How To Jump Start a Car

You have a flat battery and you can not start your car, first thing is to investigate why it happen to avoid reoccurence if possible. 

The lights could have been left on or the battery just died.

The battery and electrical system condition should be checked for problems and rectified before proceeding.

You have 3 options to fix this problem and be back up and running in no time at all.:

1- You can replace the battery if convenient

2- You can use a set of jumper cables with another car.

3- You restart your car using a jump starter

For option 2 and 3 late model cars are generally more dependent on complex electronics to function and any voltage spike can damage the delicate electronic circuitry. Quality jumper leads fitted with a 'spike guard' or 'surge protector' should always be used .

When you hook up a set of cables to jump start a car you should never connect the black cable to the negative terminal on the old battery (the battery could have an inside shortcut) . You don’t actually need to, since the circuit will still be completed when you connect the cable to ground. 

Connect the positive at the battery terminal first (there is no danger of a spark as a complete circuit is not formed) then connect the negative cable to a point on the chassis or engine.

Jump starting with cable and another car:

• - Ensure the ignition switch is in the OFF position on both vehicles
• - Turn off the lights, the stereo 
• - Ensure the othrer car battery is the same voltage as the flat battery
• - Make sure the vehicles are in either Neutral (Manual) or Park (Auto) with the handbrake on
• - Always be very careful around as Lead acid battery as they are highly corrosive
• - Once starter keep the car running for a while to unsure that the battery regain it's charge

The process:

Connect the red coloured jumper lead to the (+) positive terminal of the flat battery and the other end of the red jumper lead to the (+) positive terminal of the charged battery.

Connect the black jumper lead to the (-) negative terminal of the charged battery and the other end of the black jumper lead to a good earth point (metalic part of the chassis) on the disabled vehicle.

Start the engine with the charged battery first and attempt to start the engine with the flat battery.

Disconnect the jumper leads in the reverse order of connection. Remove the black negative lead from the ground, then from the donor vehicle.

Then remove the red cable from the already charged battery and lastly disconnect the red positive cable from the vehicle you have just started.

The car has now been started and can be taken for a drive. If the charging system is working correctly and the battery is in good condition the battery will be recharged whilst the car is running.

With option 3, which is by far the quickest option you use a jump starter.

Instead of using a jumper cable you can use a portable jump starter. They have became increasingly smaller as the size of batteries decreasing with increasing performance and new technology.

They are also absolutly safe as the battery in inclosed in a really hard case that they can also be transported safely.

The process (similar as above):

Connect the red coloured jumper starter lead to the (+) positive terminal of the flat battery and the other end of the red jumper lead to the (+) positive terminal of the charged battery.

Connect the black jumper starter lead to the (-) negative terminal of the charged battery and the other end of the black jumper starter lead to a good earth point (metalic part of the chassis) on the disabled vehicle.

You can now attempt to start the engine with the flat battery.

Disconnect the jumper starter leads in the reverse order of connection. Remove the black negative jump starter lead from the ground.

Then remove the jump starter red cable from the battery.

The car has now been started and can be taken for a drive. If the charging system is working correctly and the battery is in good condition the battery will be recharged whilst the car is running.