Jump-starting a car is an essential skill for any driver to have. While driving in Bowie, MD, you may encounter another driver stranded with a dead battery. With a set of jumper cables, you can perform a good deed and get the other driver back on the road. Keep reading to learn how to safely and effectively jump-start another car.
Driving in Bowie, MD: How Do You Jump-Start a Car?
Position Your Car
The most effective position for jump-starting is to park your Honda with its hood facing the hood of the dead car. Always keep an eye out for other vehicles when you’re moving your car into position. Once the cars face each other, switch off your engine and open both hoods.
Connect the Jumper Cables
This step needs to be completed in this exact order. To jump-start another car, you’re transferring power from your recharging battery to the dead battery of another vehicle. The car connection must be securely attached and in the correct order. If the cables are connected incorrectly, you could damage your battery or the alternator or even start a fire.
Connect the Red Cables
The red cables are positive and must be connected to the positive terminals on the two batteries. First, connect one red cable to the positive terminal on the dead car, and then connect the second red cable to the positive terminal on your battery.
Connect the Black Cables
Connect the first black cable to the negative terminal on your battery. The final step is essential, as the second black cable must not be connected to the dead car’s negative terminal. This second black cable must be connected to an unpainted bolt in the dead car’s engine. There are usually several bolts available to choose from.
Start Your Engine
Once all the cables are correctly and securely connected, start your engine and allow it to idle for several minutes. The connections will allow the power from your car to transfer to the dead car’s battery. Once your car has been idling for a while, try and start the dead car. If the dead battery has only recently died, this should be enough power to start its engine.
If the dead car refuses to start, repeat the process and allow your car to idle for another ten minutes. This should provide more than enough power to restart the dead battery. Once the dead battery starts, the other car’s alternator will take over and start to recharge the previously dead battery. Disconnect the cables in reverse order and put them back in your trunk.
Now you know how to use jumper cables to restart a dead battery. If you’d like to know more, call us today at DARCARS Honda.
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