If you live in Minnesota long enough its likely you will need to jump-start a car or truck battery at some point. Here are the supplies you will need and the steps to take to safely perform a jump start and restore enough power to your battery so you can start the engine.
First, you will need either jumper cables and another vehicle, or a portable jump battery that can be connected directly to the dead battery.
Step 1 – Position the vehicle with the charged battery so it’s nose-to-nose or side-by-side with the vehicle to be charged and the jumper cables can comfortably reach both batteries.
Put both cars in park or neutral.
Turn the ignition to the OFF position in both vehicles.
Ensure that the parking brakes are set.
Open and prop up both car hoods.
Step 2 – Attach the Jumper Cables
Attach the clips to the battery terminals in the following order:
- Red to Dead – Connect the positive (red) clip to the positive terminal on the battery of the dead car.
- Red to Donor – Connect the positive (red) clip to the positive terminal on the donor battery on the other car.
- Black to Donor – Connect the black clip to the negative terminal of the donor car.
- Black to Metal – Connect the black clip to an unpainted metal piece of the dead car that is located away from the battery.
Step 3 – Start the Donor Vehicle
Let the donor vehicle run for a few minutes.
On the dead battery vehicle, try turning on an interior light to see if power is getting to the battery.
Step 5 – Start the Dead Car
Start up the car with the dead battery.
Step 6 – Remove the Jumper Cables
Once the vehicle is running you can detach the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were connected:
- The black clip on the unpainted metal.
- The black clip from the negative terminal.
- Red clip from the donor car.
- Red clip from the dead car’s battery.
How soon will the battery be fully charged when driving after a jump starting?
Depending on the temperature, it can take several hours of driving to fully recharge a dead battery by driving. To ensure the battery sufficiently charges turn off as many accessories as possible, including seat warmers, the radio, and heating and AC for as long as possible. Try not to take multiple short trips which can use up what little chage capacity has been restored. Expect 2-3 hours of driving time to bring the battery up to capacity.
Have questions about your car’s battery? Stop by Parkway Autocare. We can test the battery and diagnose any problems.