The
first thing you want to remember when jump-starting a car is that a slight
possibility of explosion does exist. This is because hydrogen gas--which forms
as a battery discharges and loses its fluid--is flammable, and a spark from the
battery cables could, theoretically, set it off. We emphasize slight
because the gas would have to be fairly dense around the battery for this to
happen. This is unlikely unless the battery has been sitting for a long time
and little or no air circulation has occurred in the area, but it is possible.
StepOne Park the booster
vehicle close to the one that needs to be jumped, but not so close that the
vehicles are touching in any way. You'll want to use a good set of jumper
cables with thick wire and clean clamps. As you are hooking up the jumper
cables, make sure they don't dangle into either engine compartment where they
could get caught on moving parts (belts, fan, etc.). Turn off the ignition of
both vehicles, set the parking brakes, and make sure that they are in either
"Park" or "Neutral" depending on whether the vehicles have
an automatic or manual transmission. Also, turn off all accessories like
lights, radio and, if the vehicles are in a safe area, the hazard flashers.
Step
Two Begin
the process by clamping one of the positive jumper cable ends (red) to the
positive battery terminal (labeled with a "+" on the battery) of the
dead vehicle. Be sure the connection is strong with the clamp securely
"biting" onto the battery terminal.
Step Three Connect
the other end of the positive cable (red) to the positive battery terminal on
the booster vehicle (again, confirm that a "+" is next to the battery
terminal). If the terminals are corroded on either vehicle, you may have to
scrape them with an abrasive such as steel wool to achieve a solid connection.
Step Four Connect the negative cable end (black) to the negative battery terminal on
the booster car (marked with a "-"). Finally, attach the other end of
the negative cable to an unpainted metal surface on the engine of the dead car.
Find an unpainted bolt or bracket that is as far from the dead battery as
possible. This will provide a solid ground while further reducing the
possibility of igniting any hydrogen gas.
Step Five Make a final check to confirm that the jumper cables are not near any
moving engine parts, and start the booster car. Let it idle for several
minutes, depending on the state of the dead battery. If the dead battery is new
and was drained by the lights being left on an extended period of time, it will
probably start immediately. If it is an old battery or it has sat for a long
time (more than a month) it will probably take awhile to charge it sufficiently.
