How to Jump Start a Car

Knowing how to properly jump start a car is a useful skill to help yourself and your fellow Wood River drivers. Learning how to jump start a car is simple, and once you and a Alton neighbor perform a jump start service once, you’ll have mastered it. Read on below to learn how to jump start a car.

Proper Way to Jump Start a Car

Looking for the proper way to jump start a car? Say you’re in a Edwardsville parking lot, and when you come out to your vehicle you realize your Kia Sorento dome light was on. You put the key in the ignition only to discover you need to jump start the car battery. Ask a civilian with a charged vehicle to help you, and follow these steps to ensure you preserve your safety and learn how to properly jump start a car:

1. Park both cars near enough so the jumper cables can reach to both hoods.
2. Turn off the fully charged vehicle.
3. Prop open the hoods, locate each vehicle’s battery, and remove any potential battery boxes or covers.
4. Identify the red, positive terminal and the black, negative terminal on both batteries.
5. Any corrosion or built-up debris on the terminals can be safely wiped with a rag.
6. Connect the one end of the red jumper cable to the red terminal on the dead battery.
7. Connect the other end of the red jumper cable to the red terminal on the charged battery.
8. Connect the black jumper cable to the negative terminal on the charged battery.
9. Connect the final black clamp to a metal, paintless part of the dead car’s frame to ground the connection.
10. Jump start car battery now. Start up the car with the charged battery. Let it run a bit, maybe rev the engine a few times.
11. Now, you can start your dead battery! Turn the key over and fire it up. If the car won’t jump start at this point, rev the engine a few more times.
12. Once you’ve jump started your car, let it run for a bit to allow the battery to charge. (Remember, the mechanical systems in your engine convert to an electric charge, so letting your car run allows your battery charge more!)
13. You are now safe to carefully remove the jumper cables, even with the cars running.
14. Remove each black cable first, then red (reverse of the way they were put on). Be sure to keep them from touching each other.
15. Drive your car around Edwardsville for 10-15 minutes to let your battery consume an ample recharge.
16. Now you know how to properly jump start a car! Now you can drive safely and perform a jump start service at any time!

Learn More Service Tips From Federico Kia

With the knowledge of how to jump start a car, you are better equipped to jump a dead battery. For more service tips to keep your vehicle running smoothly on Godfrey roads, contact us today! And remember— if your car won’t jump start at all, a jump star car service via roadside assistance can always help you in a pinch. Our Federico Kia service center can address any greater issues causing your dead battery like the starter, alternator, or other part.