How to jump start your car

• What should you check beforehand?
• How to start a car with jump leads
• How to start it with a jump starter

It’s a worrying moment when you get into your car, turn the key and it doesn’t start. You may be trying to get somewhere in a hurry or just want to set off on your journey, but when you find yourself in this situation, what should you do? 

Firstly don’t panic. While it’s annoying, hopefully it is just the case that the battery is down on power and needs a jump start  so you can be on your way. However, you do need to think about why the battery’s power is low and ask yourself some questions, like have you left the lights on overnight or have you noticed that recently it’s been reluctant to start?

The answers will help you to get an understanding of whether there is an easy explanation, which, after the battery is given a proper recharge, means everything will be okay, or if the battery is reaching the end of its life, and will need to be replaced.

As helpful as it is to understand the potential problems, you also need to start the car, and generally without outside intervention, there are two ways to start it: with jump leads and another vehicle, or with a specifically designed  jump starter/booster pack.

 

Before you jump start the engine

You need to realise that jump starting a car may cause damage if it’s not done correctly, so ensure you understand what to do before you begin.

Before attempting to jump start your car, you should open the bonnet and check if there’s any obvious damage to the battery or corrosion of its terminals (where the leads connect to the battery) that may be preventing it from starting. It’s also advised that you should remove any metal jewellery just in case it causes a spark from one of the terminals.

 

How to start a car with jump leads

To start your car using jump leads (or they may be called jump cables), you need another car with a full battery. Once you have located the battery on the donor vehicle, provided it is safe to do so, park the two cars closely together so you’re not stretching the leads and turn the engine off. 

Attach one end of the red jump lead to the positive terminal of the flat battery – the positive terminal is usually identifiable by a red cover or a plus (+) symbol on it, which needs to be lifted up to gain access to the terminal. You then need to attach the other end of this red cable to the positive terminal of the other car.

After attaching the red cable to both vehicles, it’s time for the black cable. Rather than clamping the black jump lead to the negative terminal of the car that needs jump starting, find a good earth point like a solid metal part of the engine or an unpainted bolt within the engine bay. This will prevent the occurrence of a spark. Then connect the black jump lead to the negative terminal of the battery in the donor vehicle.

After these two cables are attached to both of the vehicles, it’s time to attempt the jump start. Start the engine in the donor vehicle and, provided it is safe to do so, turn off all the electrical devices – lights, radio, interior fan etc. – and leave the engine running. Then, after making sure all the same electrical devices are switched off in the car that needs jump starting, attempt to start it in the normal way and it should start. If however, the engine doesn’t start within a first couple of tries, it’s likely it’s not the battery that’s the issue, which means you will need to call a breakdown recovery service. 

However, if it does start, don’t disconnect the cables straight away, but leave the car running for about five minutes to ensure it’s running correctly. Once you’re happy that it’s running okay, disconnect the negative – or black – cable and then the other end of the black cable from the donor vehicle. While there, disconnect the red cable from the battery terminal and finally the red cable from the battery in the vehicle now running.

To ensure everything is working as it should, drive for around 15 minutes and then return to the donor vehicle to make sure you car starts okay, in which case you are good to go, but it is wise to have the battery checked and recharged by a professional technician as soon as you are able.

 

How to start a car with a jump starter pack

If you have a jump starter pack, you do not need another vehicle and simply need to follow the instructions that come with the pack. However, if these are not available, connect the red cable to the positive battery terminal and the black cable to a good earth point on the car, as with the jump cable example,  and after placing the jump starter on the floor and switching it on, you’re ready to attempt to start your car, but remember to turn those electrical devices off first.

Hopefully your car will start as normal, but irrespective of whether is starts or not, to prevent the risk of a spark, remember to disconnect the black (negative) cable of the jump starter pack first, before the red.

As you can see, while jump starting your car might initially be intimidating, it can actually be relatively simple. However, if you’re not confident in trying to do it, call a professional who will be happy to do it for you.