of the dead battery. The positive terminal of the battery is usually marked with a (+). Or has red-colored lead wires, similar to the red color on the jumper cable.
Step 4– Connect the opposite side of the jumper cable to the working battery. Start with the red clamp and attach it onto the positive terminal. Then attach the negative clamp of the similar side, on the negative terminal of the working battery
Step 5– Go back to the car with the dead battery. Attach the remaining black-colored (negative) clamp on a naked metal part of the car to serve a grounding point.
Step 6– Start the car with the working battery and let it run for 3 to 5 minutes you can even rev it a little bit. Then start the car with the dead battery.
Step 7– Disconnect the cables in the reverse order you connected them
If the car still doesn’t start consider replacing the battery with a quality car battery from the ones available on the market.
How To Jump Start Using a Jump Pack
The portability of most car accessories from the tire inflator to the jump starter has really made things convenient for car users.
A quality portable jump starter eliminates the need to seek assistance from other drivers when faced with battery problems.
Here is the procedure to follow when using a jump pack/ portable jump starter;
Step 1– Ensure that the jump starter has sufficient charge or is fully charged.
Step 2– Switch off your vehicle and remove the key from the ignition
Step 3– Identify the positive and negative terminals on your dead battery. The positive is either indicated with a (+), if not look for the red-colored lead wire.
Step 4– Ensure that the jump starter is off and connect the red jump starter clamp to the positive terminal of the battery.
Step 5– Connect the negative clamp of the jump starter on an unpainted/naked, metal part of the car for grounding.
Step 6– Confirm the clamps are firmly in place then start the jump starter.
Step 7– Give the jump starter a minute then crank the car. If the crank fails to run the engine on the first attempt wait for 3 to 4 minutes, then try again. If it fails again in 4 or 5 attempts consider replacing your battery.
Step 8– If the car starts, switch off the jump starter.
Step 9– Remove the connections in reverse of how you put them.
Conclusion
When your car starts let it run for some time before switching off the ignition. This enables the alternator to recharge the battery enough and prevent another jumpstarting in the near future.
Ensure you maintain safety precautions when jump-starting your car battery.
Prevent the coming together of the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals. Always wear protective clothing, avoid dangling jewelry, and do not lean over the battery when working.
For every car consider reading the owner’s manual before the jump start. Because in some rare cases the jump-starting procedure of a car may vary.