To hook up jumper cables correctly and safely, follow these steps:
- Preparation
- Park the two vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach both batteries but ensure the vehicles do not touch.
- Turn off both vehicles completely and open their hoods.
- Locate the batteries and identify the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals. Remove any terminal covers or corrosion if present
- Connecting the Jumper Cables
- Attach one red (positive) clamp to the positive terminal of the dead battery.
- Attach the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the good (donor) battery.
- Attach one black (negative) clamp to the negative terminal of the good battery.
- Attach the other black clamp to an unpainted metal part of the dead vehicle’s engine or chassis, away from the battery and fuel system. This serves as a grounding point and helps prevent sparking near the battery
- Starting the Vehicles
- Start the engine of the donor vehicle and let it run for a few minutes to charge the dead battery.
- Attempt to start the vehicle with the dead battery. If it starts, let both vehicles run connected for a few minutes to allow the battery to charge further
- Disconnecting the Jumper Cables
- Remove the black clamp from the grounded metal part of the previously dead vehicle.
- Remove the black clamp from the donor vehicle’s battery.
- Remove the red clamp from the donor vehicle’s battery.
- Remove the red clamp from the previously dead battery.
- Keep the jumped vehicle running for at least 20-30 minutes to allow the battery to recharge fully
Important Safety Tips:
- Always connect red clamps to positive terminals and black clamps to negative terminals or grounded metal to avoid short circuits.
- Do not let the clamps touch each other when connected to a battery.
- If sparks occur or the vehicle doesn’t start after several attempts, stop and seek professional assistance
This method ensures a safe and effective jump-start using jumper cables
