You’re walking out of your apartment and notice a good looking gal with the hood of her car open, looking at the engine with desperation. You go over and ask what’s wrong. The car battery is dead, and she’s late for class. She asks you if you can give her jump. You look down at the ground, kick some rocks, and offer to call AAA instead.
You have no clue how to jump start a car.
Every man should know how to jump start a dead car battery. You never know when you’ll need this knowledge to aid a stranded damsel in distress or help yourself. While jumping a dead battery is super simple, you’d be surprised by the number of men who have no idea how to do it. Even if a man has learned how to jump start a car before, it can be easy to forget what cables go where. Positive on negative? Ground the positive cable on the car with the good battery? Red cable is negative?
To help you avoid looking like a putz when asked to jump start a car and to help prevent you from shocking the hell out of yourself when you do it, here’s the rundown on how to jump start a dead car battery.
How to Tell if Your Battery Is Dead
Before you try jump starting a car, you need to determine that the battery is the reason the car isn’t starting up. If you turn the ignition and hear the engine cranking, a dead battery isn’t your problem and jump starting it won’t do a darn thing. However, if you turn the key and the car does absolutely nothing, then there’s a good chance you have a dead battery on your hands and jumping it may be your ticket to getting back on the road.
How to Jump Start a Car with Cables
Note: You should always carry jumper cables in your car with you. You never know when you’re going to need them.
Don’t be this guy
1. Make sure both cars are turned off.
2. Connect one end of the red (positive) jumper cable to the positive terminal on the stalled battery.
3. Then connect the other red (positive) cable clamp to the positive terminal of the good battery.
4. Connect one end of the black (negative) jumper cable to the negative terminal of the good battery.
5. Then connect the other black (negative) cable to a clean, unpainted metal surface under the disabled car’s hood. Somewhere on the engine block is a good place. Unless you want to see flying sparks and a possible explosion, do not connect the negative cable to the negative terminal of the dead battery, .
6. Start the car that’s doing the jumping, and allow it to run for about 2 to 3 minutes before starting the dead car.
7. Remove cables in reverse order.
8. Keep the jumped car running for at least 30 minutes to give the battery sufficient time to recharge itself.
And you’re done. Give yourself a pat on the back for a manly job well done.
Unfortunately, jumper cables will not bring inanimate objects to life. Including hot model women you build in your lab.
Remember:
The hardest part of the job is simply remembering where to put each cable. Many a man has broken out in a sweat wondering if he is about to make a wrong move and toast himself to a crisp. Here’s the good news: It’s probably impossible to electrocute yourself from jump starting a car. The battery might give you a big shock, but the voltage is too low to penetrate your skin and put you down for the count.
But no one wants to be on the receiving end of a zap, no matter how mild. So come up with a mnemonic device to help you remember which color goes where. I personally think: red=blood=life=positive/black=death=negative.
How to Jump Start a Car Without Cables
If you have a standard transmission car, you can jump start that bad boy without using cables. Here’s how you do it:
1. Find a stretch of clear downhill road.
2. Fully depress the clutch and put the car in first gear.
3. Turn the ignition to on.
4. Take your foot off the brake and start rolling down the hill, leaving the clutch fully depressed.
5. Coast down the hill until you reach 5 or 7 miles per hour.
6. Release the clutch quickly. You should feel the engine turn and start. If it doesn’t start the first time, depress the clutch and release it again.
7. If you don’t have a hill, get some of your buddies to give you a push and follow the steps above.
Got a story to share about when knowing how to jump start a car came in handy? Were you able to help a little old lady? Did you have to do it in subzero weather in the complete dark? Drop a line in the comment box and share it with us.
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I am that person with the pizza box – in 2 mins I had jumper cables. No need to hold have your own!
Couple things about this article I’m not quite sure about. I’ve jumpstarted mine and others’ cars many times.
I have always been of the impression that RED does NOT have to be connected to positive. The important thing is that SAME color cable is on the same charge for each car, ie: both cars have red on +, or both cars have black on +.
Also, I have never had a problem with connecting the negative cable directly to the terminal on the dead battery… Never even heard of that.
Also, I’ve always left the good car running while hooking up the cables. Never had any problems. Haven’t blown up any batteries yet.
Uh. Several things.
1) The donor car should be RUNNING when the cables are connected to avoid discharging the battery before you jump the dead car.
2) The dead car’s ground cable “should” be connected to the engine block because the starter is grounded in the engine block and it will have a better connection to start up the car. The dead battery or crappy grounds or small wires, or many other things can interfere with a proper jump start.
3) However I have never yet bothered to jump from anything but both cars’ battery terminals except once when a minivan couldn’t pull enough juice between the poles and I HAD to use the ground. It would be best to find an engine hoist point if you can find one.
