If a car engine won’t start because the battery is flat, a jump start can be used to give the battery a temporary boost to get the vehicle running again.
Things that can cause the battery to drain include leaving the lights on overnight, cold weather, a faulty charging system or a loose connection. The battery itself may also be old, or the car may not have been driven in a while.
Regardless of the cause of your flat battery, the Filter Services team is here to guide you through the steps of how to jump start a car.
What You’ll Need
- A set of jump leads – these will be colour coded to match the positive and negative terminals on the battery
- A pair of gloves
- Either a jump pack or another vehicle (make sure you have permission from the vehicle owner if using another car to jump start your car)
Getting Started
If you will be using another vehicle rather than a jump pack, both vehicles will need to be parked in a safe place. Ensure both cars are parked closely together to reduce the distance the jump leads will need to travel.
Both cars should also have the handbrake on and the ignition off.
Remove any metal jewellery and ensure no metal can touch any of the vehicle components.
Open the bonnet on both vehicles using the bonnet release mechanism. Locate the battery terminals.
Connecting The Jump Leads
On the vehicle with the flat battery, connect the red (positive) lead to the positive (+) terminal of the good battery.
Connect the black (negative) lead to the negative (−) terminal of the good battery.
Connect the other end of the black lead to an unpainted metal part, such as a bolt or bracket. It’s important not to connect the other end to the battery itself to reduce the risk of sparks near the battery.
Starting The Cars
Ask the driver of the vehicle with the good battery to start their engine. Let it run for a few minutes.
Try to start the car with the flat battery. If it doesn’t start, wait a bit longer and try again.
Once the car starts, leave both engines running for a few minutes.
Disconnect The Leads
Carefully remove the clamps in reverse order, starting with the black lead from the car you jump started.
Remove the other end of the black lead from the donor car.
Remove the red lead from the donor car.
Finally, remove the red lead from the jump started car.
Afterwards
Keep the engine running for at least 20–30 minutes or take the car for a drive to recharge the battery.
Consider getting the battery tested or replaced if it keeps going flat.
Filter Services – Discover Our Automotive Filters & Accessories
We hope the above guidance on jump starting a car proved helpful. If you are also in search of filters for your car or similar automotive consumable products, Filter Services can help.
Head over to our filters page to view our available stock. Filter Services is based in Chesterfield with additional locations in Leeds and Leicester.
For any help or enquiries, please send us a message or give us a call on 01246 802 822.