How to Jump-Start a Car

Knowing how to jump-start a car can save you from getting stranded with a dead battery in a San Antonio parking lot. In the guide below, the service center at Northside Ford walks you through the steps to jump-start a car battery. Keep reading to learn the proper way to jump-start a car! 

How to Properly Jump-Start a Car

It’s imperative that you’re aware of the proper way to jump-start a car because connecting the cables in the wrong order can have a dangerous outcome. If your car won’t start in New Braunfels and you don’t have any jumper cables on hand, remember you can always call a jump-start car service like AAA. 

If you have cables ready to go and a friendly driver who’s willing to help with their working battery, follow these steps to jump-start your car battery:

1. The car with the good battery should park facing the car with the dead battery, or right next to each other if you can’t situate yourselves head-on. Turn the car with the good battery completely off and double-check that both vehicles are in Park with their parking brakes engaged. 
2. Pop the hoods and locate each vehicle’s battery. There may be a protective plastic hood you need to remove to access the battery. 
3. Find the positive and negative battery terminals and ensure there is no corrosion on the batteries. 
4. Connect the first red cable clamp to the positive post of the dead battery. 
5. Connect the other red cable clamp to the positive terminal of the working battery. 
6. Next, connect the first black cable clamp to the negative post of the working battery. 
7. Finally, connect the other black cable clamp to an unpainted metal surface on the frame of the car with the dead battery. 
8. With your cables hooked up in the correct order, it’s time to start the engine of the vehicle with the working battery. Then, try to start the engine of the vehicle with the dead battery. 
9. Once the car with the dead battery starts up, you can remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that you put them on. At this point, you can turn off the car that had the working battery. 
10. You should allow the engine of the jump-started car to run for approximately 10 minutes to be sure the battery doesn’t die again immediately. If you have your owner’s manual, it may tell you exactly how long to run your car after it’s been jump-started. 

Call Ford Roadside Assistance for Jump-Start Car Service

If you’re driving a newer Ford vehicle, it may still be covered by Ford Roadside Assistance! This 24/7 coverage is offered for up to 5 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. If your car is still eligible, Ford Roadside Assistance will send a professional to your location for jump-start car service! Just call the Ford Roadside Assistance phone number at 1-800-241-3673. They’ll try to jump-start your car battery, and if the car won’t jump-start, you can get complimentary towing to a Ford dealership within 35 miles. (You can get towed beyond 35 miles if needed, but the towing service wouldn’t be covered by Ford.)

Car Won’t Jump-Start? Read These Tips

If you’ve tried more than once to jump-start your car battery and the car won’t jump-start, there could be a few reasons why. Read these tips for more information:

• A clicking sound when you try to start the car could indicate a bad starter. If the starter needs replacement, you’ll need to schedule service with experienced technicians.
• Are your electrical systems turning on, even though the engine isn’t turning over? This could be anything from a bad ignition switch, bad battery, bad starter, or a bad fuse. You’ll want to have the car inspected at a service center for a sure answer. 
• You absolutely must keep your car running for a while after jump-starting it. This is intended to let the battery recharge completely after dying. 

Need Battery Help? Turn to Northside Ford!

Do you suspect there’s a larger issue with your car that needs to be addressed? Northside Ford can help. Contact us or schedule an appointment at our service center near Converse, and we’ll take care of you in a timely manner. We understand that unexpected car issues don’t always fit into your monthly budget, so we offer rotating service specials that can help.