How to Jump-Start a Car

It can be extremely frustrating if you have an appointment across Jamestown and your vehicle just won’t start. When this happens, you most likely need a jump-start, car battery service, or something similar. Many people call a jump-start car service, but it can be good to know how to jump-start a car yourself. That’s why we here at the Basil Chevrolet Inc. service center want to show you the proper way to jump-start a car. Keep reading to learn more!

How to Properly Jump-Start a Car

Anyone can learn the proper way to jump-start a car. Just follow these steps and you’ll be all set. Of course, if you decide you would rather have a professional’s help, you can always call a jump-start car service that serves the Westfield area like AAA to help you out. Without further ado, here are the steps:

1. First, you’ll need to find two things: A set of jumper cables and another vehicle that starts. A good way to get another vehicle is to ask a friend, family member, neighbor, or a kind stranger to help you.
2. Once you have that, have the car with the good battery park facing the other vehicle. Make sure both vehicles are off and have their parking brakes engaged.
3. Open both hoods and find the batteries. You may need to remove a plastic hood to expose the battery terminals.
4. Identify the positive and negative terminals. Make sure they’re clean and free of any corrosion.
5. Connect the red clamp to the positive post on the dead battery.
6. Uncoiling the battery cable, hook the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the battery with the charge.
7. Connect the black clamp to the negative post on the good battery.
8. For the final clamp, connect it to an unpainted metal surface on your car’s frame.
9. Once everything is hooked up securely, start the engine of the vehicle with the good battery first, then the one with the dead battery.
10. Once the dead vehicle has been jump-started, carefully remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were placed on, then shut off the car that was used to help jump-start the dead car.
11. Keep the engine running on the restarted vehicle for at least 10 minutes to ensure that the weak battery doesn’t die again right away. Consult your owner’s manual for more info on recommended times.

More Battery Tips and Tricks

If your car won’t jump-start, there could be a few different problems. It’s most likely that you need to replace your car battery. Thankfully, you can order a new one from our parts center. Follow these steps to troubleshoot the issue:

1. If you try and start the car but only hear a clicking sound, the starter might not be functioning. Schedule service at Basil Chevrolet Inc. near Dunkirk to have a replacement installed.
2. If the electrical systems of the car turn on, but the engine fails to turn over, the problem could be a number of issues. The ignition switch, battery, starter, or fuse could be the problem. It’s worth bringing your vehicle to a service center so they can diagnose the issue.
3. Be sure to keep your vehicle running for a while after getting the jump. That allows the battery to recharge fully after it’s been drained.

The Basil Chevrolet Inc. Service Center is Here to Help

We hope that we’ve helped you learn how to properly jump-start a car! If you still have questions, contact us. We’ll be happy to help. If your car needs service, be sure to check our service and parts specials for great deals at our Fredonia dealership! We’re also happy to provide tips like how to remove smoke smell from your car.