The trick to using jumper cables properly is to know exactly what you’re doing. These tips from Sammy’s Auto can help you to stay safe while you’re either jumpstarting your car or helping someone else out.
Make Sure the Other Car Parks Close to the One that Needs a Jump
It’s important to get the cars close together so that you’re not having to stretch the jumper cable too far. Maneuver the working car so that its nose is close to the front end of the car that needs help. Be mindful of leaving space to walk through safely, however.
Get Familiar with the Cables Before You Connect Them
Jumper cables have black and red connectors on each end. Carefully stretch out the cable and make sure that there aren’t any knots. Make sure that you’re aware of where everything is and that you don’t touch the cable ends to each other, especially once you’re connecting them. Attach the red cable on one side to the positive post of the battery that needs jumping. Then connect the other red cable to the positive post on the battery that works. The black cable on that side then attaches to the negative post on the good battery. Finally, the last black cable gets clipped to the frame of the car with the bad battery.
Start the Car That’s Helping Out First
All of that sounds complicated at first, but once you’re sure everything is connected properly, it’s time to start the car with the good battery. Let that car run for a couple of minutes before you try anything else. It’s sending a charge through to the battery that needs to be jumped.
Then Start the Other Car
After a couple of minutes, try starting the car that needed help. Ideally, that car will start up fairly quickly and you can start disconnecting the cables carefully. Make sure none of them touch other parts of the cable or the cars while you’re doing so. Finally, make sure that you get the battery checked, because this could be a sign of bigger issues.
Ready to find out what’s going on with your car’s battery? Give Sammy’s Auto in Seffner, FL a call today. We’ll help you to diagnose the problem and make sure that there aren’t other issues, too, like problems with the alternator. If you do need a new battery, we can help you with that, as well.
