How to Jump a Car, Step by Step

There are few feelings worse than having your battery die on you, whether you’re just down the road or miles from home. Knowing how to jump a car will ensure that you don’t just get back on the road, but that you get there safely and without harming your vehicle.

Prep Both Vehicles

You’ll need two cars when jump-starting one. To get them ready, make sure they are facing each other (engines as close as possible), in park or neutral, and turned off.

Attach Jumper Cables

Of course, you’ll need jumper cables, too. To attach them, carefully start with the red clips. Attach one to the positive (it will say “POS” or “+”) terminal on your battery (or the battery of the dead car), and then attach the other red clip to the positive terminal of the other car’s battery.

Then, with the black clip, fasten it to the other car’s (whichever car you are using to jump the other) negative terminal on its battery. On your car (whichever car is dead), fasten the black clip to an unpainted metal surface.

Start the Working Vehicle

After you have all the cables in place, start the working vehicle and run its engine for a few minutes. This will help boost the dead car’s battery.

Start the Non-Working Vehicle

After a few minutes, start the non-working vehicle. It should be up and running again like normal. Once you start it, be sure to drive it around for about fifteen minutes to charge the battery back up. If you need a new battery, the team at Wondries Toyota will get you all fixed up and ready to go.