Car Repair Victoria – Prevention Tips : Start a Car When Battery is Dead
Most of us at some point, maybe multiple times have tried to start our cars and the battery is dead. There are many reasons this can happen, in most cases it’s due to an old battery, although a loose or corroded terminal can also be the cause. A typical car battery lasts a maximum of eight years.
The colder the climate the more likely it won’t start once the battery is many years old. Costs for a tow truck can sometimes be expensive and you may want to jump start your car from a friend or family member or perhaps the general public. Understanding how to correctly jump start your car is very important as damage can occur and even explosions in the worst case scenario. Here is a step-by-step guide that helps you jump start your vehicle safely.
Step 1 : It is always a good idea to carry a set of jumper cables in the car because you never know when you may need them.
Step 2 : Park both cars, one with the good battery and the other with the dead battery, close to each other but not touching. Make sure both cars are turned off and engage parking brakes.
Step 3 : Double check that both cars have the same voltage. DO NOT connect if the voltage is different.
Step 4 : Turn off all the head lights, radios, windscreen wipers, ACs, and any other electronic equipment. Put on eye-protection glasses and gloves as well if you have.
Step 5 : Identify the battery terminals for both cars as well as the jumper cables. Usually, they are marked that a PLUS sign (+) as the positive terminal and a MINUS sign (-) as the negative terminal.
Step 6 : Connect one of the red (positive) jumper cable clamp to the positive (+) terminal on the dead battery’s car. And connect the other end of the red (positive) jumper cable clamp to the positive (+) terminal on the good battery’s car.
Step 7 : Connect one of the black (negative) jumper cable clamp to the negative (-) terminal on the good battery’s car. ATTENTION: DO NOT connect the other end of the black (negative) jumper cable clamp to the negative (-) terminal on the dead battery’s car as this may cause an explosion. Instead, the other end of the black jumper cable clamp has to be placed and connected on an unpainted metal surface of the engine of the dead battery’s car where is not near the battery. Make sure all the jumper cable clamps are connected in the right place and in the right order.
Step 8 : Start the good battery car and leave it running for about 3 minutes to charge the dead battery.
Step 9 : Try to start the dead battery car. If it doesn’t start, wait for 2 – 3 minutes to restart it. At the same time, check all the jumper cable clamps are all well connected.
Step 10 : If the dead battery car gets started, you should remove the jumper cable clamps in the reverse order when you connected them. Be careful not to touch metal surfaces of anywhere. Keep the engine idling for some time before turn it off so that it can be charged adequately.
Now you are safe to be on the way! Remember to run a battery check at a professional auto repair store to be on the safe side. If you would like to speak with one of our trained automotive technicians, please call (250) 385 7033 or email us today.
