How to Jumpstart A Car?: Simple Steps & Tips

Driving is a privilege, but it’s a privilege that comes with responsibilities and the need to prepare. Most of the time you can have a dead battery without major consequences and get out with just some jumper cables in your trunk and an hour or two of waiting. But on occasion, when you’re really unlucky, all these contingencies don’t work for you.

Under these circumstances, you end up having to fight nature. Don’t panic,

Here are some steps to jump-start your car successfully

how to jumpstart a car - here are some steps to jump start your car

Step 1:

Check what’s the problem. If your battery is dead, the needles on your dash will be dropped and there won’t be any spark in your ignition coil. The motor won’t turn over, and if you insert a key in it (with the engine off), it will only shake.

If there is power in the battery and the engine turns over, then you have a different problem. If you smell burning, your alternator might be dead, but if there’s no anti-overcharging warning device on it, then you’ve got a problem with the starter motor.

Step 2:

Make sure that your jumper cables are in good condition. One end of them should be red and the other black. Both poles should be made of thick copper wire and covered with a thick layer of rubber or plastic for protection.

Step 3:

Make sure you have a good set of jumper cables. Ideally, they should be around 6 feet long and made of heavy-duty copper wire, not solid copper wire. They should be 7 to 8 gauge and about 18 inches long for each end. You can use straps in place of jumper cables, but make sure that the ends of your vehicle’s cables are securely attached to both the battery posts in order to prevent any accidents from happening.

Step 4:

You need to find an automobile with a good battery and have it ready. An old car that doesn’t have enough power for you to start it over by yourself would be fine as well. Make sure not to use a motorcycle as a starting battery, because motorcycles don’t hold enough power for you to start your car as well. When attempting an emergency jumpstart, make sure that the engine is off before you begin.

Why do you need to jumpstart a car?

There are plenty of reasons why you might need to perform an emergency jumpstart, but some of which are listed below:

  • Your car battery dies and you don’t have a charger in your car
  • You leave your lights on
  • Your car battery can’t hold the charge anymore and it’s getting weaker over time. This means that if you use your car infrequently, you’ll need to recharge it.

You need to get a jumpstart in order to tow your car because it doesn’t have the power.

How to do the jumpstart

how to jumpstart a car

Before you start, make sure that all doors and trunks are locked tightly. This will prevent any inadvertent actions during the jumpstart process and will ensure only you and your car are affected.

If you need to jumpstart your car, it is a must that you have a good set of jumper cables in place. One end should be connected to the negative terminal; while the other end should be connected to the positive terminal of your battery. Make sure that your jumper cables are secure and don’t get tangled in any way.

Now, you might be wondering why it is a good idea to jumpstart your car with a battery charger, as opposed to using your own jumper cables. The reason is that doing so may help protect you from charging the battery to its maximum capacity and damaging it in any way.

Make sure that you have the key turned on before you start the car while still leaving the engine off. You don’t want to injure yourself or damage the other vehicle when moving around.

Then try to Start slowly ! 

How to jumpstart a car

The most important thing you can do to start the car is to make sure its engine has enough gas. Remember that the engine is designed to be started by using a small amount of gasoline, so it might not take much gas to get it running.

You can use a cleaner type of fuel like propane or natural gas instead of gasoline if you have one available. Most modern cars are equipped with an electronic fuel injection system, making them more sensitive to fuel quality and the engine temperature than older models. If your car does not start, it is important to look for a few common causes first:

1) Low Fuel level- Check the gauge on your dashboard to ensure you have enough fuel in the tank. 

2) Dead Battery- Charge or replace your battery if it doesn’t have power.

3) Broken Starter- If you have depressed the accelerator and still can’t start your car, it may mean your starter is bad. You can also smell if your starter is burning, a burnt smell from the engine could mean your starter needs to be replaced.

4) Fuel System Blockage- Injector clogs, a misfire, or overly rich fuel mixture will cause your engine to stall and not turn on.

5) Ignition System Fault- If you have tried to start your car but the engine cranks but doesn’t start, there may be an issue with the ignition system.

If you have checked these things and still can’t get your car started, it is time to jumpstart your car. Jumpstarting is not very difficult, but there are some precautions that must be taken in order to avoid injury and damage to your vehicle.

Tips for jumpstarting a car

Here are some tips for jumpstarting a car:

  • Turn your headlights on and off several times to help ensure the battery is being given a charge. 
  • Park in a well-lit area and keep the engine off before you start your car. 
  • Turn your radio volume down when you start your engine.
  • Make sure the engine is off before you try to start it.
  • Make sure your battery is fully charged and that the jumper cables are not worn out.
  • Get multiple jumpstarts if your car will not start, especially if you have a lot of electrical accessories in it.
  • Do not connect the negative cable to the positive terminal with a loose wire. Always keep both ends securely attached to the posts so that you do not accidentally damage anything else in your car’s electrical system while you are jump starting it.
  • If it is tough to figure out which terminal is positive, touch the negative cable to the end of the battery first and then touch it to the other terminal. The first one will always read negative, while the second one will start reading as positive now.
  • Do not try to jumpstart a flat battery by connecting jumper cables to a car with a healthy battery, as this could damage both cars’ electrical systems.

Make sure your cables are connected before you start your car.

Conclusion

Jumping your car is easy if you know what you are doing. Follow the simple steps listed above and find a vehicle with a working battery and have it ready to go.

A great, cheap way to start your car is to use what you’ve always had in your garage – a length of jumper cable. If you have never used one before, it’s best to go out and buy one when starting your car. That way, you can use one with no risk of damaging other cars either in your family or elsewhere.

If you need to jumpstart your car, then don’t forget to keep the key off while doing it. This way, you minimize the chances of causing any damage to your car when trying to jumpstart it.

It is also important to know how to jumpstart a car properly. Always make sure that your car’s engine is off before you begin any procedures involving jumper cables. Also, it’s best to park in a well-lit area and turn off the lights on the front of your vehicle so other people around can see clearly what you are doing. 

However; If you follow the tips in this article, I’m sure you will be able to jumpstart your car without any issue.

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