How to Properly Jump-Start a Car

tow truck loading car

There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to start your Woodway commute, only to find that your vehicle won’t start. This likely means you need to jump-start your car battery or call a jump-start car battery service. To get back to your busy day, the team at Douglass Nissan of Waco can guide you through the proper way to jump-start a car. If you find your car won’t jump start and needs a battery replacement, the knowledgeable team in our service center can find the right replacement for your car. 

What’s the Proper Way to Jump-Start a Car?

Car troubles are never convenient. If there aren’t any helpful bystanders, you can call a jump-start car service like AAA. However, with a set of jumper cables and another vehicle, you can learn how to properly jump-start a car by following these steps:

  1. Make sure the vehicles are facing each other and the vehicle with the good battery is turned off. It’s a good idea to ensure both parking brakes are engaged for safety. 
  2. Pop the hoods of the vehicles and remove any coverings to expose the battery terminals. 
  3. Locate the positive and negative terminals, and clear any corrosion that has built up. 
  4. On the dead battery, clamp the red jumper cable to the positive post.
  5. Connect the other red jumper cable on to the positive terminal of the battery with a charge.
  6. Ensuring that the remaining cables are separated, attach the black clamp to the negative terminal of the good battery. 
  7. The final black clamp can be connected to an unpainted metal surface on your vehicle’s frame.
  8. Once all the cables are connected, you can begin to jump-start the car battery. First, start the vehicle with the working battery, followed by the vehicle with the dead battery. 
  9. After the dead battery is running, carefully remove the jumper cables in the opposite order in which they were placed, and shut off the car used to jump-start the dead battery. 
  10. You’ve successfully completed the proper way to jump-start a car! However, it’s a good idea to have the battery running for at least 10 minutes to ensure the weak battery doesn’t die. Your vehicle’s owner’s manual has the recommended run times. 

Nissan Roadside Assistance

If you’ve just taken home a new Nissan, you have Nissan Roadside Assistance for the first 36,000 miles or 36 months. This proves to be very handy when there are no helpful bystanders nearby to jump start a car battery. Simply call the Nissan Roadside Assistance phone number at (800) 225-2476 for 24/7 assistance. The jump-start car service will come to you, and you can get back to your busy day around Hewitt. If they find your car won’t jump-start, Roadside Assistance allows for complimentary towing to the nearest authorized dealership. 

Troubleshooting Battery Issues

Even if you’ve learned how to properly jump-start a car, you can find that your car won’t jump-start. This hints at the need for battery replacement, or may point to a more serious issue. Keep these tips in mind when troubleshooting your battery issues: 

  1. If you hear a clicking sound when trying to start your car, it means the issue may lie with your starter. Schedule service with the certified technicians at Douglass Nissan of Waco for a replacement. 
  2. When you find the electrical systems are functioning while the engine won’t start, the issue can be with the ignition switch, battery, starter, or a fuse. It’s best to visit a McGregor-area service center to let the technicians diagnose the issue. 
  3. After being drained, the battery needs time to recharge. Be sure to keep the battery running for a while after the jump and head to the highways for 30 minutes to fully recharge. 

Schedule Battery Service with Douglass Nissan of Waco

Now that you know how to get back to your Woodway drives with a car jump-start, learn other service tips and tricks with Douglass Nissan of Waco. You may be interested in learning how to install a car battery, but you may be interested in how to identify signs of other issues like signs you need brake service or how to fix a dent or scratch. Whatever question you have, don’t hesitate to contact us today!

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