If your car won’t start, the most common reason is that the battery is dead. You will want to get your car running again as a first step, in order to take it to your nearest McKinney car shop to have the battery health checked out. Knowing how to jump-start a car battery is one of the basic and very important pieces of knowledge to have. You will find that it can really save you in a situation to know what you’re doing if your car’s battery won’t start. It’s also important to acquire this basic skill in order to keep yourself safe while traveling on the road. Not to worry, jump-starting a car isn’t too difficult. It only takes about five minutes, and all that is required is a set of jumper cables and another vehicle [and a friendly person to help assist you doesn’t hurt either!].
First things first… The connection
Whenever you are handling your jumper cables, ensure that the red and black clamps do not touch each other. It is best to have another person there at the other end of the jumper cables to help you. When the clamps are heating up, the touching of the two together can damage the other vehicle, and lead to smoke and sparks.
You will need to move the other car close to yours so that the cables can reach from one car’s battery to the other. Start by opening the hoods of the vehicles and identifying where the battery is located. A lot of car batteries will have a hard plastic covering that you will need to remove. You will notice on the battery that there are two battery posts, one that is positive (+) and one that is negative (-). The positive post will be red, where the negative post will be the black.
Make sure that the posts on the battery are clean. Next, you will connect one of the red positive ends of the jumper cables to the matching red positive post on the dead battery. To follow, connect the other red clamp to the red positive post on the other car’s positive post of the good battery.
After connecting the two positives, you will then proceed to connect the black negative clamp to the black negative post on the working battery. You will want to connect the other black negative clamp to a piece of grounded metal on the dead car, as opposed to the dead battery itself. The best place is the bolt where the negative cable from the battery connects to the chassis. If you cannot do this, then find unpainted clean metal (a nut, a bolt, etc.) that is attached to the engine. This is the safest way to connect your jumper cable and jump start your car.
Secondly, start the car…
First, you will want to start the working car, and then you will want to try and start the car with the dead battery. If you are able to get the vehicle started, then you will want to leave it running while carefully disconnecting the jumper cables from the batteries, still being careful to make sure the clamps don’t touch. After getting your car running, drive it to your destination without turning it off. You will need a bit of time to let the battery recharge as you drive.
If your car lights come on but the engine won’t start, you likely have another issue other than just the car battery. If you hear a clicking type noise when trying to start the car, then it is likely that something is wrong with your car’s starter.
If you need help with your car battery in McKinney or are having other mechanical issues, here at Nortex Lube and Tune, we can help. Our trusted team will use their expertise to help get and keep your car in top condition and back on the road safely. Contact us today, and let us help you ensure a safe journey.