Is your car battery dead or not functioning well?
Do not worry, you don’t need to call a towing service. With a little knowledge and a jumper cable, you can mostly jumpstart your car all by yourself.today muscle towing one of the best towi
Before we explore the intricacies of jumpstarting, let’s briefly understand the car batteries. A car battery is a chemical-storing device that converts the stored chemical energy into electrical energy. This energy is used to power the starter motor, which in turn cranks the engine to start.
A “dead” battery means that its chemical energy has been depleted. This may happen due to a number of reasons, such as;
• Leaving the electrical accessories on for too long which may result in battery drainage.
• Cold weather is another reason that depletes the battery’s ability to produce power.
• Age is yet another factor, batteries have a finite lifespan. Overtime their capacity to perform reduces.
• Hidden electrical leaks can also drain the battery of your car when it is turned off.
Safety comes first: Necessary Precautions
Before you start, it is always a good decision to prioritize safety first:
• Shut down all accessories: Make sure your car’s radio, headlights and all the other accessories are turned off.
• Park on a surface level: A plain surface will prevent your car from moving while you are working.
• Accumulate required equipment: you will require a set of jumper cables and another car with a working battery.
• Wear protective gear: Ensure wearing protective gears such as gloves and safety glasses to avoid any potential hazards.
Step-by-step instructions to jump-start your car:
1. Park the grantor car: Park the grantor car with the working battery close to your dead car, making sure both the positive and negative terminals of batteries are accessible.
2. Connect the jumper cables:
• Positive to positive- Connect or attach the red(positive) cable to both the battery’s positive terminal.
• Negative to negative- Attach the black(negative) cable to the negative terminal of the grantor car’s battery.
Afterward, attach the other end of the black cable to a solid metal part of your dead car, it could be an unpainted bolt on the engine black or anything else. Avoid attaching it to a moving part.
3. Star the grantor car– Turn the engine on of the donor car and let it run for a few minutes.
4. Start the dead car– Try to turn on your dead car. If it doesn’t start immediately, let it sit and then try again.
5. Detach the cables– Once your car is good to go, carefully detach the jumper cables in reverse order: first negative and then positive.
Other than the techniques mentioned earlier, there are advanced jumpstarting techniques as well that can be helpful in certain situations:
1. Using a battery charger– If you have access to a battery charger, you can use it to directly charge your dead battery without the need for a grantor car.
2. Boosting with a portable power pack– Portable power packs, also known as jump starters, are small portable devices that can be used to jumpstart a car battery.
3. Using a solar charge– If you have access to a solar charger, you can also use it to recharge your battery.
Tips for successful jumpstarting:
• Assess the cables– Make sure that the jumper cables are well connected to the terminals and that there are no loose connections.
• Avoid touching metal parts– For safety purposes, avoid touching any metal parts while you are connecting the cables.
• Avoid overcharging– Do not let your car run along with the jumper cables connected for a longer period of time, it may result in battery overcharge.
• Drive to recharge– Drive your car for a while to recharge the battery.
If even after following all the instructions and trying your best to jumpstart the car, you are unable to do the same or feel uncomfortable doing so, it is recommended to contact a Muscle Towing company in Airdrie. They have both the expertise and the right equipment to safely jumpstart your car or you may also tow it to a mechanic for further assistance.
Safety comes first, make sure to remember that always. Your well-being should be your topmost priority while working with something dangerous such as car batteries. By carefully following these steps and taking the required precautions, you may successfully jumpstart your car and get right back on the road.
