It doesn’t get much worse than slow cranking or hearing a click when starting your car when you need to be somewhere soon. However, a dead battery is not the end of the world. With some knowledge and a proper jumpstart, you are back on the road.
This basic life skill will save lots of time and money down the road. Here are some tips to help you jump a car battery like a pro.
Tips for Jumping a Car Battery
Jump-starting a car battery might be very simple, but there tends to be confusion about it from inexperienced people. To erase the confusion, continue reading for the top 5 tips to successfully jump-start the battery of your vehicle.
#1. Short Jumper Cables.
Short jumper cables are better to use than long jumper cables. People think that longer cables are better because they allow you more space around the non-functioning car. However, the energy between the batteries tends to weaken if you are using a longer cable.
It is best to use a thicker jumper cable that is only around 10 feet. The longer cables are usually around 20 feet. You should avoid them.
#2. Focus on Positive and Negative.
It’s important that the positive and negative clamps on each end of the jumper cable are attached to the correct positive and negative terminals of the car batteries.
The red clamp on each end of the cable represents the positive clamp. This connects to the positive terminal of the battery.
The black clamp is the negative clamp and connects to the negative terminal. Always be sure to check for these or else you could damage the battery and possibly the car if you mix them up.
#3. Keep the Car Off.
If the car with the good battery is running, you need to kill it first. You will want to attach the jumper cables to the terminals of both batteries while both cars are off.
You will then first start the car with the good battery and let it run for a couple of minutes. This will give it enough time to charge. You will now attempt to start up the car with the bad battery. It should now turn over and fire up.
#4. Clean the Terminals.
If your battery remains unresponsive, it could be due to corrosion on the terminals. Check your battery’s terminals for grime and debris; if you see a buildup, clean it thoroughly. Sometimes this will help make the jump start a success, too.
Also, be sure the terminals are tightly connected to the battery posts. If they are loose, there could be an interruption in the power transfer.
#5. Set to Park or Neutral.
Set automatic transmission vehicles to park prior to jump-starting. Use neutral for vehicles with a manual transmission. The parking brake should always be applied as well.
How long does it take to jump-start a dead battery?
Average time – It should take you less than 5 minutes to jump-start a car battery once the jumper cables are connected.
Why does it take so long to jump-start?
It takes as long as it does to jump start a car battery, depending on the size of the battery, amount of power in the battery, condition of the battery and its connections, etc. Target the larger car batteries, which take longer to charge because they have more cells to charge up.
If the battery is also in bad condition, it will take longer for the charge to be “accepted” into the battery, and if the connections are corroded or loose, it will take much longer to get a good connection and get the charge through.