How to Jump a Car Battery

Imagine it: you’re all packed up and ready to tackle the roads of Atlantic City and Egg Harbor on your family’s next vacation. You push the start button, and your vehicle won’t respond.

After you notice your car’s battery light illuminated on the dashboard, you start wondering how you’ll ever make it to your destination on time.

Still, don’t fret! Our service team is here with this step-by-step guide on how to jump a car battery, created by the experts at Boardwalk Honda. With the insights contained in these instructions, you’ll never need to worry about missing out on another exciting adventure just because of your battery.

Step 1: Call a Friend.

In an emergency situation, you want to always have a friend or family member on speed dial who’ll be glad to stop over and lend you a helping hand. So, when your battery dies, make sure to give that person a call.

Before they arrive, grab your jumper cables, so you’re ready to go once your buddy pulls up to your home. When they’ve put their car in park (automatic transmission) or neutral (manual transmission), position the front of your vehicle to the front of their automobile.

In addition, remember to leave a little bit of space between the two vehicles, just to be safe. Next, turn off each vehicle and open the hoods to prepare for those handy, dandy jumper cables to come into play.

Tip: Don’t forget to engage the parking brakes on both cars, so there’s no unexpected movement while you’re attempting to jump your battery.

Step 2: Attach the Jumper Cable.

Now that you’ve properly positioned the two vehicles, it’s time to locate the battery and hook up the cables. Your battery, found under the hood of your car, usually comes adorned with two knobs, which have a + and – symbol emblazoned on the front.

These battery terminals are usually covered in red or black, which symbolizes whether to attach the red or black jumper cable to the knobs.

Take the red jumper cable and attach one of the clamps onto the red, positive terminal of your vehicle while placing the other end of the red cable onto the positive terminal of your friend or family member’s automobile.

Following that, take one end of the black jumper cable and secure it to the black, negative battery terminal of the working car. To keep everyone safe, affix the opposite end of the black jumper cable to a bare, metal bolt that doesn’t connect to your vehicle’s battery or engine.

Make sure to connect this end of the black cable to an unpainted area of your car that’s as far away from the working automobile as possible. This will prevent any dangerous situations and keep everyone out of harm’s way.

Tip: Having some trouble locating your car’s battery? No worries! Simply flip through the pages of your owner’s manual. Here, you’ll be shown the hangout spot of your battery. That way, you won’t be doing any guesswork when jumping your vehicle.

Step 3: Start Your Engines!

Yay! You’ve made it to the last step of our guide. To begin your battery jump, tell your friend to start their vehicle and wait for about two to three minutes. After that, turn the ignition on your automobile. If it fires up, congrats! You’ve just successfully jumped a car battery.

However, if it doesn’t work during your first attempt, wait another minute and try again. Eventually, your car should awaken. Once you’ve accomplished that step, let your vehicle run for a couple of minutes before you soar down the highway.

Schedule Your Service Appointment Today!

Now that you’re a fully-fledged expert on everything there is to know about how to jump a car battery, take a moment to give the experts at Boardwalk Honda a call.

Our team of skilled mechanics will take a look at your battery and help you determine why it failed in the first place. That way, nothing will hold you back from your next journey near Atlantic City and Egg Harbor. Stop by our facility or contact our representatives today!