How To Jump Start Your Car When Battery is Dead
Due to the pandemic, many people commute less and often leave their vehicles parked for weeks and even months. The battery of a vehicle depletes as it sits. This is particularly true for newly manufactured cars for sale in Tanzania equipped with many technological devices that use energy even while parked. As a result, many drivers have lately required a jump start.
Indeed, a study has witnessed a 10% increase in jump-start servicing over the last year, with a staggering 56 percent spike in residential jump-starts.
Jump-starting a vehicle used to be a straightforward procedure, but as automobiles have grown more complicated, new dangers have arisen, and you should exercise caution if you jump-start a car on your own. Additionally, you may want to reconsider approaching a stranger for assistance.
Jump Start Your Car With Another Car
Gather and prepare all necessary supplies. Clean the terminals if they are dirty, and get any children out of the path. Additionally, it’s a good idea to disconnect any unused gadgets from your car, such as a phone charger.
Park both automobiles close together, put each vehicle in park or neutral and turn off the ignitions. Ascertain that the parking brake is activated.
Connect one of the red wires to the dead battery’s positive terminal. The terminal may be labeled “POS” or “+” to assist you in identifying it. Connect the remaining red cable to the positive terminal on the operating vehicle.
Attach one of the black wires to the negative terminal of the functioning car’s battery. It may be denoted by the letters “NEG” or “-“. Secure the last black clip to an uncoated metal surface under the bonnet that is not in direct contact with the battery. This grounds the circuit and eliminates the possibility of sparking.
Start the functioning car for a few moments. The more “dead” your battery is, the more time it will take to start the car. Make a futile attempt to restart your car. If the car does not start, continue operating it for another few minutes.
If your car starts, don’t switch it off right away. Remove the cables in the reverse sequence in which they were installed
- Black – dead battery
- Black – good battery
- Red – good battery
- Red – dead battery
Drive for a minimum of 15-30 minutes to ensure your battery is fully charged.
Jump Start Your Car With A Portable Jump Starter
Portable jump starters, battery packs, and jump boxes are quite often small enough to keep in your car’s glove box or trunk in case of emergency. However, be sure to read their directions carefully. Since not all are appropriate for storage at the extreme heat that automobiles may reach throughout the summer.
As with utilizing another vehicle to conduct your jump-start, you should begin the procedure with the jump starter turned off. Additionally, your vehicle and its auxiliary functions should also be turned off.
Numerous portable jump starters have two clamps permanently attached to the tool kit. A positive (indicated by red) and a negative (indicated by black) clamp should be used. Maintain a safe distance between them to prevent the risk of a spark.
Connect positive cable to the jump starter’s positive terminal and the negative cable to the jump starter’s negative terminal.
Connect the red jumper wire’s clip to the positive terminal of your car battery and the black jumper cable to either an exposed chunk of metal in the engine or straight to the chassis of your automobile, i.e., the frame of the vehicle.
What to avoid?
Avoid connecting the negative (black) clamp to the dead battery’s negative contact. It is essential to connect the cables in this sequence, and it is also prudent to connect the negative (black) clamp as far away from the battery as possible to minimize the danger of sparking, which may result in a fire or explosion.
After correctly connecting the wires, turn on the jump starter. After that, make an effort to start the car. To begin, insert the key into the ignition and stay for a few seconds if required. If the vehicle does not start after a few seconds, allow the battery pack just a few minutes to settle down and ready itself before attempting again. This raises the quantity of electricity supplied to the vehicle’s battery in an effort to start it.
If the jump start is complete, you should hear your engine running on its own. Remove the jump starter wires at this point. First, the negative (black) cable from the vehicle’s battery terminal first, then the positive (red) cable from the pole of the battery.
Depending on the source of the dead battery, you might want to get the vehicle inspected quickly. In certain cases, your vehicle may be ok after the jump start. Driving the vehicle for a short period of time will assist in recharging the battery.
If your jump-start fails and you find yourself repeatedly twisting the key in the ignition without the engine starting, you may have a bigger issue. In this situation, it’s advisable to have a mechanic inspect the vehicle or to have it towed to a repair facility.
How to Avoid a Dead Battery
Automobiles must be driven on a frequent basis to ensure that the alternator maintains the battery’s charge level. Consider utilizing a trickle charger if you need to store your vehicle for an extended time. These gadgets are capable of recharging a depleted battery. The most advanced versions can recharge the battery, possibly extending its life.
Car batteries usually last three to five years, based on use and temperature. Battery life significantly reduces in hot weather compared to cold weather.
To prevent getting stuck, be vigilant about maintaining and changing your car’s battery. Have the battery capacity checked yearly when it reaches two years old in warmer climates and four years old in colder climates. This evaluates the battery’s ability to maintain voltage while in use, and the findings indicate when it’s time to begin searching for a replacement.
It is best to be careful to repair and change your battery rather than to risk it depleting and blocking.
Precautions
- Position the cars close enough together that the jumper wires may readily reach, but not so close that they touch each other.
- Assemble the cables in such a way that they do not block the vehicle’s drive belts, fan, or other moving components
- Make sure that the booster battery is also the same voltage as the vehicle’s dead battery.
- Turn off the car and park the car in neutral or park.
- Turn off the lights as well as other electrical loads on the vehicle with the dead battery. It’s a good idea to switch on the heater blower motor as this will reduce the damage caused by an extreme electrical surge.
- Safety goggles are an excellent idea since there is always a risk of an explosion and batteries contain acid.