Stranded? Here’s how to jumpstart your car in Boca Raton, Boynton and Deerfield
Learning how to jump start a car is an essential skill that all vehicle owners should know. Modern electronics are very reliable but there is always the risk of leaving the lights on while you visit a friend which will quickly drain your battery. Knowing how to jumpstart a car when the battery is dead will save you a lot of money if the situation ever arises.
Note – If either of the vehicles you are using has an electronic ignition system or uses alternative fuel, do not risk using jumper cables as you might damage them.
This is how you jumpstart a car
- Take out your jumper cables and place both the vehicles in park or neutral and shut off the ignition in both the vehicles. Remember to engage the parking brakes in both vehicles too.
- Attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal of your battery. It will either have POS or a “+” symbol on it to be able to be identified easily. If it is unmarked, go with the bigger clip.
- Continue by attaching the other red clip to the positive terminal of the other vehicle. Then, attach a black clip to the negative terminal of the other vehicle.
- The last black terminal should be attached to an unpainted metal surface on your car that isn’t near the battery. You can use the metal strut that holds the hood up.
- Start the vehicle that is working and let the engine run. After waiting a couple of minutes, try to start your vehicle. If the vehicle doesn’t start, stop the working vehicle and make sure the jumper cables are connected properly. If your car still doesn’t start, you might need to call for help as your battery is probably not salvageable.
- If your car starts, don’t shut off your engine as you rush to thank the other person. Drive your car around for 15 minutes so that your battery gets recharged to an acceptable level. If the car still doesn’t start after you drove it around for a while, then it is possible that it isn’t holding a charge and it needs to be replaced.
Ed Morse Delray Toyota located in Delray, Fl invites you to visit our auto repair service department near Boca Raton, Boynton and Deerfield where we can change your battery or visit our parts department if you are DIY type of person to see our selection of car, truck, SUV batteries in stock.