Nobody wants to get stranded in the middle of the road on a chilly winter day and therefore, one must have basic knowledge about their car battery. And now, when temperatures are dropping day by day, it becomes even more important to know a thing or two about your car battery.

Your automobile battery is like the heart of your vehicle. It gets its blood or electricity flowing through the veins or wires of your vehicle.

All car batteries have chemicals inside them that interact to produce a chemical reaction. This chemical reaction is then turned into electrical power to start your vehicle.

But, does this chemical reaction happen to continue forever? No, this is because all the batteries have a life cycle. They are produced/born, the chemical reactions inside them lead to their ageing process, and then, they die.

But, have you wondered, what might happen when there’s not enough chemical reaction to provide your vehicle with electric power? Yes, that’s when you need a “Jump”.

What is meant by jump-starting a vehicle?

Jump-start, a.k.a., boost, is a method of starting a vehicle that features a dead battery. Knowing how to jump-start your vehicle is an essential job that every driver needs to learn. Even if you were lucky enough to never get surprised by a dead battery, it is a skill that will still be necessary for you to acquire.

So, let’s just quickly move on to learn how to jump-start a car. But, before that, let’s gather a few materials that we need for a quick jump-start.

| Also Read: The Most Important Facts About Your Car Battery |

Materials required before jump-starting your vehicle

To jump-start your vehicle, you need:

• A second vehicle with a fully charged battery (Always avoid using a hybrid or electric car)

• Some quality jump leads, which can be purchased at any auto parts store or a big store for less than thirty dollars.

Wait! Did you take any safety measures before jump-starting your car? It is very important to push-start your car with caution and not take risks. So, without wasting any more time, let’s learn about them.

| Also Read: Winter Car Care: How to Take Care of your Car Battery & Tyres |

Safety Precautions to be taken before Jump-Starting a Car

There are a few safety precautions that one needs to take before jump-starting a car and these are:

• Check for Damage

Always check for any kind of damage before push-starting your vehicle, and if you find any, don’t risk attempting one.

• Remove any metal jewelry

Remove any rings or metal jewelry that you’re wearing before jump-starting your car & make sure nothing metal touches the terminal of your battery.

Now that we have taken some safety precautions, learned a few things about car batteries, and collected all the essential materials required for push-starting a car, let’s move on to learn how to jump-start a car.

How to Jump-start a car?

You should always keep jump cables in your car because who knows when you end up needing them, for yourself, or for some damsel in distress in the middle of the road.

Now, with a few jump cables in hand and someone to help, follow the steps below to carefully jump-start your car:

• The first step while jump-starting your car requires you to switch off all the electrical systems or devices with a dead battery. And, if possible, try to lower the driver’s window down.
• The next step would require you to park the second vehicle as close to the first vehicle as possible. Make sure that the vehicles should not touch each other, ensuring that the jump leads will comfortably reach from one battery to the other.
• Ensure that the engines of both the vehicles must be switched off, remove the ignition keys, and open their bonnets or boot; in case the battery is located there.

• Now, it’s time to use the jump cables: Take the red jump lead and attach its one end to the positive terminal of the flat battery (+ve terminal will have a red plastic cover with a + symbol). Attach the other end of the lead cable to the positive terminal of the good battery.
• Attaching one end of the black jump leads to the -ve terminal of the good battery & the other end to the good earth point on the casualty vehicle – a solid metal part of the engine is typically best.
• Start the engine of the second vehicle.

• Now, attempt to start the casualty vehicle. If it doesn’t start even after a few attempts, it’s a more serious issue than a flat battery. But, in case it does, leave both the vehicles running for a few minutes so that the battery recharges a bit.
• This will enable your car’s alternator to recharge your car battery to have enough power for the next ignition.

FAQs

1. How to jump-start a car with leads?
To jump-start a car with leads, attach one end of the red jump lead to the positive terminal of the flat battery & the other end to the positive terminal of the good battery. Now, take the black lead and connect one end to the negative terminal of the good battery, and start the engine of the other vehicle.

2. Can you jumpstart a car battery in the rain?
According to research, jump-starting your car in the rain is safe because the voltage of the vehicle is not high enough.

3. Can you jump-start your car in reverse?
Yes, you can jump-start your car in reverse motion just the same method as you do it in forwarding motion. Push starting a car in reverse motion may put more strain on the transmission and clutch. A substantial jolt may be noticed if you push-start your car in reverse.

4. Should you reverse up or down a hill?
For a vehicle that’s going uphill, it’s impossible to reverse down a hill safely as the driver could easily lose control that can cause an accident.

5. Where do you look when reversing a car?
If you are reversing straight back or to the right, turn your body and head to the right and look back over your right shoulder or vice-versa. Always check the opposite shoulder as well.

6. Can I jump-start my car without another car?
Yes, you can jumpstart your car without another car. The simplest way to do that is to go for the manual transmission method. Another method for the same is to get a jump box.

7. How long does a jump-start last?
It depends entirely on the reason for the jump start. If the battery of your car ran down due to the headlights being left on, or alternator failure, the battery will only lose a few weeks of life out of what was remaining.

8. Do you need to replace your car battery after jump-start?
No, it’s not necessary to replace the car battery. After jump-starting the car, let the engine run for about 20 minutes to recharge the battery.

9. Does jump-starting a car kill the battery?
Yes, it is never recommended to jump-start anything with your vehicle, especially a bigger vehicle.

10. What are the signs of a bad battery?
There are various signs of a bad battery and these are:

• Dim headlights
• Clicking sound whenever you turn the key
• Backfiring
• Need to press the gas pedal to start

11. How much does a new car battery cost?
A typical car battery can cost somewhere between $50 and $120, while the premium ones cost ＄90 to ＄200.

So, these were some amazing facts related to your car battery & a few tips and tricks to jump-start your car and prepare yourself for the next time when you face such an issue. But, if you’re having regular battery issues, we at Acton Service Centre are always ready to help.