How to Jump Start the Car in 7 Easy Steps

Having a flat battery is never fun but thankfully it’s something that can be rectified easily by jump-starting your car. Now that’s a process that does require some careful consideration but, when done correctly, can be as hassle-free as you like.

Here at Carsa, we’ve got a great range of cars that are available to drive away today without the need of jump-starting, but if your current car is struggling - or you fancy a change - then check out the website today to browse through our current selection. However, let’s take a look at the 7 key steps to take when jump-starting your car.

Decide Whether You’re Using Another Car or a Power Pack

While jump-starting a car with another working vehicle is the most common way of sorting this procedure, the more widespread availability of jump packs has made things a little easier. Naturally, you’ll have had to have bought one of these beforehand - or know someone with one - but these handy little packs can fire an engine into life with minimal effort.

Nearly all can be charged up at home, too, and come in a range of powers depending on the size of engine you’re looking to restart. Of course, if you’re using another vehicle then you’ll need a set of jump leads too. Jump-starting is made far easier with the right equipment on hand.

Make Sure your Surroundings are Safe

Before you start anything, make sure that your surroundings are safe. Jump-starting in an unsafe environment can lead to unnecessary risks. Check the engine bay for any loose items and ensure that you’re not wearing any dangling items of clothing such as scarves or ties that could fall onto the battery pack and cause serious injury.

Check that you’ve got the car’s bonnet properly raised, too, with all supporting brackets in place, as safety is key when jump-starting your car.

Connect the Leads

Right, now it’s time to attach the leads. If you’re jump-starting your car with another vehicle, connect the red lead to the positive terminal of your car’s battery on the corresponding part of the other vehicle. Look out for the ‘+’ signs on both the leads and the batteries themselves to double-check that you’re connecting to the right place.

Then, connect the black - or negative - leads to the corresponding part of the battery on the working vehicle. Then, attach the other end of the leads to an earthing point on your vehicle - this could be an unpainted section of metal work (like the chassis) and it’ll act as a grounding point for the whole circuit during jump-starting.

Start the Other Car or Prime the Jump Pack

Once you’re all connected, start the working vehicle in the normal fashion. If you’re using a jump pack, then you may need to switch this on and press the relevant button to ensure it starts when you need it to. Some jump packs have a special ‘boost’ function to make jump-starting cars with larger engines a little easier, too.

Jump-Starting Your Car

Once the working car is running, it’s time to try and start your car. Switch the ignition on and look for the lights on the dashboard. At this point, give a full turn of the key and see if the engine will ‘crank’ over. Some cars that have been sluggish to start may have difficulty getting going but bear with it and see if the engine eventually catches.

Jump-starting is often straightforward, but patience is sometimes required, especially if the battery is heavily depleted. If jump-starting fails, it may be a sign that your battery is beyond repair.

Leave Both Cars to Run for a Period

In order to add a significant amount of charge to your car’s battery, we’d recommend leaving it connected to the original running car for a short period of time with both vehicles idling. By doing this, you allow the battery on your car to top up with energy and this, in theory, should mean that it doesn’t automatically switch off when you disconnect the two.

Make sure that you’ve got someone behind the wheel of both cars when doing this as a way of making things a little safer. Jump-starting a car isn’t complete until you’ve given the battery enough time to recharge. We’d recommend around five minutes of idling time, or more if your car has been flat for a significant amount of time. Taking the time to properly handle jump-starting ensures a smoother process and reduces the chances of needing to repeat it.

Disconnect the Cables

Once you’ve let the two cars idle for a good period of time, you can disconnect the cables in the reverse order to how they were attached. Take your time and listen out for any signs that the engine is struggling to maintain power once you’ve disconnected the cables as this could point towards a larger problem, beyond the jump-starting process.

If your car has routinely failed to start, then you might need to switch out the battery for a new one or there could be a wider issue with the vehicle’s electrical system. Either way, it’s a good idea to get it checked out by a professional to make sure that everything is as it should be.

Carsa - Your Trusted Local Car Store

Jump-starting your car needn’t be a tricky task and, if you follow these steps, we’re sure that you’ll be back on the road in no time. However, if you’d like to try a new car, then head on over to the Carsa website today where you’ll find our current range of vehicles there to browse through. All vehicles listed on our website come with a comprehensive 3-month warranty ensuring that when buying a car with us, you don’t have to worry about any unexpected surprises.

Contact us today for more information or visit one of our Nationwide stores to test drive a car! Buying a car has never been easier.