How to Jump-Start a Car

It happens to all of our Bonham customers at one point or another. You park your car and leave the headlights on, causing your car’s battery to die a slow, agonizing death. That’s ok; you’ll jump start it. But there’s a problem. You don’t know how to jump-start a car battery! You could just call a jump start car service like AAA. But if you don’t want to wait an hour so, you could just read our handy guide below on the proper way to jump-start a car. OurService Team at Bonham Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram wants you to be safe on McKinney roads. So, let’s talk about how to properly jump-start a car, and discuss what happens when your car won’t jump start.

How to Properly Jump Start a Car

We’ve found that a lot of folks in the greater Sherman area who think they know how to jump-start a car battery but don’t know the proper way to jump-start a car. So, make sure to follow the steps in this guide on how to properly jump start a car. Service may need to be scheduled if you continue to have problems after following the steps below.

• The proper way to jump-start a car begins with parking the working vehicle close enough to the disabled vehicle so that the jumper cables can comfortably reach from one battery to another.
• Turn both vehicles off.
• Clamp one end of the red cable to the positive (+) post on the dead battery, then connect the other end to the positive post on the good battery.
• Connect one end of the black cable to the negative post (-) of the good battery.
• The other end of the black cable should be attached to the metal frame of the car.
• Start the engine of the working car and let it run a minute or two before trying to start the other car.
• If the other car doesn’t start, let it charge for a little longer.
• Once the car has started, remove the clamps, beginning with the black cable, then the red.
• Allow the jump-started vehicle to run for a few minutes and take it for a short drive, which will allow for the alternator to charge the battery further.

My Car Won’t Jump Start, Now What?

If you’ve followed all of the steps correctly to jump-start a car, and it still won’t start, there are still things you can do before calling a jump start car service. Here are some things that may be the case if your car won’t jump-start:

• The jumper cables may be loose. Make sure they are well-connected.
• The posts or terminals may be corroded. Clean them thoroughly.
• The starter may be broken. If this is the case, you should hear a clicking noise.
• The battery may have reached the end of its life.

Trust the Service Experts at Bonham Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

If you found this guide on how to jump-start a car to be helpful, make sure to keep checking our service tips page for other handy guides like how to program your key fob. And if you need any assistance with your car’s service needs,  our team is here to help. Our parts and service team are happy to help answer questions like “How long can I drive on a spare tire?” or walk you through checking your tire tread depth. We may be just a short drive away from Denison, but you can also schedule service online!