And another important one
4) MOST manual cars CANNOT be push started because of a neutral safety switch. The clutch has to be pressed to the floor to start fuel flowing and EFI operation, it if it’s not carbureted …though some models have bypasses.
Oh, and if you ever are in extreme cold and your car apparently has a dead battery, try running the headlights for 30 seconds to draw a bunch of juice. It may be that the battery is SO cold it can’t provide enough current and running the headlights may warm it up. I heard about this from some radio show (cartalk I think) who had people in minnesota and russia who would literally keep their batteries in their house at night to prevent problems starting.
@Will
~
In response to #4 on your list….
The neutral safety switch doesn’t keep the car from firing or fuel from flowing .it just keeps the ignition switch from sending current to the starter while the car is in gear ,so you (or you wife) doesn’t accidentaly start it with the clutch ingaged and in gear thus ruining the new drywall you just put up in the garrage.
#1: Those that say it makes no difference what color cable or clip you where, as long as you make sure you use the same for both +s and -s are correct, but convention says red is + and black is -. I am an electronics engineer, and if I somehow hooked the +s to the – terminal, I’d have to double and triple check they’re connected ok, and may put them ‘proper’. I dare say you’ll find this ingrained in a lot of people.
You are ’supposed’ to connect the negative cable to the dead car to a bare engine part as a safety precaution. I’ve also read that you’re supposed to wear safety glasses. I’ve never done either.
Today I think there are reasons not to remove a battery on a running car, but I very much remember doing this up till about 15 or 20 years ago. You could take the battery out of a running car to start another with no problem. Today, you may have a computer issue.
I once bump started a pick up at the bottom of a dip by jacking it backwards and chocking a wheel with a rock several times, and then bump starting it as it went down the ‘hill’.
I had a dead battery about 2 years ago, and went to a neighbor’s house to ask for a jump, but only their gardener was there, so I asked him. This guy was real chatty, and before I knew it he’d opened the hood of his little truck and pulled the cables off his battery. He carried the battery over to my car, that already had the hood open, with my cables ready.
When I tried to help him attach the cables he stops me and says to get in and try it. After a small discussion he jumped my car without cables! —> He placed his battery almost upside down, it’s terminals to my batteries terminals, and I hit the starter. <— He’s probably going to hurt himself someday, but it sure worked like a charm. I thanked him and he said that ‘…it’s like this in El Salvador.’ He had his battery almost upside down for just a few seconds. I saw no sparks and can’t tell if any acid spilled on the car.
I don’t think I’d try it, but It IS different!
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Jump starting a car is simple. Just follow these steps.
re: the push-start
second gear works nicely if you have a smaller engine, if it’s larger you’ll likely need to use a higher gear to overcome the compression. i’ve had to push-start my “fun” car (85 camaro) without the benefit of a hill to help out, it came to a dead stop in third from jogging speed. it started on the second attempt in fourth gear. and the battery was so dead nothing worked, no fan, no lights, no stereo. so it really doesn’t take much.
Great “Man-torial” – I had totally forgotten how to jump start a car. Read this post a few weeks ago, and got to use my newly acquired skill last night. It was so easy to do – it literally took fewer than five minutes – and boosted my confidence to know exactly what to do.
I wish it had been a nice young woman with a dead battery (alas, it was a middle-aged guy), but it was still nice to be able to help out a person in need. As towns sprawl, people become more insular, and the bonds of “community” weaken, it’s nice to have a simple/easy way to fight back and reconnect with those around you.
Keep up the good work and helpful posts!
@A-Rock-
Good to hear the jump start tutorial came in handy. Even better to hear there are men out there willing to stop and be the “Good Samaritan.” Keep fighting the good fight.
As for the order of things, it helps if you remember that the last connection should be to ground. It is the last connection that will spark and you want that away from the batteries, which splatter acid when they explode. Sure, you can connect that last one to your battery and it won’t explode almost every time. But you want a little more certainty than “almost.” When removing the cables, it is the first disconnection that will spark and for that reason, you disconnect the ground first. If someone else is doing the connecting, stand well back so there will be someone able to call 911 when he screws it up.
Keep the good car running so it will provide more current through the jumper cables and won’t be left unstartable by the drain.
And remember to stash a set of cables in your car because when the day comes when you need them, you won’t be able to find any otherwise. Don’t do it for yourself… do it for that unbelievably hot underware model in the Ferrari that won’t start.
Well here is a rumor that I found out might be true:
My sister and I were about to be late for work and the engine wouldn’t start. One of my Geology professors had had this problem in college and a friend got a coke and poured it on the battery terminals. It tuurn out the carbonate build-up has a chemical reaction with the coke whichs puts off enough electricity to get the car started.
