How to Jump a Car Battery

Have you tried to start your battery and found that, instead of the engine roaring to life, you were met with silence? It’s happened to many of us—sometimes, your car battery needs a jump start in order to run smoothly.

The team at INFINITI of Boerne put together this step-by-step guide to jump your car battery for drivers around Boerne and San Antonio, TX. Read on, then contact us with any further questions or to schedule maintenance. It's our goal to help you get your car safely back on the road where it belongs!

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ONE: Grab the Essentials

The first thing you’ll want to do when jump-starting your car battery is grab the essentials. All you’ll need is a friendly driver with a working engine and a pair of jumper cables. It's a good idea to keep jumper cables in your car, so you’re always prepared for a situation like this.

Connect Jumper Cables

TWO: Properly Connect the Jumper Cables

With both vehicles parked near one another, engines off, you’ll want to pop both hoods to locate their respective batteries. There are two terminals on each battery: positive (+) and negative (-).

Using the jumper cables, you’ll want to:

  • Attach the red clamp to the positive terminal on the dead battery.
  • Attach the red clamp on the opposite end to the positive terminal on the working battery.
  • Attach the black clamp to the negative terminal on the working battery.
  • Attach the other black clamp to an unpainted metal surface of the car with the dead battery, such as a bolt or bracket.

Be sure that the four clamps are connected in the right place and sequence to remain safe and avoid damaging your car’s electrical system.

THREE: Jump-Start Your Car

Once you’ve double checked that your jumper cables are properly connected, you’ll want to start the engine of the car with the working battery. Then, you should be able to start your car’s engine. If it doesn’t start right away, you may need to give it a few minutes to charge.

FOUR: Disconnect Jumper Cables

Now that your car’s engine is running, it’s time to disconnect the jumper cables. Since they may be holding a charge, do not let any of the metal clamps touch.

You’ll want to disconnect your jumper cables in the reverse order you attached them:

  • Disconnect the black clamp from your car.
  • Disconnect the black clamp from the second car.
  • Disconnect the red clamp from the second car.
  • Disconnect the red clamp from your car.
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FIVE: Hit the Road

You’ve successfully jumped your car! Now, you’ll want to drive it around for at least 20 minutes to allow the alternator to charge the jumped battery. If, afterwards, your car needs another jump, there’s a good chance the battery is deteriorating, and you may need to schedule maintenance.

Luckily, the service center at INFINITI of Boerne is here to help! You can schedule battery service with us online.

Ask Us About Jump-Starting Your Car Battery

We hope you found our step-by-step guide on how to jump your car battery helpful. Whether you have more questions or require additional maintenance, our service center is always here to help you; just contact us.

Drivers near Boerne and San Antonio, Texas, can schedule battery service with INFINITI of Boerne online today!

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Sales 210-582-6071 Service 210-582-6083 Parts 210-582-6082 Main 210-582-6071
32275 Interstate 10
Boerne, TX 78006
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INFINITI of Boerne 29.75907598198696, -98.71394168444108.