Jump starting is the term used to for the process used to start a vehicle with a dead or depleted battery by using another vehicle’s battery (or a portable booster), to provide the necessary electrical power to start the vehicle.
When a car’s battery is dead or weak, it does not have sufficient electrical energy to turn the starter motor, which is necessary for starting the engine’s internal combustion process.
Jump starting creates a temporary circuit (via jumper cables) that allows electrical energy to flow from a live battery to the dead one. This gives the flat battery a boost of power that can be used to turn over the starter motor.
If your car won’t start, a dead battery is the most common culprit. While you could seek the help of an automotive professional, learning how to jump-start a car by yourself is pretty straightforward. You simply park two cars, attach jumper cables from a live battery to the depleted battery, run the working car for several minutes and start the flat battery. Once the battery starts remove the cables and keep the engine running for 15-30 minutes.
If after multiple attempts your car is still failing to start, there could be several different reasons for your engine not turning over.
If you do not have another car to hand, it is also possible to start your vehicle with either a portable jumper pack, or if you have a manual transmission, a running start.
There are several potential mistakes that can cause either injury or damage to your car. However, we will show you In this article, how to do it safely with step-by-step, easy-to-follow instructions in the correct order.
Contents (Jump to Topic)
How to jump start a car with jumper cables?
To start your car with jumper cables you will need the following:
- Your car
- Another working vehicle (aka “donor car”)
- Jump-start cable (16mm for regular vehicles, 25mm for vehicles with larger engines)
The steps for jumping a car are given in the list below:
- Park cars next to each other
- Attach Jumper Cables
- Start the working car
- Start the dead battery
- Remove the Cables
- Keep the Engine Running
1. Park Cars
Park both cars facing each other and set the parking brakes. They should be roughly 12–24 inches apart. Both engines should be turned off.
Next, open the hood of both cars and locate the batteries. With most cars, the battery will be toward the front of the vehicle and slightly to the right or left. In some cases, however, it may be between the passenger compartment and engine, near the firewall, or even in the trunk.
2. Attach Jumper Cables
On both the dead battery (your car) and the good battery (the other car) look for the negative terminal (-) and positive terminal (+).
WARNING: When attaching the jumper cables to the batteries, ensure that the cables don’t touch. This is specific to the metal part of the cables; the rubber around the cables doesn’t conduct electricity.
Take your jumper cables, and start with the red cable. Connect this to the dead battery’s positive terminal, which is marked with a ‘+’. Then connect the other end of the cable to the positive terminal of the battery in the donor vehicle.
Next, connect the negative cable (black) to the negative battery terminal on the good battery, which is marked with a ‘-’. Connect the other end of this cable to any unpainted metal surface (any nut or bolt will do) on the dead vehicle.
3. Start the Working Car
Start the vehicle with the working battery. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then rev the engine for 1–2 minutes. The electric current will pass through the cables into the dead battery.
4. Start the Dead Battery
Now, it’s time to see if the dead battery is charged and working by attempting to start the car. If this doesn’t work, turn both cars off again, wiggle the cables and their connections a bit, and repeat the entire process.
5. Remove the Cables
Remove the jumper cables from the terminals in reverse order, starting with the negative terminal and clamp on the (formerly) dead car and ending with the positive cable (red) on the dead car.
6. Keep the Engine Running
Once you have removed the cables, keep the recharged battery running by leaving the engine turned on. “How long does it take to charge your car battery?”, it’s best to do this for 15-30 minutes, with your foot lightly pressing on the gas. This will ensure that the alternator will charge your car’s battery.
Why a Dead Car Battery Won’t Jump Start?
There are several reasons why a dead battery might not jump start:
- Battery is Completely Dead: If the battery is beyond its lifespan or it’s heavily damaged, it may not take a charge at all, not even from a jump start.
- Poor Cable Connection: The jumper cables must have a good, clean connection to the battery terminals. If the terminals are corroded, or the cables aren’t well connected, the current may not be able to flow.
- Faulty Cables: If the jumper cables are damaged, they may not be able to carry enough current to jump start the battery.
- Bad Starter Motor: If you hear clicking, but the engine doesn’t turn over, it may be a bad starter motor.
- Faulty ignition switch: If you’re electrical systems can come on, but you’re engine isn’t turning over it could be a faulty ignition switch.
How many times can you jump a car battery?
There’s no hard and fast rule on the number of times one can jump start a battery, however, jump starting serves as an interim fix. Persistent reliance on jump starts for your battery signals an underlying problem.
It might be that your battery is nearing its end of life or has suffered damage, or the car’s charging system could be failing to adequately recharge the battery whilst the car is in use.
Regularly depleting and jump starting your battery can curtail its operational life and risk inflicting damage to the vehicle’s electrical system. If you frequently have to jump start your vehicle we would recommend talking to a mechanic.
How to jump a battery without a car?
To jump a battery without another car, you will need a portable jump starter or to give the car a bump start (if its got a manual transmission).
How to jump a car with a jump pack?
A portable jump starter (or jump pack) is a portable battery device that has the necessary amperage to start a car when its battery is dead.
Ensure your portable jump starter is fully charged before connecting it to the car’s battery. With the vehicle off, attach the red positive clamp from the jump starter to the positive terminal on the battery, and the black negative clamp to an unpainted metal surface on the car’s frame or engine block. After turning on the jump starter, attempt to start the vehicle. Once the vehicle starts, turn off the jump starter and carefully remove the clamps, starting with the black one and then the red one. Lastly, driving the vehicle for 15-30 minutes will aid the recharging of the car’s battery.
How to bump start a car?
A bump start, also known as a push start, clutch start, popping the clutch, or rolling start, is a method used to start a vehicle with a manual transmission when the vehicle’s battery is dead or too weak to turn the starter motor.
First, turn the ignition to the “On” position without starting the car. Arrange the vehicle on a downhill slope if possible, or have someone ready to push. With the clutch pedal pressed and the gear in second, release the brake to roll downhill or have the car pushed. When the car reaches around 5-10 mph, quickly let go of the clutch pedal to rotate the engine and hopefully get it to start. If successful, quickly press the clutch again to prevent stalling.
How not to jump a car?
When boosting a car, there are certain things you should avoid to prevent injury or damage to your vehicle. Here’s a list of things NOT to do when jump starting a car:
- Don’t Connect the Black Clamp to the Negative Terminal of the Dead Battery
- Don’t Let the Clamps or Cables Touch Each Other
- Don’t Try to Jump a Leaking or Damaged Battery
- Don’t Reverse the Cables
- Don’t Jump Start a Frozen Battery