We tried it and it worked! Bearing in mind the car had been jumped off the night before by the campus police and we had driven around for an hour. I was told later the battery may have had a charge still in it from the night before.
Has anyone else tried this with success?
Here is the pattern to help someone remember the sequencing of the cables
Red Bad to Red Good, Black Good to Black Bad. So Red first (bad to good), Black (good to bad).
Suggesting for the pictures: use the same car.
@Heather,
The coke trick can be helpful but the idea that it generates electricity is not correct. The Coke is reacting with and cleaning away the corrosion that has built up between the battery terminals and the battery cable clamps and this results in a better electrical connection and enhances the delivery of current from the battery to the starter. You can achieve the same result with a mixture of baking soda and water and this can be used as an effective terminal cleaner. Sometimes a “dead battery” is not just about low voltage in the battery, but partially or completely about poor connections (loose and/or corroded). The Coke addresses the connection issue.
I recommend you remove your battery cable clamps from the terminals and clean them along with the terminals thoroughly with the baking soda and water mixture, rinse well with pure water, dry and firmly reattach them. For extra credit you can then coat all the exposed metal of the terminal area with a battery terminal coating spray or vaseline to keep the corrosion out permanently. Good luck.
Gentlemen,
Along with jumpstarting a car, the other simple, essential car repair skill that a man should have is changing a flat tire. These are two skills my father taught me even before I could drive and they have served me well many times. I once found a friend walking home and I stopped to give him a ride. When he told me about his flat tire, I turned around and took him back to his car. He insisted his new car had no spare tire in it. He simply didn’t know to lift the rug in the bottom of the trunk. He was also puzzled by the jack.
Guys, there is no excuse for this. If you have never changed a tire before, it’s time to open up the car’s owners manual and work through the procedure in your driveway. This is not the kind of thing you want to figure out when you are stranded, especially if it is dark, cold and raining. This might also be a good opportunity to check the tire pressure and toss in an extra flashlight and some old work gloves.
The final tip in the article is to keep the jump-started car running for at least 30 minutes to charge the battery. Bear in mind that many cars will hardly charge at all if left running at idle. This is especially true if any electrical accessories are on (lights, fan, radio, wipers, etc.). A better way to charge it is to drive it for a while, preferably with most accessories turned off. And the next time you park, park facing out in case another jump is needed, or on a hill if it has a manual transmission.
To all you fellas out there with ladies to impress, it’s easy to do, just follow these steps:
1. Cut a hole in a box.
2. Oh, wait, wrong steps!! I’m sorry!
Hey seriously, I have never been a “car guy,” but when forced to jump a car without any help, I read the instructions that came with my cables. I then hand-wrote a shorter version of them on a piece of paper that I keep in my car. Now I’m a pro! I’m spoken for, so I won’t be scoring any ladies with my new wisdom, but the girlfriend was mighty impressed when I got her up and running after she left the trunk slightly ajar all weekend.
I lol at this “art of manliness” when I, a 16 year old girl, know how to do it better than my best friend, Mike, 17. haha. Hahahaha. Haha.
!
I’m more of a man!
@Michael –
Isn’t it to make sure the live battery doesn’t run out of juice?
I’ve always had old bangers and have had to perfect the jump-start. It’s easy when you have a long enough hill but if there is a junction or a dead end like a brick wall, then it can get a little scary. Once the car had started I had to remember to depress the clutch and move my foot over to the brake before I hit the wall. The main frustration is when you get it started then you stall it!
Heather on October 11th, 2008 11:55 am
Does it work with Pepsy? Only kidding!
>> I don’t have any really manly stories about jumping a car. I did it for my girlfriend once who needed to get to class. And she thought I was her hero. So that was pretty cool.
Dude: that’s the manly story. The rest is noise.
@Michael – That way you use the alternator to provide the needed current to the dead car rather then take a chance of draining the good battery. A dead battery in parallel can kill a good a battery rather quickly thus leaving you with two dead batteries.
I’ve been on both the giving and receiving end of a jump start. My old truck was manual transmission and I push-started it several times.
I have a lot of experience with batteries and charging, both for auto and other things. Here’s my two cents in response to questions above:
You want to put the negative (black) lead on the chasis of the dead car LAST. You put it on the chasis somewhere away from the battery because it will spark. A dead battery is a possible source of hydrogen gas and that spark could cause an explosion. Batteries are pretty safe these days but a dead/faulty battery is your best candidate for this type of problem so avoid the spark near the battery by connecting the black lead LAST and connect it to the chasis of the car a foot or more away from the battery.
