How to Jump Start a Car - Simple Step-By-Step Instructions

 

Wondering how to jump start a car? If so, then keep reading. This article will guide you step-by-step on how to test a battery, hook up a battery, and how to start a car using nothing but a pair of jumper cables and another working vehicle.

This article assumes that you already have a set of good jumper cables (or can borrow a set), and a working car to give you the jump start. It also assumes that you have both cars positioned close enough for the jumper cables to reach each vehicle.

NOTE: You should always use safety equipment if you have it. A good set of gloves and safety glasses should be an essential part of your roadside emergency kit.

Locate both of the RED, positive (+) clamps on the set of jumper cables, as well as the black or negative (-) clamps. Jumper cables are usually color-coded to make things easier to use - and less dangerous. Ensure that the vehicle containing the GOOD battery is not running and the ignition is turned off in both vehicles. Connect the RED clamp to the positive (+) post on the DEAD battery. Next, connect the other RED clamp to the positive (+) post of the GOOD battery. Third, connect the BLACK clamp to the negative (-) post of the GOOD battery. Here's the tricky part. DO NOT connect the remaining BLACK clamp to the negative post of the dead battery. You will now need to find and connect it to a bit of exposed metal. This can sometimes be a bolt, or piece of the chassis under the hood. You will know that you have a good connection when you see a tiny spark when you connect the final clamp. Warning: If you connect the final clamp directly to the negative post of the dead battery, you run the risk of igniting the highly flammable hydrogen, coming from the battery. Start the car containing the GOOD battery. Wait at least 5 minutes. Attempt to start the car containing the dead battery. If the car doesn't start, you may need to wait longer than 5 minutes, especially in colder weather. When the car containing the dead battery finally does start, you will need to remove the jumper cables as soon as possible. However, you will need to remove them in reverse order, starting with the black clamp that was connected to the exposed piece of metal.

That is how to jump start a car.

If your car battery needs to be jump started on a regular basis, it may be time to replace the battery. When batteries get old, they have more trouble holding enough power to start a car. A good battery typically costs less than 0 (sometimes much less) and is well worth the money, in my opinion.

Also, if you are frequently needing to jump start cars or trucks (not necessarily your own), check out the Schumacher PSJ2212 Jump Starter. It's the only way that I know how to jump start a car without another car around.

How to Jump Start a Car - Simple Step-By-Step Instructions

Top 3 Portable Car Jump Starters

 

Whether you're looking for a car jump start that you can put in your garage, or you're looking for one that you can take on the go, I wanted to showcase some of the best jump starters that are on the market today. Listed below are my favorite three, as well as ones that receive rather good ratings online:

Energizer 84020 All-In-One 12V 18Ah Battery Jump Starter with Air Compressor and Power Inverter can offer you competent, dependable and accessible car jump starter. Its outstanding features include 12 volt, 18Ah lead-acid battery that gives off 400 CA which serves as battery jump-starting power, air compression for tire inflation and unbind AC and DC current suitable for most devices. Also it is made up of 250 PSI internal air compressor than can inflate a car in just 10 minutes, two 12 volt DC power sockets, resilient 400A insulated metal battery clamps, a 12 volt 1 amp internal battery charger that goes with two-stage charger making it very safe to be left connected until it is fully charged. Its dimensions are 8 x 13 x 13 inches and weighs 11 pounds. Stanley J5C09 500 Amp Jump Starter with Compressor can effortlessly jump start a car, a truck, an RV, or even a boat. It is packed with 500 amps of continuous power and can emit up to 1000 amps of peak power. Another feature of it is a 120 PSI air compression and a high powered LED light that goes around up to 270 degrees, a polarity alarm for protection, and a strong metal handle. This device has a built-in 120 volt AC charger which allows you to recharge it using a household extension connection. However, it weighs about 18 pounds. Schumacher IP-95C Jump Starter & Air Compressor comes in very handy and ideal for those who are traveling on the road all the time for it is compact and light in weight with a tough polypropylene case. Its features include a built-in high pressure air compressor and DC power source for 12 volt accessories and 5 volt USB devices. It also has an ON and OFF jump start switch and an overload and short-circuit protection on the 12 volt accessory outlet. You can just simply attach an extension cord to recharge the device, and note the its 18" cables stay resilient in cold weather.

When picking one out, you're going to want to make sure that you're picking out one that not only works for you, but you will want to make sure that it is within your price range.