How to Jump-Start a Car

At Dickson City Hyundai, we want you to find the ideal new or pre-owned vehicle for your next Scranton ride. Yet, we’re much more than that. We want to provide you with answers to multiple auto-related service questions. If your car won’t jump-start, you might be wondering how to get your vehicle running again.

You could call a jump-start car service around Dickson City, however, you might be wondering how to undertake this process yourself. In the following guide, the Dickson City Hyundai service team will answer how to jump-start a car. Learn more and call 570-487-3095 with any additional questions.

The Proper Way to Jump-Start a Car

If your car won’t jump-start, you can always call a jump-start vehicle service if none of the following works. Yet, it’s always a good idea to try to jump-start a car battery yourself, as it’s not a difficult process. You will, however, need another person and vehicle for this, alongside a set of jumper cables. Once you have access to everything, here is what to do. Note — if you don’t feel comfortable recruiting a stranger to help you, and you’re in a new area alone, you may call a jump-start car service. Otherwise, it’s easy to learn how to jump-start a car:

1. Face the two vehicles with the batteries facing each other. Most vehicles have batteries in the engines, meaning they’ll usually face hood-hood. Some foreign cars, though, have the battery in the trunk. After you’ve parked the vehicles, turn them off and set the parking brakes.
2. Gain access to the batteries. Note: you may need 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. Take stock of your cables and separate the red ends from the black ends. You don’t want them to touch, ever, as they could spark. Next, 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. Connect the last 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 a good battery. You may try to start the engine right away, but it’s probably a good idea to let the car with the good battery run for a bit, then try starting the engine of the other vehicle.
9. Once the dead vehicle has been successfully jump-started, carefully remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were placed on, and keep the other vehicle running.
10. 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 & Tricks

There are plenty of reasons aside from a dead car battery why your vehicle may not be starting. Here are just a few worth noting:

1. If you try to start the car but only hear a clicking sound, the starter might not be functioning.
2. If the electrical systems of the car turn on, but the engine does not, then the issue could be several 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. Don’t forget to keep your vehicle running for a while after it’s received a jump. That allows the battery to recharge some after 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.

Turn to Dickson City Hyundai for More DIY Car Care Tips

Now that you know how to jump-start a car, visit one of the best service centers in the Clarks Summit-area. At Dickson City Hyundai, we want to keep your vehicle running at peak performance for years to come.

Before you schedule your next appointment, check out our service specials to see how much you can save. You can also order genuine Hyundai parts online from our dealership. Keep your car running around Scranton for years with Dickson City Hyundai!