Knowing how to jump-start a car is important for every driver. If you, or someone you know, has a dead battery, jump-starting a failed battery can get a car back on the road again very quickly. As your Chevy dealership, we’d like to share with you the easy steps to successfully jump-start a vehicle.
Park Closely
In this scenario, your Chevy will jump-start another car. Before you do this, locate the battery in the other vehicle. Once you’ve located the battery, position your car as close as possible to the other vehicle. The shorter the distance between the two batteries, the faster and easier the electricity will flow into the other battery.
Connect the Cables
Jumper cables have one red and one black cable. The red cable is positive, and the black cable is negative. These cables must be positioned in the correct order to prevent any damage to your battery. Take one side of the red cable and use the attached grip to securely position it on the positive terminal of the dead battery. When it’s secure, take the other end of the red cable and connect it to the positive terminal on your battery.
Connecting the black cables is slightly different. Attach one side of the black cable to the negative terminal on your battery. The remaining clamp on the black cable must be connected to any unpolished metal in the engine of the other vehicle. Some cars have a grounding bolt, which has a negative sign on it.
Jump-Start
Now the cables are in position, return to your car and switch the engine on. Allow your engine to idle for a few minutes. After this, return to the other vehicle and try and start it. If it starts, jump-starting is complete. If the engine doesn’t start, idle your engine for a further ten minutes, and try to start the other engine again.
Remove the Cables
Once the other vehicle is running, it’s time to remove the clamps. They must be removed in a specific order for safety. Firstly, remove the black cable from the other vehicle, then remove the other side of the black cable from your car. Next, remove the red clamp from your car, and finally, remove the remaining clamp from the previously dead battery.
The jump-started vehicle will need to be driven for at least twenty minutes to allow its alternator to replenish some of the battery’s lost power, but your job is done. Congratulations on a successful jump-start. If you’d like to know more, visit us today at Orr Chevrolet of Fort Smith in Fort Smith, AR.
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