How to jump start your car

You don’t have to live in a cold climate to have car starter problems. They can be caused by a weak or aging battery, or a damaged starter. Jump starting a car is a simple task, but if you haven’t had to do it before, it might be a bit confusing. Keep reading to follow a few easy steps to getting your car running again.

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1.) Get jumper cables. Jumper cables can be found for as little as $6 at any auto parts store. 

2.) You will need another vehicle in addition to your own. Park both vehicles facing each other’s hoods. For safety, turn all vehicles involved off until instructed otherwise. 

3.) Attach one of the red clamps to the positive terminal of your battery. It will either say “POS” or have a plus sign (+) on it. If it is not clearly labeled, it is the larger of the two terminals on the battery. 

4.) Attach the other red clamp to the positive terminal on the other car’s battery.

5.) Attach one of the black clips to the negative terminal on the other car’s battery. 

6.) Lastly, clamp the last black clip to an unpainted metal surface on your car that isn’t near the battery. All that’s left after that is to start the other car and let it charge your battery for a couple minutes. After waiting, try to turn your car on. Once it is running again, remove all clamps and stow the jumper cables. 

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There you have it! Those are six very easy steps to jump starting a car. This whole process shouldn’t take longer than ten minutes. Next time your buddy calls you up to complain about a dead battery, you know what to do.

Do you have more pressing maintenance questions? Contact us today!