How to Jump-Start a Car

You’re ready to head home from work in Tifton to your garage in Cordele. You push the ignition button or turn the key in your vehicle. Nothing happens. You try again, and nothing happens. Then you start to make phone calls to get assistance, either from a friend, family member, or roadside assistance. You probably want to jump-start your car to see if the battery can be revived.

Read our guide on how to jump-start a car. It’s relatively simple once you get the basic steps on how to properly jump-start a car in case you want to know this ahead of time. Your owner’s manual will also have instructions. 

How to Jump-Start a Car: What You Need

You need two basic things to jump-start a car battery:

1. Robust jumper cables at least 10 feet long
2. A second battery to supply power to the dead battery

The second battery can come from another vehicle with a working battery or a portable battery jumper for your car that you can buy at automotive supply stores. 

Another option is to use a jump-start car service, typically through a towing service or a service center that offers mobile services. A jump-start car service may be more expensive than having a friend or family member come and get you with a second battery. However, if you’re far from home, this is handy!

How to Jump-Start a Car a Car Properly

Now, we’ll go step by step on the proper way to jump-start a car:

1. Have the two vehicles face each other with the batteries as close as possible. Most vehicles have batteries in the engine compartment towards the front.
2. After you’ve parked the vehicles, turn them off.
3. Set the parking brakes so that they don’t accidentally roll away. 
4. Raise the hood on both vehicles.
5. Locate the batteries. 
6. Find the positive and negative battery terminals. The positive terminal is typically red while the negative terminal is usually black.
7. Get out the jumper cables. 
8. Separate the red ends from the black ends. 
9. Make sure the ends of the jumper cables don’t touch each other. That could create a short circuit. 
10. Connect a red clamp to the positive post on the dead battery.
11. Clip the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the working battery with the charge.
12. Connect the black clamp to the negative post on the good battery. 
13. Connect the last black clamp to a grounded, unpainted metal surface on your car’s frame. Look for a metal bar or part that keeps a portion of the engine in place as the ideal piece of metal for this.
14. PRO TIP on the proper way to jump-start a car: It’s vitally important to connect the jumper cables in this order. Otherwise, your car won’t jump-start.
15. At this point, the electrical connections are made, so don’t touch the clamps or the terminals. You could cause a spark, or you could even drain the good battery and then the car won’t jump-start due to low juice from the helper’s battery.
16. Start the engine of the vehicle with a good battery. 
17. Let the car with a good battery run for a bit to strengthen the battery.
18. PRO TIP on the proper way to jump-start a car: Gradually press the accelerator of the vehicle with the good battery until the RPMs of the engine get to about 1,500. Idling is around 800 RPMs. The person in the good vehicle will notice a dip in the power when the vehicle with the dead battery tries to start the engine. If the vehicle with the good battery stalls, your car won’t jump-start.
19. Try starting the engine of the vehicle with the dead battery. 
20. If the vehicle with the dead battery starts, allow it to keep running.
21. Carefully remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were placed while keeping both vehicles running.
22. Remove the black clamp from the unpainted metal surface first, then remove the other black clamp, then the red clamp on the good vehicle, then the red clamp on the vehicle that needed the jumpstart.
23. Close the hood.
24. Keep the engine running on the jumpstarted vehicle for at least 10 minutes. This will allow the alternator to recharge the battery for a time. It ensures you’ll have a fresher battery when you next turn off the engine.
25. Keep driving until you get home!
26. If you notice you need a jumpstart again after turning your engine off once you get home or to a vehicle service center, there might be another problem with your vehicle. Consider calling a jump-start car service or a tow truck to bring your vehicle to our service center in Albany near Valdosta.

Additional Car Battery Tips & Tricks: Car Won’t Jump-Start

Your vehicle may not start even if you try jump-starting it properly. If your car won’t jump-start, you may need your vehicle towed and the problem diagnosed by a service center. 

1. If you try to start the car but only hear a clicking sound without anything else, the starter might not be working properly or completely broken. 
2. If the electrical systems of the car turn on, but the engine doesn’t, then the issue could stem from the ignition switch, starter, or even a simple fuse that’s blown.
3. If your battery light remains on even after you jump-start the car or if you frequently need to jump-start the car battery, your alternator might not be working properly or it could be completely dead. We can install a new alternator for you to make sure your vehicle runs smoothly!

Trust Five Star Nissan of Albany for Car Service!

Does your vehicle need service for any reason? Contact us or call 833-595-2192, and we’d be happy to help. Our bevy of service specials can help you save money on your maintenance costs.