Follow the basic instructions below to charge your battery:
- Ensure the battery charger is off.
- Connect positive and negative cables on the charger to the respective ends on the battery.
- Keeping the charger at its slowest charge rate, turn it on and set the timer. Depending on the battery voltage and its cold cranking amps (CCA), it should take about 6-12 hours to fully charge.
- Once done, turn off the battery charger main switch.
- Disconnect the negative first then the positive clamps from the respective battery terminals.
Car Battery Jump Start is considerably cost-efficient but did you know that it has a negative side also? Yes, it is sometimes risky to jump start your car because if you don’t execute the necessary checks appropriately, then you risk damaging your car’s other equipment or perhaps causing a blast.
Doing Car Battery Jump Start sounds and look easy but bear that in mind that, car circuit board and electronics are all very sensitive to electrical current. For example, if the car battery has been bypassed and you do a battery jump start, it will cause some circuit board to short circuit or burn out. At that point in time, you will have to spend a few hundreds of dollars to replace it rather than that small amount of jump start service money.
If you are not aware of the battery’s physical status like leakage or crack, or you do not practice the basic safety precaution, you might even cause injury to yourself with an explosion. That is how dangerous it can be!
Do not save that few dollars of money and cause such things to happen. Just contact us and leave this matter to our professional to assist you.
If your car battery has died, you may be able to use jumper cables to jump-start it with the help of some good Samaritan's vehicle. If you can safely use jumper cables on your vehicle, make sure that the battery on the good Samaritan's vehicle has at least as much voltage as your own. As long as you hook up the cables properly, it doesn't matter whether your vehicle has negative ground and the other vehicle has positive ground, or your vehicle has an alternator and the other vehicle has a generator.
If either vehicle has an electronic ignition system or is an alternatively fueled vehicle, the use of jumper cables may damage it.
To safely jump-start, follow these steps:
Take out your jumper cables.
It's a good idea to buy a set of jumper cables and keep them in the trunk compartment. If you don't have jumper cables, you have to find a kind stranger who not only is willing to assist you, but who has jumper cables as well.
Place both vehicles in Park or Neutral and shut off the ignition in both cars.
Engage both parking brakes as well.
Attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal of your battery.
It has "POS" or "+" on it, or it's bigger than the negative terminal.
Attach the other red clip to the positive terminal of the other car.
Attach one of the black clips to the negative terminal on the other battery.
Attach the last black clip to an unpainted metal surface on your car that isn't near the battery.
Use one of the metal struts that holds the hood open.
The cables should look like this.
Make sure to connect jumper cables in the proper order.Start the working vehicle and let the engine run for a few minutes.
Try to start your vehicle.
If it won't start, make sure that the cables are properly connected and have the other person run their engine for five minutes. Then try to start your car again. If it still won't start, your battery may be beyond help.
If you're worried about getting stranded with a flat battery when you are unable to call for help or seek assistance from someone, then you can buy a portable battery pack as a precaution, to keep you mobile if your battery goes flat.
These can be purchased from the RAC shop and are able to jump start a car without the use of another vehicle.
Before you start
When jump starting a vehicle, it’s important not to take risks. Consult your owners manual first and If you’re not confident that you know what you’re doing, give the RAC a call on 0330 159 1111 and we’ll be happy to help.
- Check for damage - if there’s any obvious damage to either of the batteries, or the jump leads, don’t risk attempting a jump start
- Remove any rings or metal jewellery you’re wearing and make sure nothing metal touches the terminals on the battery.
Jump starting with a portable battery pack
First check that the battery pack is fully charged.
Locate the vehicle battery - usually situated in the engine bay under the bonnet, but in some vehicles, it is located in the boot. It’ll probably be hidden under a plastic cover – unclip this and you should see the battery with its two terminals.
Connect the positive (red) lead from the battery pack to the positive (+) terminal of the battery. Connect the negative (black) lead to a good earth point on the casualty vehicle – a solid metal part of the engine is usually best.
Stand the battery pack on the ground next to the vehicle, the leads are usually long enough to reach the battery. Avoid placing it on the engine as it might fall off when the engine starts.
Once the battery pack is connected, switch on the pack and attempt to start the vehicle as you normally would. If it doesn’t start after a few attempts, it might be more serious than a flat battery. In this event, seek professional help by calling the RAC on 0330 159 1111.
If the vehicle does start, keep the engine running for about 5 minutes. Switch off the engine, then switch off the battery pack and remove the leads from the battery pack. Now restart the engine again.
The vehicles’ battery will need to recharge fully for it to be fully serviceable, which is best achieved using a quality battery charger for several hours. In the meantime, if possible, drive the vehicle normally (not heavy traffic) for around 30 mins to try to put some charge back into the battery.
If your MOT is due or if you would like to book your vehicle in for a full car service, you can book online with your local RAC Approved Garage today.
Hopefully you won't need this information anytime soon, but make sure you have breakdown cover, van breakdown cover or business breakdown cover sorted just in case!
How can I start my car with a dead battery without another car?
What you have to do is set the ignition key to the On position, set the car into 2nd gear, get someone to push the car until it picks up a little speed, then release the clutch pedal. At that point, the transmission will turn the engine over enough for it to start. This method usually works.Can a dead car battery start again?
If a battery is completely dead but has been revived by a jump start, there are ways to fully recharge your battery. The first is, as mentioned, by driving around. If that does not seem to work, however, car battery chargers can regenerate all of the charge into a battery.What causes a car battery not to start?
If your vehicle won't start, it's usually caused by a dying or dead battery, loose or corroded connection cables, a bad alternator or an issue with the starter. It can be hard to determine if you're dealing with a battery or an alternator problem.