4 Unbelievably Simple Tips For Jump Starting Your Vehicle

Winter's coming, and it's just bound to happen: you get out to your van after your son's hockey game, and the darn thing won't start. Ever jump started your car before? Then is not the time to learn. Ok, let's face it, you'd probably just Google it on the spot and get your pick of 100,000 sites showing you how to do it. But let's say, then, that your phone has just run out of battery, and the said van is useless in charging it until you get it jump started--ha! Well, then of course you could borrow someone's phone to find out; but at that point, you're in the collaboration zone for a good old fashioned, pre-Google, car jumpstart--at least for now before we are all being escorted around in wi-fi battery-powered selfie-cars, but that won't be for another 4-5 years from now...

There are two preliminary things you'll need: 1) a good set of jumper-cables (not a good idea to bite your nails in hopes that the quickly emptying hockey arena holds at least one other vehicle with jumper cables with which to bail you out, 2) another vehicle with a strong working battery.

Also remember: the RED cable is positive, and the BLACK cable is negative (just think of black for all the negative thoughts you're having at that moment--tada!).

Note that LifeHacker, Edmunds, AAA, and Car and Driver Magazine all agree on this procedure:

Step 1: Connect Cables

• Firmly connect one red clamp to the positive (+) terminal on the car with the dead battery.
• Connect the other red clamp to the positive (+) terminal on the car with the good battery.
• Connect one black clamp to the negative (-) terminal on the car with the good battery.
• Connect the other black clamp to an unpainted metal surface anywhere in the engine compartment of the car with the dead battery. This will ground the connection – even a bolt or crossbar will do.

Step 2: Start Your Engines

• Start the booster car, and let it run a bit before starting your car. This will allow the charge to flow into the dead battery
• Then start the dead battery's car. The car should start right away, but if it doesn't, wait a few minutes and try it again. 
• If your car still doesn't start after a couple of tries, leave it be. There might be something else wrong with it.

Step 3: Disconnect Cables

• Once you've let the cars run a bit, disconnect the cables in the reverse order: 1) remove the clamp on the grounded surface, then the negative cable on the booster car, 2) remove the positive cable on the boosted car and then the positive cable on the charged car.
• Make sure to grab onto only the protected clamp handles, not the cables themselves
• Remember: you're dealing with live wires.

Step 4: Drive away

You're now ready to drive away. With about 15 minutes of driving, your battery is probably well-charged and in good shape; you may, however, need another boost the following day.