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How to Jump Start a Car

Jumper Cables
There’s no way around it: if you drive, sooner or later you’ll find yourself stuck with a dead battery. Sure, you can call a jump start car service, which is easy and inexpensive if you have a roadside assistance plan with your car’s warranty or insurance. But even with a jump start car service, sometimes you don’t want to wait for the time it takes to dispatch assistance.

When you know how to jump start a car, you don’t have to worry about any of this! As long as you have jumper cables and a helpful friend whose car has a charged battery, you can go through the steps of the proper way to jump start a car and be back on your way in Akron or Massillon in no time. Find out how to properly jump start a car with the Toyota of North Canton service department.

The Proper Way to Jump Start a Car

If you’re in a situation where you have to ask a stranger for help and this makes you uneasy, there’s nothing wrong with using a jump start car service if you find yourself stranded in Canton with a dead battery. But if you have a friend who can help, just follow these steps for how to properly jump start a car:

  1. Park the two vehicles with the batteries facing each other. Turn the vehicles off and set the parking brakes.
  2. Gain access to the batteries. You may need to remove a plastic hood or plastic caps to expose the battery terminals.
  3. Find the positive and negative battery terminals. Make sure they are clean and free of any corrosion or dirt.
  4. Separate the red ends from the black ends of your jumper cables. You don’t want them to touch, ever, as they could spark. Connect the red clamp to the positive post on the dead battery.
  5. Uncoiling the battery cable, hook the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the battery with the charge.
  6. Connect the black clamp to the negative post on the good battery.
  7. Connect the last black clamp to a grounded, unpainted metal surface on your car’s frame.
  8. Once everything is hooked up securely, start the vehicle’s engine with the good battery. You may try to start the engine right away, but it’s a good idea to let the car with the good battery run for a bit before starting the other vehicle’s engine.
  9. Once the dead vehicle has been successfully jump started, carefully remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were placed on. Keep the newly-charged vehicle running.
  10. Keep the engine running on the restarted vehicle for at least 10 minutes to ensure the weak battery doesn’t die again right away. Driving around in this time can help your battery rebuild its charge. Consult your owner’s manual for more info on recommended times. It’s also recommended to have your battery tested and/or replaced ASAP. Schedule an appointment with us.

If your car won’t jump start, that means there’s a problem other than a dead battery. It might be time for a battery replacement or an alternator check. Contact us for more information if your car won’t jump start, and we’ll help you decide what you should do next.

Turn to Toyota of North Canton for More DIY Car Care Tips!

Knowing how to jump start a car battery and what to do if your car won’t jump start can keep you from getting stuck. The Toyota of North Canton service team has plenty of other DIY car care tips that are good for the life of your car. Check our service tips and tricks if you’d like to learn more!

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