The reason the good vehicle needs to be running in so that the alternator is working. The moment you make the last connection between the cars the batteries will begin to come to equilibrium. The voltage will begin to drop on the good battery and rise on the dead battery. It is possible to start the dead car without the good car running but it is risky in terms of ending up with neither car starting. For example, the battery on the good car may be at a good 14.2 volts while the dead battery is in the range of 5 volts. When the cables are connected the current will begin to flow to the dead battery and eventually it will reach an equilibrium between the two batteries at a voltage of about 9 or 10 volts, which probably won’t allow either car to start. However if the good car is running, the voltage will be continually restored by the alternator. So the bad battery will charge without depleting the good battery.
Also I recommend a large gauge of cable which will allow large amount of current to travel rapidly to the dead car. Smaller gauge cable will limit the amount of current and it may take a few minutes after making the connection for enough current to travel across the connection.
Always be prepared to help your fellow motorists who become stranded and both parties will leave with a good feeling. Good luck and be safe.
Thank you very much… I had trouble with a friend tonight… and this website totally helped
@Michael –
Because the good car battery can go dead. It’s the same as leaving the lights on; It’s a drain on the battery.
@Michael – The idea here is, that if you don’t start the ‘good’ car, and they either have a.) a weak/old battery, or b.) it takes a little while for the engine to start, you might wear out their battery enough that they have trouble starting it. By running the live car, the alternator will be charging it as you go. Also, if the cables are too thin/too long, they will have a lot of resistance, therefor taking a bit more to turn the dead car over.
I’m an ASE certified automotive technician, and the best comment I can give on this subject is that jump-starting is bad for most cars. Sure, it works fine for older 80’s models with old-school coil ignitions and simple analog fuel injection, but newer cars are far too sensitive. The best thing to have is a Jumper Box, you can buy em at Home Depot or any auto parts store. It’s basically a battery and two cables in a plastic box with a handle. They usually have a light on them, too. Red clamp goes to positive, black clamp to negative, and you start your car. No need for two cars or worrying about frying something.
Hmm, should be connect positive (red) first and disconnect negative (black) first. Just had to jump start a car yesterday using jumper cables.
I agree that this article was a big help. Since we luckily don’t have to jump-start our cars often, it is hard to remember what to do. I found another site that has really helpful information. They say to connect the positive end first!! http://www.autotropolis.com/wiki/index.php?title=Jump_Starting_a_Vehicle
wow, this is the most sexist artical i’ve ever read. what? girls cant do it themselves? why is this the art of manliness????
The one thing this article fails to mention is what to do if the positive post of the battery happens to be the grounded one. Isn’t the case very often, but has implications for what order you hook cables up in (and how many sparks you see if you try to follow these directions!) Be sure you know how your battery is hooked up, or you may end up with your 100A and other fuses fried!
The one thing this article fails to mention is what to do if the positive post of the battery happens to be the grounded one. Isn’t the case very often, but has implications for what order you hook cables up in (and how many sparks you see if you try to follow these directions!) Be sure you know how your battery is hooked up, or you may end up with your 100A and other fuses fried–an expensive mistake!
If jumpstarting a car by rolling it, (manual shifter) Most newer cars require to be in 2nd gear, it wil state so in the manual
Also, if pushing the car be aware of the sudden braking force when the driver releases the clutch.
Side note: also make sure the key is turned in the start position, not in the least becase the stearing lock might engage when you turn a few degrees.
I’ve jump started cars more times than I can count but yesterday my brother’s rented moving truck (Ford S550 Super Duty Diesel) died on him because the batteries were drained (2 battery setup). We didn’t have another Diesel truck to jump start with and couldn’t fit more than one car near by to jump start both batteries so I just used my Explorer and 16′ length of 6 gauge cables and charged it for about 10 min. Nothing. So I removed the negative lead on the dead truck from a (presumably) grounded bolt in the engine bay (no owner’s manual) to the negative terminal throwing caution to the wind. Another 5 min of charging and the truck started right up! Either the bolt I was originally hooked up to wasn’t properly grounded/connected or the truck battery simply needed more time to receive the charge from my vehicle.
Btw, in this scenario I hooked up the cable to the battery closest to the alternator in the dead truck (passenger side in this case).
I had to jump start my car last winter. My neighbor was home and it took a few minutes to check in her manual (she had just gotten the car) to find the negative ground on her car. Once we found it, it was a matter of a couple of tries to get my car started. Needless to say, I went and got my battery checked and I needed a new one. Problem solved. Another sign that your battery is on its way out is hard starting. If it seems it takes more time to start your car in the morning (or any time) have your battery checked.
This is stupid. Just take a mechanics class.
I’m with Cassie. Please don’t assume I’m in distress because I’m a damsel.
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