Pugh’s Tire and Service Center is the first to understand that accidents and emergencies happen at the least convenient time. Leaving a dome light lit or listening to music for too long on battery power are both simple yet effective ways of draining your vehicle’s battery. You call a friend for help, but neither of you knows how to use the pointed metal clamps that your dad has you keep with you? The expert mechanics at Pugh’s Tire and Service Center are here to explain how to jump your car in a few simple steps.
- Once the running car is parked next to you, pop both of your hoods and grab your jumper cables.
- Shut off the ignition of the second car, with the car in park. When you begin to connect the clamps to the vehicle, keep each of the clamps separate. If the metal clamps touch accidentally, they may create an electric shock.
- With both engines completely off, attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal of the dead battery. You will be able to tell which is positive by reading “POS”, “+”, or by finding the larger of the two notches. When beginning the attachment process, it is always a good idea to have another part of your body touching an electric inhibitor such as your tires Greenville NC.
- Attach the other red clip to the positive terminal of the charged battery on the second car.
- Attach one of the black clips to the negative terminal on the charged battery of the second car. This notch will either be smaller or have a “-” on it.
- Connect the remaining black clip to an unpainted, metal part of the dead car that is not directly next to the battery itself. An appropriate piece of metal to use would be one of the metal struts that holds open your hood. An easy way to remember these four steps is with this rhyme:
Red to dead
Red to donor
Black to donor
Black to metal
- Once each clamp is attached properly and securely, start the donor car and rev the engine slightly. This will supply power to charge the dead battery.
- Idle the second car for a few minutes, allowing the battery time to charge slightly.
- After a few minutes have gone by, try to turn on an interior light, or turn your car on. If it turns on, unclip the clamps in the reverse order that you connected them:
Black from metal
Black from donor
Red from donor
Red from dead
Continue to keep each clamp separate from each other until all of them have been disconnected. For an extra safety precaution, tap each clamp to the rubber of your tires Greenville NC to be sure the electrical charge is depleted.
- Once everything is removed, close each of your hoods and store your jumper cables away for safekeeping. Tapping the clamps Be sure to drive around for 15- 20 minutes after jumping your car to completely recharge your battery.
What if your car doesn’t start after the jump?
If your car doesn’t jump after connecting the cables, safely check to see if the cables were connected properly, reconnect, and try the jumping process again. If the car doesn’t start after multiple attempts, your battery is most likely shot and will require being replaced. If this is the case, stop by Pugh’s Tires Greenville NC to purchase, recharge, or reuse your battery.
Pugh's Tire and Service Center
Our experienced mechanics at Pugh’s Tire and Service Center are prepared to assist you in finding the correct battery for your vehicle, recharging your old battery, or recycling your batteries to keep toxins and poisonous chemicals out of our landfills. If you have any other concerns about how your vehicle is running, or you are in need of a wheel alignment Greenville NC, or brake repair Greenville NC, let us know, we can work you in!
