CAR CARE - TIPS AND TRICKS

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Jump Start Your Car

Tips before you start
Jump starting will get you out of trouble, but you must correct whatever made the battery go flat in the first place. There are three possibilities:

1. The battery has been drained by repeated attempts to start, or by leaving the lights on.

2. The charging system is not working properly (alternator drive belt slack or broken, alternator wiring fault or alternator itself faulty).

3. The battery itself is at fault (electrolyte low, or battery worn out).

When jump-starting a car using a booster battery, observe the following precautions:

• Before connecting the booster battery, make sure that the ignition is switched off.

• Ensure that all electrical equipment (lights, heater, wipers, etc) is switched off.

• Make sure that the booster battery is the same voltage as the discharged one in the vehicle.

• If the battery is being jump-started from the battery in another vehicle, the two vehicles MUST NOT TOUCH each other.

• Make sure that the transmission is in neutral (or PARK, in the case of automatic transmission).

THE STEPS:

1. Connect one end of the red jump lead to the positive (+) terminal of the flat battery
    

2. Connect the other end of the red lead to the positive (+) terminal of the booster battery.
    

3. Connect one end of the black jump lead to the negative (-) terminal of the booster battery
    

4. Connect the other end of the black jump lead to a bolt or bracket on the engine block, well away from the battery, on the vehicle to be started.

5. Make sure that the jump leads will not come into contact with the fan, drive belts or other moving parts of the engine.
    

6. Start the engine using the booster battery, then with the engine running at idle speed, disconnect the jump leads in the reverse order of connection.

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