How to Jump-Start a Car

At Bettenhausen Automotive, we pride ourselves on providing quality service and top-tier vehicles. Our service department has professional technicians that can answer any questions you might have about your vehicle while in Orland Park. If you have to jump-start your car battery, you’ve come place! We’ll make sure you have clear, concise instructions to make sure you can get back on Tinley Park roads. 

How to Jump-Start a Car

If you’re not comfortable with jump-starting your car by yourself, you can call a jump-start car service. For those of you who are looking for instructions on how to jump-start a car, we’re here to help. You will need a few items: jumper cables and another working vehicle. As a note, make sure to always have jumper cables in your vehicle in case of emergencies. Read below for how to properly jump-start a car: 

1. First, face two vehicles with the hoods facing each other. Most vehicles have batteries in the engine, so you’ll want to make sure the batteries are as close to each other as possible. Make sure the vehicles are turned off. 
2. Access each car’s battery. You might have to remove a plastic hood to expose the battery terminals. 
3. Find the positive and negative battery terminals. Make sure they are clean and free of any corrosion or dirt.
4. Get your cables and separate the red and black ends. Make sure they don’t touch or else they spark. 
5. Connect the one end of the red clamp to the positive terminal on the dead battery. 
6. Connect the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the battery of the working vehicle. 
7. Next, get the black clamp and connect it to the negative post on the working battery, and connect the other black clamp to a grounded, unpainted metal surface on your car’s frame.
8. Once everything is hooked up securely, start the engine of the vehicle with the working battery and let it run for a bit. 
9. Then start the car with the original dead battery car. Once it starts, let it run for a couple of minutes. 
10.  Once the dead vehicle is successfully jump-started, carefully remove the jumper cables in the reverse order (working battery then dead battery). 
11. Be sure to 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. It’s also recommended that you get your battery tested and/or replaced ASAP.

Additional Car Battery Tips 

There are plenty of reasons aside from a dead car battery why your vehicle may not start. Take a look below for some tips and tricks:

1. If you try to start the car but the car won’t jump-start, listen for a clicking sound. The starter might not be working properly. 
2. If the electrical systems of the car turn on, but the engine does not, then the issue could be a number of things including the ignition switch, starter, or even something as simple as a fuse. It’s worth bringing your vehicle to a qualified service center for further diagnostics and investigation.
3. Make sure to keep your vehicle running for a couple of minutes after it’s received a jump. This ensures that the battery is recharging since it’s been completely drained. Note that some batteries still can hold a charge for some time after being jumped; usually this is the case after a vehicle with a good/newer battery has been sitting idle. A remedy to prevent this is using a battery trickle charger. Sometimes, though, an old and worn-out battery that requires replacing is the reason for a car needing a jump.

Allow Bettenhausen Automotive to Take Care of You!

Are you due for maintenance on your vehicle? Learn more about how to care for you vehicle with our service parts and tips, then schedule a service appointment online and check out our service specials!