Everyone who drives should know how to jump-start a battery. This can prevent you from being stranded somewhere with a dead battery. Even if you have roadside assistance, what if you are stranded without cellphone service? Or they can’t get to you for hours? This is where knowing how to jump-start a battery will come in handy.
Things to Do
To jump-start a battery, you need jumper cables and either another vehicle or a battery pack designed for jump-starting. Always try to jump-start on a flat surface and ensure there is nothing flammable nearby.
Park the car you will use to jump-start your battery, so the hoods are close, or place the battery pack nearby. Don’t let the two cars touch. Then do the following:
- Connect the red (positive) wire to your battery’s positive terminal.
- Connect the red wire to the working car’s positive terminal.
- Attach the black (negative) wire to the working car’s negative terminal.
- Attach the black wire to bare metal on your car.
- Start the working car.
- Start your car.
- Wait a few minutes for the car to turn on.
- Disconnect the wires in the opposite order that you attached them.
Why Your Battery Died
After you jump-start the battery, you need to figure out what caused the battery to die. The best way to do so is to have the technicians at Jiffy Lube inspect your car. But the following are some common reasons.
Cold Weather
Cold weather can be very bad for your battery, even new, charged batteries. Avoid issues by having Jiffy Lube check your battery before winter arrives. Then, during the winter, take your car for regular drives or start the engine regularly.
You Left Something On
One of the most common reasons people need to jump-start a battery is if they accidentally leave something on. Lights are a common example but leaving the radio or speakers on is another possibility. This is a problem because those functions use up your battery but don’t let it charge. For reference, when driving, the alternator recharges the battery, so you can use these functions as much as you want.
Battery Problems
Other than those reasons, you may have issues with your battery. Maybe it is old or malfunctioning. Maybe the generator isn’t functioning. This will require a professional to diagnose.
Schedule Battery Service at Jiffy Lube
You can prevent the need to jump-start a battery by taking care of this component. Jiffy Lube offers battery service to confirm it is in good shape. If you need to jump-start your car, we suggest bringing it in for diagnosis afterward. Our Jiffy Lube technicians will inspect your car to ensure that your battery is functioning properly or get to the source of the problem. Thus, if we notice anything amiss with your battery, we can repair or replace it. While at Jiffy Lube, let us handle your other maintenance and service needs.
