With winter quickly approaching, many of us live in areas where the bitter cold is right around the corner.  We’ve discussed how to properly jump start a car in the past, but I think it’s important to make sure you’re prepared in case you find yourself in a sticky situation.  Knowing how to safely jump start your car could come in very handy, especially in the winter months.

• Try to get the cars to face each other, but side by side should work if the cables are long enough.  Make sure both vehicles are in park, turned off and not touching.  It’s also a good idea to set the emergency brake.
• Open the hoods on both vehicles.  
• Remove the caps from both car batteries.

Remember Red is Positive and Black is Negative.

• Attach one of the red clips on the jumper cable to the positive terminal of your battery.  It typically says ”POS” or has a plus sign.  Attach the other end to the positive terminal on the battery of the other vehicle.
• Attach one of the black clips to the negative terminal of the other car battery and the other end to either the negative terminal of your car battery.
• Start your car.  If it does not start, check your connections and try again.  If you’re still having problems, let the other car run for a few minutes with the cables still connected and try again.  When your car starts, let it run for at least 10 minutes, allowing the battery in your vehicle to recharge. Don’t turn off the vehicle immediately after a successful jump because the battery will not have had enough time to charge.
• Disconnect the clips in the reverse order.

Always remember to put safety first.  If you’re unsure about the process then consult someone who is certain about the steps.

Tags: Advice, Auto Parts, Automobile Safety, Maintenance and Repair // Add Comment »