A jump start can be life-saving if your car is stuck in the middle of the road with a flat battery. However, it can lead to damage to both cars and people if you are not used properly.

If your car battery frequently needs a jump start then you should check it out during servicing. If find out you have a dead battery then don’t worry we are known for offering the best.

Tools Need to Jump-Start a Car

If you are going to carry out a car battery jump-start, you will need the following tools and equipment:

• A pair of jump leads
• A pair of rubber gloves for safety
• A vehicle with a flat battery in a position where the jump leads can easily reach the car battery.
• Another vehicle is equipped with a fully-charged battery and avoids hybrid or electric vehicles.

7 Steps to Jump Start a Car

If you need to start your car and you choose to jump-start your car, then you will need a person with a car who can help you. Their car must have the same voltage as your car, usually around 12 volts and their car has a fully charged battery.

1. Park Cars Close to Each Other

Park both cars closely but not touching each other so that jump leads can easily connect both cars. Turn off the ignitions and handbrakes engaged.

2. Connect the Red Jump Lead

Connect the red jump lead to the working battery’s positive (+) terminal to the flat battery’s positive (+) terminal. Ensure don’t contact red and black leads each other as they could create sparks and cause damage to your car. 

3. Connect the Black Jump Lead

Now connect the black jump lead to the negative (-) terminal on the working battery. Connect the other end of the black jump lead to an earthing point such as unpainted metal on the engine block, away from the fuel tank and flat battery. 

4. Wait for Three Minutes

Wait for three minutes before starting both cars and then start the car that has a working battery and run the engine for at least one minute.

5. Start Your Car and Wait

Start the car that has a flat battery and let both car engines run for at least 10 minutes. 

6. Turn Off Both Engines and Disconnect

Now turn off both cars’ engines and disconnect the leads in reverse order. First, remove the black lead from the car that has a flat battery and finish with the red lead from the car that has a fully charged battery. Ensure the leads don’t contact each other or either car while removing them.

8. Restart Your Car

At last turn the keys in the ignition switch to see if your car will start or not.

How to Remove the Jump Leads from a Car?

You just need to remove the lead in the reverse order as you attached them. Follow this step-by-step process:

• Turn off the engines on both vehicles
• Disconnect the black jump lead from the earthing point
• Remove the black jump lead of the other end from the working battery’s negative (-) terminal
• Remove the red jump lead from the working battery’s negative (-) terminal
• Remove the other end of the red jump lead from the flat battery positive (+) terminal

Jumpstarting a car is a straightforward process, but it can sometimes carry potential risks, such as getting shocked or causing damage to the electrical system of the vehicle if not done incorrectly. So, be careful if you are planning to jump-start a car by yourself for the first time.

What to Do After Jump-Starting the Car?

As you get success in jump-starting your car, you need to charge the battery fully again. In the meantime drive the car normally for around 30 minutes to put some charge back into the flat battery. 

How Often Should You Change a Car Battery?

On average, Car batteries last between 5 to 6 years but you can charge them if they are showing any signs of deterioration. If the battery is struggling to give power and it is more than 5 years old then you should get it checked out. As you know prevention is better than cure, you don’t want to end up in a roadside emergency or on a cold morning when you are already late for work or a meeting.

Can You Jump-Start With a Stop-Start Car Battery?

You can jump-start a car with a stop-start battery, but we recommend don’t use the battery’s negative terminal. Use a suitable earth point on a chassis or engine. 

Does Jump-Starting a Car Damage the Battery?

Doing jump-start properly is unlike to cause any damage to both batteries. A car battery that is in good condition will continue to work normally as usual and start recharging the battery as you are driving. However, if you don’t jump start correctly, it may be possible to cause damage to the car battery.

Conclusion

If you failed to jump-start the car, chances are you have a dead battery and we recommend replacing it with a new one. You can replace the battery during the serving of your car. If you are looking for a new car battery in Blackley then you can visit our garage. We also have all types of car batteries ranging from premium to budget.