Whether you are thinking about calling a roadside assistance service or deciding to jump start your car on your own, this guide can help.
If you are trying to turn on the ignition and nothing is happening, the chances are that you have a dead battery. Calling a reliable roadside assistance service provider can be one of the perfect ways to deal with the issue. However, if you are a DIY enthusiast, you may be interested in giving it a shot on your own. Here’s how to jump-start a car:
- Connect Jumper Cables to Dead Car Battery Terminals
Whether you are trying to jump-start your vehicle yourself or use expert help, pay attention to how you connect the cables. Make sure both cars are turned off. The cables have two sides, each with red and black clips. The red (positive) clip on one side should be attached to the red (positive) terminal on the dead battery. The back (negative) clip should go on the black (negative terminal).
- Connect to the Good Battery
Using the other side of the cables, attach the red clip to the red battery terminal of the good battery. DO NOT attach the black clip to the black battery terminal. Instead, proceed to step 4.
- Find a Clean Metal Spot Under the Hood
Find a clean metal spot under the hood of the car to place the back clip of the jumper cables so that it is not connected to an electrical component as it can be dangerous.
- Start the Car with Good Battery
Once you have connected the cables, go ahead and start the vehicle with the good battery. Leave it running for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the Cables in Reverse Order
Remove the cables in reverse order from how you connected them.
- Start the Car with Bad Battery
Once the cables are removed, start the car with a bad battery. Once the vehicle starts, make sure it stays running for at least 30 minutes to charge the battery.
If you don’t want to jump-start your car yourself, call Elk Grove John's Towing at (916) 526-0841 for our roadside assistance service in Elk Grove, CA.