How to Jump Start a Car: 3 Easy Methods You Can Do Yourself

Most cars, especially when they’re well taken care of, will perform faultlessly. Some cars, however, may seem to work just fine until the day they simply won’t start. Maybe the battery charge level is low, or you may have simply left a light on all night. Also, extreme heat or cold can affect the battery and lead to starting trouble.

The only thing you can do if your car refuses to start because of a dead battery is jump start the car. If help is not always at hand or a phone call away, you would need to do it yourself. No need to worry because here is a guide with not one but three ways to jump start your car.

NOTE: The tips to jump start your car discussed here are for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles equipped with a 12-volt battery. If you have an electric or hybrid car, it would be safer to call for roadside assistance.

1) How to Jump Start Your Car with Jumper Cables

Jump starting a car with jumper cables is the most effective way. Whether you have bought a used car or a new car, you may face this sort of starting trouble at some point, so it’s best to be aware of this procedure.

To do this, you will need a set of jumper cables, and access to a car that is working fine—called the donor car—to provide the juice to jump start your car. It is worthwhile to invest in a pair of good quality jumper cables.

Here is the proper procedure to jump start your car using jumper cables:

• Park the donor car facing the car with the dead battery or right next to it, so the jumper cables can be comfortably connected, and turn off both cars. Open both car bonnets and locate the respective batteries’ positive (red) and negative (usually black) terminals.
• First, connect one end of the red jumper cable to the positive (red) terminal of the car that needs the jump start i.e. the one with the dead battery.
• Second, connect the other end of the red jumper cable to the donor car battery’s positive terminal.
• Third, connect one end of the black jumper cable to the donor car battery’s negative terminal.
• Fourth, connect the other end of the black jumper cable to an exposed metal part of the chassis or body to serve as grounding.
• Start the donor car and wait for a minute or two.
• Start the car with the flat battery and let it run for a minute.
• Disconnect the jumper cables in reverse order—first the black cable end from the metal, then the other end from the donor car. Next, disconnect the red cable end from the donor car and, finally, the red cable end from the jump started car.

2) How to Jump Start Your Car with a Portable Jumpstarter or Powerbank

The evolution of battery technology means you can now get a portable unit to jump start your car should the need arise while you are outside. This is an ideal accessory to have, but it is best to ensure that you maintain your car well. These portable battery packs are equipped with jumper cables and do not need another car to help.

The procedure to jump start your car using a portable jumpstarter is similar to the one using a donor car.

• Open the car’s bonnet and locate the battery.
• First, connect the red cable clamp to the positive (red) terminal.
• Second, connect the black cable clamp to bare metal for grounding.
• Start the car and let it run for a minute.
• Disconnect the black cable first, followed by the red cable.

There are several makes and models of portable means to jump start your car in different price ranges. Popular brands for these are Mi, Philips and Qubo. These devices employ a large capacity lithium-ion battery with a high discharge rate to generate a peak current of up to 600 amps.

These devices allow you to instantly start the car even if the battery is completely drained. This means less worry about getting stuck with your car not starting. Most of these can be for cars with engine displacing up to 4.0L for petrol or up to 3.0L for diesel.

Depending on the charge level, the portable jumpstarter can be used to start a car with a drained battery as many as 20 times. These can be conveniently recharged using a USB cable.

3) How to Jump Start Your Car with a Push (a.k.a. Dhakka start)

This is the way to go in an emergency. Of course, this way will only work if you have a manual transmission car. You will also need a helping hand. Ensure there’s a clear stretch of road ahead with enough space to build momentum and stop safely.

If the car refuses to start because of the battery (and not because it’s out of fuel), here is how to safely push start your car.

• Get in the driver’s seat and turn on the ignition.
• Put the car in second gear, depress the clutch pedal, then ask the person(s) to begin pushing the car.
• Once it gets up to about 10 km/h or so, lift off the clutch pedal.
• When the engine comes to life, push the clutch pedal in and use the accelerator to get the revs up to prevent it from stalling, and shift into neutral. Allow the engine to run for some time.

Conclusion

Most cars will run well and trouble-free if they are used regularly and are serviced in time. However, battery health should be on your checklist for buying a used car to prevent problems from occurring, such as these starting issues. It is wise to get the battery charged when you know your car will be stationary for a while. If the car battery is older than four or five years and shows signs such as slow cranking or not holding charge like it used to, it is best to replace it.