How to Jump-start a Car Like a Pro

Image Gallery Although electrical shock is a possibility when jump-starting a car, you also need to be careful so that the battery doesn’t explode, spraying acid onto everyone and everything nearby. ISTOCKPHOTO

If your car won’t start, you may want to jump-start it so you can drive it to a mechanic or recharge the battery. But before you attempt to jump-start a car, you need to determine if the battery is really the problem. If the headlights or other lights still work, the battery isn’t dead, and jump-starting won’t help. Jump-starting the vehicle is also not the answer if the motor cranks, although the battery may be partially drained if the engine turns over sluggishly a few times.

Before you connect the jumper cables, get ready by following these steps:

1. Park a running vehicle near the car with the dead battery, but not so close that the two vehicles are touching.

2. Put both vehicles in park (or neutral for vehicles with manual transmissions), and be sure both parking brakes are on.

3. Turn off both vehicles and anything that would use electricity: fans, lights or audio equipment.

4. Remove any corrosion from the battery posts (the short metal rods coming out of the battery) or the bolts that attach wires to the battery. Special metal brushes are available for this, but you probably don’t carry one in your vehicle, so do your best to brush or scrape off the corrosion.

5. Check the dead battery for leaks or cracks. If the battery is damaged in any way, don’t try to jump-start the vehicle.

6. If the battery is not the sealed type (see the Image Gallery for examples of different types of batteries), pry off the caps (or unscrew them) and make sure the battery has enough water in it. It’s rare to have to add water to modern batteries, but the water level should be up to the bottoms of the holes that the caps fit into. If it doesn’t have enough water in it, add distilled water. Do not try to jump-start the battery if the liquid in it is frozen or the water level is too low.

Car batteries contain acid, so you can get an acid burn if you touch the liquid inside the battery. It will also eat holes in clothing. Wear safety goggles and gloves.

Connecting the Jumper Cables

Your vehicle’s owner’s manual should have information on jump-starting (or tell you not to jump-start it). If you can’t find the battery easily, the manual will tell you where to attach the jumper cable clamps.