How to Properly Jump Start a Car

If you need to know how to jump start a car, Gates Nissan has you covered! If your vehicle won’t start, it’s possible you will have to jump start the battery. Even if you’ve been fortunate enough to never have been immobilized by a dead battery, knowing how to jump start a car is still a valuable skill every driver around Lexington and Richmond should have.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Jumping a Car

If you don’t have the option of calling AAA or a jump-start car service, you can revive a dead battery with the help of another car. Before you begin, you will need a durable set of jumper cables. You don’t need to spend an excessive amount of money, but because of the safety risks during the process, you’ll want to refrain from buying the cheapest set you can find. In addition to sturdy cables, you will need another vehicle to which you can connect. Once these are available, follow these steps:

1. Park the car with the live battery in front of your vehicle, so the two are facing each other. It’s important to make sure both cars are turned off and the brakes are engaged.
2. Locate the battery in each respective vehicle after opening the hoods. The terminals on the batteries may have to be exposed by removing their plastic protective caps.
3. Establish which terminals are which by looking for the positive (+) and negative (-) signs on the battery. Clean them if necessary to ensure you have a good connection.
4. Attach the red clamp to the dead battery’s positive terminal.
5. Connect the second red clamp to the positive terminal of the live battery in the other vehicle.
6. Attach the black clamp to the negative terminal on the live battery.
7. The fourth and final clamp needs to be attached to the car’s unpainted frame to ground the current.
8. After checking to confirm everything is attached properly, start the car with the live battery. Let the engine run for approximately 30 seconds.
9. Start the car with the dead battery.
10. Carefully remove each of the clamps, and close the car hoods.
11. Do not turn your car off. Let the previously dead vehicle run for 10-15 minutes, so the alternator has a chance to recharge the battery. If you shut it off too soon, then the vehicle may require another jump.

Additional Car Battery Tips to Consider

• Keeping up with routine maintenance on your vehicle to reduce the likelihood that you will have to jump start your car’s battery.
• If you jump your vehicle’s battery and allow it to recharge, but it still won’t start later on, then your battery may need to be replaced.
• If the interior lights, radio, and other electrical systems work, but the engine doesn’t turn over, you could have a bad fuse, a faulty starter, a poor ignition switch or another problem.

Contact the service center at Gates Nissan if your vehicle is in need of an inspection!

Rely on Gates Nissan for Auto Maintenance & Repair

For services big and small, regardless of whether you require an oil change or replacement battery, the highly trained professionals in our service center can help. Schedule your service appointment online to ensure your vehicle continues running smoothly while driving through London. You can also get more car service tips, like how to start a Nissan with a dead key fob, from our expert technicians!