Dead Battery Care - How to Jump Start Your Car Safely
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Precautions and Safety on Jump Starts
Your car battery tends to be an afterthought when it comes to auto care and maintenance. When it comes to our cars, we tend to worry about things like engine problems, broken belts or hoses, and worn or flat tires. You don't expect something like a dead battery to stall your car.
It is one of the simplest parts of your car. It is just one piece and it either works, or it doesn't. You can't repair a battery if it doesn't work. You can always buy a new battery that will last you a long time, or you can jump start your battery. That is what people usually resort to. But for some people the very idea of a jump start is alien to them. Many people are not familiar with cars or how they work.
A dead battery is nothing to panic about. As opposed to other automotive problems that can happen to you while you're driving on the road, a dead battery usually happens after your car has been already parked or unused. So, chances are you might already be in a safe place to have your battery jumped or your car towed, if need be. Most times, dead batteries are products of your car not being used for a few days, or even a week or two. Sometimes it is just an old battery that has nothing in it to give anymore. So you might be back from that vacation you had planned to take all year, or just stepped into the department store for a half hour and found that your car is not starting.
All you need is the proper equipment and a few very basic tips on jump starting your battery to get you back on the road. It is the purpose of this article to educate the driving public on the more common task of battery boosting and the safety precautions one should take while doing it to make sure they don't get injured.
Preparing to Jump Start your Dead Battery
Before you start to even think of jump starting your battery, there are a few things you need to take into consideration. After you have done so, follow these guidelines:
Always make sure your battery is dead. Check the headlights to see if it's really the battery. See if they're working or are not that strong. If they're not strong, you probably have a dead battery. It's important to be one hundred percent sure because boosting a battery that doesn't need a boost can potentially damage the battery.
Keep a set of jumper cables close by in the event that you will have to use them when you get stuck. You never know when you might need them, and they're not that easy to come by once you're stuck on the road.
If you're stuck, you should wait for emergency personnel to come by and help you. But most of the time the people that will come and help you are everyday drivers. Once you find someone to give you a boost, have them park next to your car, or if possible, in front of your car.
Open both hoods of both cars and locate the batteries. If you are unsure, consult the owner's manual. You might get confused by assuming it is under the hood, because in some cars it is located in a different spot amidst the engine, or even in the trunk.
Before you start connecting jumper cables, make sure there are no leaks. Hydrogen gas can be emitted as a battery starts to lose its fluid and this can become very dangerous. It is flammable and that can cause fires, or even an explosion. If there are leaks or other visible damage to the battery, DO NOT JUMP START IT! Call a Los Angeles towing service and take it to your mechanic to have it replaced.
Also, before giving your battery a jump start, make sure no part of either vehicle is in contact.
To be safe, make sure you have a pair of gloves and a blanket to make sure if anything does happen to set off the battery you are able to put it out and stay safe.
Once you have evaluated the situation of your dead battery, bring out the jumper cables. Make sure they are not tangled and once either end is attached to a car, make sure that the clasps don't touch each other.
Before you secure the jumper cables, make sure that both cars are turned off.
Next, place the jumper cables on the battery terminals that share their colors. Always place the red clasp on the positive, and the black clasps on the negative. Never cross the jumper cables to the opposite terminal.
Now that you have both sides of the jumper cable connected to both cars, start the working car. To charge the battery, let the working car rev the engine for a minute or two.
Always make sure that in order to get the proper juice to power the dead battery, check that the clasps are placed properly and securely.
Turn on the car with the dead battery. Make sure that it turns on smoothly. If not, leave the jumper cables on a while longer.
After the car starts working again, take the jumper cables off; each color respectively. Make sure that the caps that protect the terminals are placed back on to secure the battery from damage.
The last thing you need to do is keep the car running for a few minutes and drive it around the block to make sure the car is getting the power it needs and that the battery can work on its own after you turn the car off. If you can't turn the car on after that, the issue could be with an alternator or the battery may just be too old to use any longer.
Your battery should be running well after following these steps. In some cases you might have a jump starter unit that can boost the battery without using another car. If so, follow the steps concerning the placing of the clasps on the terminals and charge as necessary. A jump starter pack should come with an instruction manual to illustrate how it should be used.
Make sure to follow these tips and you'll be fine. If there is something you are not sure of or if there is something that does not look right to you, you are better off waiting for emergency personnel like the Highway Patrol, or call a roadside assistance provider. A quick search of google or yahoo reveals countless Los Angeles Towing Companies that can boost your dead battery or tow your car.
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