How to Use Jumper Cables

※ Download: How do hook up jumper cables

Instead of connecting the remaining negative clamp to the dead battery, find an unpainted engine bolt or piece of the vehicle's frame and secure your clamp to that. Step 2: Get the cars as close together as possible but do not allow the cars to touch one another. If the jump fails to start your car after a few short attempts, or if the car starts but then dies again, you have some other issues you need to address. If you're lucky, then the first device to start conducting effectively limited the reverse voltage to its own threshold, and everything else could still barely handle that.

This is something that happens to almost all car owners at some point in their life. Brush away any dirt or gunk from the posts because you'll need to create as clean and solid connection as you can. You no longer need to find another vehicle to give you a jump, just take your fully charged power pack, attach it to your dead battery, and then give your car a start. After cables are removed drive car around for 20-30 minutes.

How to Jump-Start a Diesel-Powered Automobile - The positive terminal is usually indicated by something red on the battery.

Once your car engine is running, and if the battery is still good, the alternator will recharge it. If the battery is bad, at least you can drive to an auto parts store to buy a replacement battery. Often, stores will install batteries for free. Jump-starting a car is easy, but you should do it with caution. Since the battery is located in the engine compartment, where flammable gases may be present, a spark could set off a fire. So, while you're hooking up the discharged battery to the live battery in the booster car, you'll want to do this without creating any sparks. Connecting the jumper cables in the right order will minimize the chance of sparking. It's important to make sure the metal ends of the jumper cables do not touch each other or any metal surfaces on the car until they are connected to the correct battery terminals. This is more difficult than it sounds: Under the hood, most areas are metal. If two people are available to jump-start a car, one person can simply hold the ends of the jumper cables safely separated while the other person moves between the cars, making the proper connections. One person can jump-start a car, but it requires close attention. If possible, consult your car's manual for the correct order in which to connect the jumper cables. There may be variation among different car makes. Below is the most universally accepted method for jump-starting cars: 1. Select a good pair of jumper cables and carry them in your car. The cables should be thick, with adequate insulation and clean metal clamps. In some cases, the cables themselves will come with a chart reminding you of the proper order in which to connect them. Open the hood of each car to locate each battery and its terminals. In some cases, the battery itself may be hidden, with remote positive + and negative - posts provided for jump-starting instead. Some vehicles may have a remote negative connection, even if you can access the battery. This is for the final connection that we'll learn about later. With the battery locations in mind, park the vehicle with the good battery close to the one with the dead battery, but leave yourself just enough room to walk between them. As you are hooking up the jumper cables, make sure the metal ends of the cables don't dangle into the engine compartment, where they could get caught on such moving parts as a belt or a fan, or on the outside of the car, where they could scratch the paint. Turn off all accessories, such as lights and radio. If the vehicles are parked in a safe area, turn off the hazard flashers, too. Clamp one of the positive red jumper cable ends to the dead battery's positive battery terminal. If there is corrosion on the terminal, twist the jaws of the clamp until it cuts through the corrosion and into the metal. Before moving to the other car to make connections, make sure the matching negative black cable clamp is not touching any metal surfaces. Clamp the other end of the positive jumper cable to the positive battery terminal in the booster car. Again, confirm that a plus sign is next to the battery terminal. Connect the negative cable end to the negative battery terminal in the booster car. Now that the negative cable is connected to the battery terminal, you can attach the other end to an unpainted metal surface on the engine of the car with the dead battery. If a labeled remote negative terminal is available, use it. Otherwise, find an unpainted bolt or bracket that is at least several inches away from the dead battery. This will provide a solid ground while further reducing the possibility of sparking. Make a final check to confirm that the jumper cables are not near any moving engine parts, and then start the booster car. Let it idle for several minutes to build up a sufficient charge to start the other car's dead battery. If the dead battery is new and was drained by the car lights being left on for an extended period of time, it will probably start quickly. If it is an old battery or if the car sat without starting for a long time more than a month , it may take longer for the battery to charge and start. It sometimes helps to rev the engine in the booster car a little to hurry the process along. Start the vehicle with the dead battery and let the two vehicles idle for a few minutes. If the vehicle won't start, but it does crank quickly, then look for other problems, such as an empty gas tank. Once the jump-started vehicle is running smoothly, carefully disconnect the jumper cables, reversing the connection order. The first cable you remove the negative one that's attached to the formerly dead battery is the most critical. Make sure your helper holds the cable away from any metal or the other cable ends while you disconnect the others. Drive the jump-started car for at least 20 minutes so its alternator can recharge the battery. Make sure you are somewhere safe before shutting off the engine because, depending on the battery's condition or the health of the alternator, the car might need to be jump-started again. If the battery that you've jump-started is more than three years old, consider having it tested at an auto parts store. If other problems in the car resulted in the dead battery, take the vehicle to a mechanic for an inspection.

Using Jumper Cables, the Right Way
The lower the gauge number, the heavier the conductor a 10 conductor or wire is a smaller or thinner than a 8 wire. You may see a small spark when you connect to a good ground. Then apply the negative cable to the negative connection of the live battery. Some vehicles may have a remote negative connection, even if you can access the battery. I assume you have cable boxes on all the other tv's? You may not be able to boost your car or you will have to put it in neutral. If the battery that you've jump-started is more than three years old, consider having it tested at an auto parts store. Jump-starting a car is easy, but you should do it with caution. Keep in mind that car battery trouble could be part of a bigger problem.