Safely Jump Start Your Car in 4 Easy Steps
Knowing how to jump start a car is one of those skills that every driver should ideally have. But many drivers don't know the right steps and the proper order, even if they've learned how to jump start a car in the past! Whether you need a refresher course or this is your first time performing a jump, we're here to help. These four easy steps will help you make sure you're doing everything the right way. Just make sure you schedule an appointment for a battery inspection if the cause of the drained battery isn't immediately apparent (like headlights or dome lights that were left on overnight), since the problem could cause your battery to die again.
1. Get the Vehicles Ready
Taking a few moments to make sure everything is prepared can prevent frustration a few minutes later. Ensure that the two vehicles are parked close enough to each other that the jumper cables can comfortably stretch between the two engines, and make sure that both batteries are the same voltage. Vintage cars from the 1960s and earlier use six-volt batteries and some modern hybrids have 48-volt batteries, but the typical 12-volt battery is used in almost every modern gasoline-powered car.
Once you've verified these things, turn off both of the engines and take the keys out of the ignition. If you're driving a car with manual transmission, put it in neutral. For cars with automatic transmissions, put it in park. For both, you'll want to make sure the parking brake is on. Now open the hoods and you're ready to begin.
2. Attach the Cables
The order in which you attach the cables is important. Try to remember this:
- Start with "red to dead." Positive cables are usually coated in red plastic, so this rhyme reminds you that you should begin by attaching one positive clamp to the positive terminal of the dead battery.
- Next, attach the other end of the positive cable to the positive terminal of the donor battery.
- Then, attach one negative clamp to the negative battery terminal of the donor vehicle.
- Finally, attach the other side of the negative cable to grounded, unpainted metal in the engine compartment of the vehicle with the dead battery. It's important to make sure that you do not attach the last negative cable to the negative terminal of the dead battery, since doing so could cause a spark. Many vehicles have specific metal mounts that are designed for this clamp.
3. Start the Vehicles
To start off, have the person who's giving the jump start their car. Don't rush to start yours; instead, let their vehicle run for a few minutes. This is to allow your battery to get the energy it needs. After a few minutes have passed, try to start your Volkswagen. If it begins to crank but still won't start, wait a few few minutes longer; your battery may just need a bit more power.
4. Remove the Cables in Reverse Order
When you're ready to drive off, remove the cables in this order:
- Start by taking the negative clamp from the vehicle that received the jump.
- Remove the other negative clamp from the vehicle that gave the jump.
- Remove a positive clamp from the donor vehicle.
- Finally, remove the last positive clamp from the vehicle that received the jump.
