How to Jump-Start a Car

So your car won’t jump-start, or you’re not sure how to jump-start a car? When a vehicle won’t start the most common solutions are a jump-start, car battery service, or something similar. This guide from Lou Sobh Honda is meant to teach Alpharetta area drivers how to properly jump-start a car. This way, you can know the proper way to jump-start a car without having to call a jump-start car service. Keep reading to learn how to jump-start a car and more!

How to Properly Jump-Start a Car

In order to do the proper way to jump-start a car, you need to make sure you have some materials. To jump-start a car battery you need:

• A set of jumper cables
• Another vehicle

If you don’t have two cars ask a friend, neighbor, or nearby kind stranger to help you. It’s also possible to call a jump-start car service that serves the Dawsonville area like AAA. Now that you have all that settled, follow these steps to learn how to properly jump-start a car: 

1. Have the car with the good battery park facing the other vehicle, then make sure that the vehicle is turned off. Check to make sure both parking brakes are engaged.
2. Open both hoods and find the batteries. You may need to remove a plastic hood to expose the battery terminals.
3. Identify the positive and negative terminals. Make sure they’re clean and free of any corrosion.
4. Connect the red clamp to the positive post on the dead battery.
5. Uncoiling the battery cable, hook the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the battery with the charge.
6. Connect the black clamp to the negative post on the good battery. 
7. For the final clamp, connect it to an unpainted metal surface on your car’s frame.
8. Once everything is hooked up securely, start the engine of the vehicle with the good battery first, then the one with the dead battery.
9. Once the dead vehicle has been jump-started, carefully remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were placed on, then shut off the car that was used to help jump-start the dead car.
10. Keep the engine running on the restarted vehicle for at least 10 minutes to ensure that the weak battery doesn’t die again right away. Consult your owner’s manual for more info on recommended times.

Now that you know the proper way to jump-start a car, you can stay safer on every Cumming drive! If your car won’t jump-start after following the steps above, troubleshoot with our solutions listed below. 

More Jump-Start Car Battery Tips and Tricks

It could be that even after following those steps your car won’t jump start. This may be a sign you need a battery replacement, or it could indicate an even more serious problem. Here are some ways to troubleshoot the issue: 

1. If you try and start the car but only hear a clicking sound, the starter might not be functioning. Schedule service with us here at Lou Sobh Honda and we can replace it for you.
2. If the electrical systems of the car turn on, but the engine fails to turn over, the ignition switch, battery, starter, or a fuse could be the problem. It’s worth bringing your vehicle to a Johns Creek area service center to have the issue diagnosed.
3. Be sure to keep your vehicle running for a while after you jump-start the car battery. That allows the battery to recharge fully after it’s been drained.

Trust Lou Sobh Honda to Service Your Car!

Our service center is ready to help you with a new battery, an oil change, or any other issues your vehicle may have! Check our service specials, and we may even have deals for you! Still have questions about how to jump-start your car? Contact us, and our jump-start car service team will be happy to answer them.