How to Jump-Start a Car

Sometimes your vehicle might just not start. In this case you’ll likely need a jump-start. At the Woburn Toyota service center near Reading, we’ve put together a guide on how to properly jump-start your car so you won’t have to call a jump-start service. If your battery is getting up there in age, you can visit our service center for a replacement.

The Proper Way to Jump-Start a Car

Before you get started, you want to make sure you have the right equipment. If you aren’t going to call a jump-start service like AAA, then you’ll want to have a set of jumper cables at the ready. Then you can follow these steps:

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.

More Battery Tips and Tricks

If you can’t seem to jump-start your vehicle, you may be in need of a battery replacement, or it could be a sign of a more serious problem. Here are some steps you can take 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 at Woburn Toyota near Burlington for a replacement.
2. If the electrical systems of the car turn on, but the engine fails to turn over, the problem could be a number of issues. The ignition switch, battery, starter, or a fuse could be the problem. It’s worth bringing your vehicle to a service center so they can diagnose the issue.
3. Be sure to keep your vehicle running for a while after getting the jump. That allows the battery to recharge fully after it’s been drained.

Turn to Woburn Toyota for Service Near Stoneham

No matter if you’re in need of a new battery or an oil change, our team at Woburn Toyota near Burlington can help. Contact our team to schedule an appointment or to learn more in the meantime.