How to Jump-Start a Car

Life doesn’t always go as planned, so it’s good to be prepared with the proper knowledge to tackle unforeseen issues. If your vehicle’s battery is dead and your car won’t jump-start, our Warner Robins team can help you get back up and running in no time. The process of how to properly jump-start a car is pretty simple, so take a look below and follow our step-by-step guide for more information as we cover topics like:

• What to do if your car won’t jump-start
• How to jump-start a car battery if you have two vehicles
• Our battery services
• How to properly jump-start a car

Our service center team at Warner Robins Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT is here to tell you what you need to know so you can handle this battery issue with ease in Macon. Read on to learn more or feel free to contact us and schedule an appointment so a professional can get to the root of the problem.

The Proper Way to Jump-Start a Car

While you can call a jump-start car service if none of the below works, it’s always a good idea to try to jump-start a car battery yourself, as it’s not a difficult process. You will, however, need another person and another vehicle for this, as well as a set of jumper cables. If you don’t feel comfortable recruiting a stranger to help you and you’re in a new area alone, you may wish to just call a jump-start car service. Otherwise, it’s easy to learn how to jump-start a car:

1. Face the two vehicles with the batteries facing each other. Most vehicles have batteries in the engines, meaning they’ll usually face hood-hood. Some foreign cars, though, have the battery in the trunk. After you’ve parked the vehicles, turn them off and set the parking brakes.
2. Gain access to the batteries. Note: you may need to remove a plastic hood to expose the battery terminals.
3. Find the positive and negative battery terminals. Make sure they are clean and free of any corrosion or dirt.
4. Take stock of your cables and separate the red ends from the black ends. You don’t want them to touch, ever, as they could spark. Next, connect the red clamp to the positive post on the dead battery.
5. Uncoiling the battery cable, hook the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the battery with the charge.
6. Connect the black clamp to the negative post on the good battery. 
7. Connect the last black clamp t
8. o a grounded, unpainted metal surface on your car’s frame.
9. Once everything is hooked up securely, start the engine of the vehicle with the good battery. You may try to start the engine right away, but it’s probably a good idea to let the car with the good battery run for a bit, then try starting the engine of the other vehicle. 
10. Once the dead vehicle has been successfully jump-started, carefully remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were placed on, and keep the other vehicle running.
11. Be sure to keep the engine running on the restarted vehicle for at least 10 minutes to ensure that the weak battery doesn’t die again right away. Consult your owner’s manual for more info on recommended times. It’s also recommended that you get your battery tested and/or replaced ASAP.

Additional Car Battery Tips & Tricks

There are plenty of reasons aside from a dead car battery why your vehicle may not be starting. Here are just a few worth noting:

1. If you try to start the car but only hear a clicking sound, the starter might not be functioning. 
2. If the electrical systems of the car turn on, but the engine does not, then the issue could be several things including the ignition switch, starter, or even something as simple as a fuse. It’s worth bringing your vehicle to a qualified service center for further diagnostics and investigation.
3. Don’t forget to keep your vehicle running for a while after it’s received a jump. That allows the battery to recharge some after it’s been completely drained. Note that some batteries still can hold a charge for some time after being jumped; usually, this is the case after a vehicle with a good/newer battery has been sitting idle. A remedy to prevent this is using a battery trickle charger. Sometimes, though, an old and worn-out battery that requires replacing is the reason for a car needing a jump.

Come to Warner Robins Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT for Professional Car Care

Our knowledgeable technicians at our Warner Robins service center are ready to help you get back out onto the Perry and Bonaire roads as quickly as possible. Before you come in, be sure to take a look at our service tips and tricks for additional details on proper car maintenance.