\u201cJust jump start it, dude! You\u2019ll be sweet!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2026 And they were never heard from again.
Okay, so that might be going a little bit far, but the point we\u2019re making is that while it seems everyone under the sun is quick to tell you they \u201cjust jump started it\u201d \u2013 it does take a little bit of know-how.\u00a0 Lucky for you, you\u2019re here, and we\u2019re going to tell you how to do it, safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First things first \u2013 keep your owner\u2019s manual handy if you\u2019re needing to jump start your car, there\u2019ll be a section covering how to do it, along with the correct precautions to take in relation to your specific vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, if you\u2019re driving a hybrid car, it\u2019s advised to never<\/strong> jump start your car \u2013 it can cause damage to the electrical system, as well as putting you in danger of being electrocuted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve consulted the manual and figured out whether it\u2019s safe to jump start your car, your next job is to locate the battery, usually under the bonnet but in European models, you\u2019ll find it under the passenger seat. Go figure!<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, make double-sure that the vehicle is switched off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll need to look for the tabs on the battery which are used for jump starts. If in doubt, consult the owner\u2019s manual, although they are fairly easy to spot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First, make sure your cables are in good nick and free from any damage, like rust or bits of dirt. Then connect your jumper cables from your emergency breakdown kit. Connect the positive lead to the flat battery first (a red colour surrounding the terminal or a red cover over the terminal will indicate this), then to the fully charged battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Connect the negative cable to the flat vehicle by attaching it to the engine block, which is an unpainted metal component under the hood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Connecting it directly to the negative terminal of the battery increases the risk of the battery exploding \u2013 don\u2019t worry though, this is unlikely to happen. Just play it safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then connect the negative cable to the negative battery post on the fully charged battery once you’ve selected a suitable spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can get jumper cables that come equipped with surge protection, we recommend it \u2013 they smooth out any potential issues that can occur when connecting up to the dead battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, start your engine\u2026 allow it to run for up to 5 minutes, so your batter gets a decent amount of charge. Once this time has passed, try starting your the car with the dead battery, and if the engine starts up, you can disconnect your jumper cables. Good job!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Never <\/strong>allow the positive and negative cables to come into contact \u2013 this will result in a spark and possible electrocution. Once disconnected from the vehicle, remove the cables from the flat vehicle, once again starting with the negative cable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To allow the alternator to adequately charge the battery, the flat vehicle must be allowed to run for at least 30 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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