Batteries love to suddenly die at the most inconvenient times, leaving you stranded on the side of the road wondering how to jump start a car. Luckily, jump-starting is easy with another car, so follow these quick instructions and then come into James Martin Chevrolet for service!
Preparation
Park both cars with their hoods as close as possible without touching, either facing one another or in parallel. Open the hoods, find the batteries, and identify the positive and negative terminals. Ensure that your jumper cables are untangled, clean, and ready to connect, and you’re all ready to jump-start the car.
Jump-Starting
Attach one red clamp to the positive terminal of the dead battery, then attach the other end of the red clamp to the positive terminal on the working battery. Now, attach a black clamp to the negative terminal of the working battery, but don’t connect the other end to the dead battery. Instead, attach the last clamp to an unpainted metal surface in the dead car. All that’s left to do is to start the working car, and then start the dead car.
Afterward
If you successfully jump-start the dead engine, disconnect the cables in reverse order. Make sure you do not let the clamps touch each other. Then, keep the car running for at least twenty minutes to recharge the dead battery.
If, on the other hand, the dead car doesn’t start, wait a few minutes and try again. Your battery may be too far gone to take a charge at all, so if waiting doesn’t help, it’s time to call a tow truck.
Get Your Battery Tested at James Martin Chevrolet
Having your battery regularly tested is the best way to avoid waiting at the side of the road for a jump. Bring your car to James Martin Chevrolet and have our Chevrolet service team perform a complete inspection today!
