Anyone that owns a car will need to jump start it at some point. It can be a bit nerve racking to do it if you’ve never done it before. If you have another car with a working battery and a set of jumper cables you’ll be glad to know that the process is fairly simple. You just need to be careful and do it right as it can be dangerous.

How to Safely Jump Start Your Car

1. Locate your car battery. Lift the hood of your car to determine the position of the battery. If you don’t have a clue, refer to the owner’s manual. You will also need to determine where the battery of the car that is going to jump yours is located.
2. Position the car properly for a jump start. In order for the cables to easily reach your battery you will need to position the car offering the jump correctly. Park that car as closely as needed so the cables can comfortably reach both batteries. Make sure the hoods of both cars are secure, so they won’t come down on anyone and make sure the car offering the jump is shut off.
3. Call a towing company if you notice leaks or damage. You will need to look for leaks and/or damage before you connect the jumper cables. If there’s a leak of hydrogen gas it can be dangerous as it’s flammable. You should end you attempt to jump start your car and call a towing company for help.
4. Connect the cables to the battery of the car giving the jump. If you’ve determined there are no leaks you can connect the red clamp of the jumper cable to the red post on the battery of the car offering the jump. You will then connect the black clamp to the battery’s black post. When you are connecting the clamps be sure they don’t touch each other.
5. Connect the cables to your car battery. You still need to make sure that the remaining clamps don’t touch each other. Then connect the red and black clamps to their prospective posts on your car’s battery. You can reduce the chance of a spark by connecting the black clamp to your car’s engine instead of the battery post.
6. Start the engine of the car that proving the jump. Now you can start the car offering the jump and let it run for about 10 minutes.
7. Start your car. The moment of truth has arrived. Simply turn your key in your ignition and see if your car starts. If it does, your efforts have been successful.
8. Remove the clamp. You must remove the black clamp from the car offering the jump first and then the red clamp. Lastly, remove the clamps from your car in the same order.

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Knowing how to jump start a car is something every driver should know how to do. If you have tried and your efforts have failed, roadside assistance is the next best option. Contact Citywide Towing Service for help!