How to Properly Jump Start a Car

If your vehicle isn’t starting, you may have to jump start your car battery. Planet Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM will walk through how to properly jump start a car so you can avoid any future mishaps on Kendall roads. For major vehicle repairs, contact our service department to schedule service or use our online service scheduler to make an appointment.

The Proper Way to Jump Start a Car 

Learning the proper way to jump start a car is not as difficult as it may seem. To jump start your car battery, you will need a pair of jumper cables and another car. You can also contact a jump start car service like AAA or your preferred roadside assistance provider in the Hialeah area. After that’s done, follow these steps to properly jump start your car:

• Both vehicles need to be facing each other, placed in PARK or NEUTRAL, and the ignitions turned off. The vehicles’ parking brakes should also be engaged.
• Open both hoods and find their batteries. 
• Locate the positive and negative terminals. Make sure both terminals are clean.
• Connect one red clamp of the jumper cable to the positive terminal on the dead battery.
• Take the other red clamp and connect it to the positive terminal of the charged battery.
• Connect the black clamp to the negative terminal on the good battery.
• The fourth clamp should be connected to an unpainted metal surface on the car’s frame.
• Start the engine of the vehicle with the good battery first, then start the engine of the vehicle with the bad battery.

Solutions for a Dead Battery 

Now that you’ve learned how to jump start a dead car battery, what happens if your car won’t jump start? Here’s what you can do if your vehicle won’t jump start:

• If you try to start the car and hear a clicking sound, there could be an issue with the starter. 
• If the electrical systems are turning on but the engine isn’t, it could be an ignition switch, battery, starter, or fuse problem. 
• Once started, make sure to keep it running for a while after getting the jump. This will help the battery recharge.

Contact Planet Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM for Your Vehicle Maintenance Today!

Now that you know how to jump start a car, check out these service and parts tips, like how to program your key fob, so you can learn how to maintain your vehicle for years to come. If your vehicle needs service that you’d like the experts at Planet Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM to handle, we offer service and parts financing that will help make your vehicle upkeep budget-friendly. For Miami Lakes drivers on the go, we also have an express lane so your car can get quick treatment without interrupting your schedule.