Getting your car running
For a car engine to start, it needs a battery that powers the electrical components. Sometimes, there is a variety of reasons why a battery won’t work. It can be anything from the battery is drained because you left the lights on to the battery is old and needs replacing. Many times, when it won’t work, you can jump start car to give the battery the power it needs.
To jump start for cars, you can do it a couple of different ways, either jump start or a new battery installed:
- Using jumper cables, connect the dead battery to a good battery and jump start car with the good battery then let it run for a short time to charge the dead battery.
- You can jump start with a battery charger after letting the battery sit on the charger for a short time.
- Use a charged jump start box that will give the battery enough charge to jump start a car.
How long does it take to jump start a car?
If there is nothing severely wrong with the car battery, you can jump start car run after starting it with either a battery charger, jump start box, or jump start with cables from a running car. After 15 minutes of running connected to any of those options, it should start on its own.
Can you ruin your car by giving someone a jump start?
Absolutely, yes you can! There is jump start car damage, and it is a real thing. However, it isn’t a cut and dry situation. The likelihood of jump start car causing damage to the good car and battery is more complicated.
First, the age of the two cars is a factor. Newer cars are computerized and doing a jump start car incorrectly can fry the computer out, especially if the dead battery is dead. On an older car, a jump start car process can blow the fuses of the good battery car.
Is it OK to jump start modern cars?
A standard in every car, or should be, has always been a set of jumper cables. Whether your car needed a jump start or a car near you did, having jumper cables could save the day. From the year 2000, cars now come with not just one computer, but several computers and digital devices, so the jump start car process we’ve used for years can damage a car – the one doing the jumping-off or the one needing the jumping off.
What should you not do when jumping a car?
Modern cars with a dead battery require new equipment and new techniques to safely jump-start them. If you don’t have the right equipment and you don’t know the new technique, what are the do’s and don’ts of jump start cars?
The “Do’s” to jump start cars
- Read the owner’s manual and confirm if there are jumpstart lugs to attach the cables and not the battery terminals. There are some cars that will void the warranty when it has been jump-started. Read the owner’s manual.
- Verify the battery voltage of the vehicle that is doing the jumping. If the two cars have different voltage, it can damage both cars.
- Park close enough to each other so that the jumper cables reach without touching.
- Turn the motor off to the car with the charged battery, put emergency brakes on both cars.
- Unplug all accessories like chargers so they aren’t shorted out and turn off headlights, hazard lights, blinkers, radio, air conditioning, etc.
- Wearing gloves and goggles is recommended.
The “Don’ts” to jump start cars
- Do not lean directly over either car’s battery.
- Do not smoke while jump starts cars.
- If fluids are frozen in a car, do not jump start car. This can cause a car engine to explode.
- Do not jump start car battery that has a crack or leak.
How long before car battery dies?
With a brand-new battery, you can park your car for two weeks and the battery should still have ample charge. You should turn any energy-using devices off or unplugged before leaving your car sitting that long. If the car will sit a year or longer, disconnect the battery completely, and if it will sit at 25°c temperature or colder, the battery should be removed and taken indoors, but not near any heat like appliances or radiators.
A car needs an engine and a transmission. A car needs a steering wheel and tires. A car also needs a battery or none of those things are going anywhere. Take care of the battery according to the car manufacturer or the battery manufacturer instructions, and your battery should last for a minimum of two years, on the average five years.
Has your battery gone dead? Need to jump start your car in Festus, MO? Call (636) 937-0797 today!