How to Jump Start a Car Battery

Materials:

• Jumper Cables

You will need another car with a working battery to restore your battery. Find a friend or family member to park there car alongside yours and help you with the process.

The car battery is located under the hood of the car. Most cars have their hood located in the front, but some cars have their hood in the back. To open the hood, TURN THE CAR OFF and then locate the release latch of the vehicle with. This will be located under the dashboard by the driver door, on the floor by the driver door, or underneath the steering wheel. Pull the release latch to unlock the hood. Inside the hood of the car, the battery is located in a compartment with a symbol of a battery on it. Remove the lid to expose the car battery.

Before proceeding with this step, ensure that both cars are TURNED OFF, and have been turned off for at least 15 minutes to allow for cooling. Apply the red clamps from the jumper cable to the positive (+) terminal on each car, and the black clamps from the jumper cable to the negative (-) terminal on each car. Make sure that the connection is secure at every location.

Begin by moving away from the hood of the car and making sure nobody is making any contact with the jumper cables. Then, turn on the ignition in the car with the working battery. Allow for approximately 30 seconds to pass by, and then attempt to start the car with the failing battery. This should properly start the car. If this does not work, shut down the car with the broken battery. While applying steady, slight pressure to the gas pedal of the properly working car, attempt to start the car with the failing battery again. If this still does not work, the battery is most likely damaged beyond repair and will need to be replaced.

If the failing car is started properly, it is imperative that the car remain running for at least 15 minutes. If this is not completed before the car is turned off, it will have to be jump-started again the next time it's turned on.