How to jumpstart your vehicle | OK Carz

jumping the battery / charging car battery

What to do if your car battery is dead 

One of the worst feelings in the world is going to start your car and having nothing happen. A dead battery is an inconvenience to you, and can really ruin your day. Luckily, it is fairly easy to fix, as long as you have a set of jumper cables and another car that is running. If you don’t have jumper cables or a vehicle with a working battery, it is pretty easy to find another person who has both.  

Setting up to jump-start your vehicle 

When you’re going to jumpstart your battery, know what side it is on so you and the other person can get in position so that their battery and yours are next to each other. That could mean your vehicles are side by side or nose to nose. Make sure that you have enough space so you can get into your car, but not so much that the cables don’t reach. Both of the vehicles should be off.   

[Related: What kind of maintenance do I need to do for my car?]

Black automobile battery isolated on white background

On most batteries, the red terminal is positive, and the negative is black. Make sure you know which is which when jump-starting your vehicle.

Attaching the cables 

This is the part that scares some people. First, what you want to do is attach the red clamp to the positive terminal on the dead battery, and then attach the other red clamp to the positive on the working battery. Then, attach the black clamp to the negative terminal of the working battery. The last step is grounding the other black clamp on the vehicle with the dead battery by clipping it to a piece of non-painted metal.  

Once the cables are securely attached, start the working car, and let the dead battery charge for a minute or two. After a while, attempt to start the dead vehicle. If it doesn’t start, wait a little longer, or rev the engine on the other vehicle by hitting the gas pedal. When the dead vehicle starts, you can disconnect the cables, starting with the ground and working backward removing the other black and the red clamp from the working vehicle, and finally the red clamp from the previously dead battery.  

The last step is to drive your vehicle for about fifteen minutes to recharge the battery. If you feel like you’re constantly jumpstarting your car, and you can’t figure out why it might be time for you to find a new vehicle. If you’re looking for a used vehicle, visit OkCarz at one of their five Florida locations. You’ll be able to find a wide range of used cars, and get help with financing when you visit OkCarz.  

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