Sooner or later it’s going to happen to all of us. You get in your vehicle, turn the ignition and nothing happens. Your battery is dead, and it won’t start the motor and get you going. To complicate matters, it seems this kind of thing happens at the worst possible time, like when you’re late for work or need to keep an important appointment.
In the long run, you may need to replace your battery, especially if it’s 3-4 years old, but in the short run, a jump start will get you back on the road.
Tips to jump a car
Jump starting your car is a fairly simple procedure, but it needs to be done right to avoid damaging the components of your engine. Hopefully, these tips will help.
- Lift the hood and locate the battery.
When you’ve found it, make sure it’s not leaking any fluid or damaged in any way. If it is, it’s best at that point to call for roadside assistance and replace it.
- Clean off any corrosion.
If there’s any white or greenish powder on the battery, use a tool of some kind to clean it off. But don’t use your bare hands as the chemicals in the corrosion can damage your skin.
- Park the donor car next to yours.
Be sure to turn the motor of the donor car off before connecting battery cables.
- Note the different battery terminals.
The positive terminal is usually red, the negative usually black.
- Attach the jumper cables.
- The red jumper clamp should be attached to the positive terminal of the dead battery. Attach the red clamp at the other end to the positive terminal of the working battery, but make sure that car is still off. Also, be sure all clamps are firmly attached.
- Attach the negative clamp to the negative terminal of the working battery.
- Attach the other negative clamp to an unpainted nut or bolt on the engine block of your car, the further away from your battery the better.
- Start the cars.
First, start the engine of the donor car and let it idle for a minute or two. Then, start your own car.
- Disconnect the jumper cables.
Once your engine is running, disconnect the jumper cables in the reverse order used to attach them.
With your engine once again running, the question then is how long to run a car after it has been jumped? Actually, the longer the car runs the better, allowing your battery to recharge. A good rule of thumb is to let it run at least 30 minutes before shutting down. And it’s better to be driving rather than simply idling.
Assistance from New Cats Auto Parts
We hope you’ll find this little jump start primer helpful, and we also hope that the next time you need parts to keep your vehicle on the road you’ll come see us at New Cats Auto Parts. We’ve been assisting Chicagoland motorists since 1958, and we always maintain a great inventory of high-quality used parts for autos and trucks, including engines and transmissions.
We’re conveniently located at 13538 Western Avenue in Blue Island. So come see us, and our parts technicians will have you back on the road in no time at all!
