There are many reasons why people end up with a dead battery in their car. It may be leaving the lights on while they are parked, or it can be any other reason. Getting caught with a dead battery in the mall's parking lot with groceries in hand can be a very frustrating situation to be in. In times like this many people will rely on the kindness of strangers.
Before attempting to jumpstart your car, you will need a few things first. You will need a car with the same voltage battery as your car and it should be fully charged, a wire brush, safety glasses, rubber gloves, and a set of jumper cables.
If you have all of these things, then you are ready to jumpstart your car. Well, not quite yet. You first need to stand at the side of the road and flag down a car that you think has the same battery voltage as yours. If you are lucky enough, someone will be willing to assist you and they may have jumper cables with them. You have to remember that there are two types of people who will assist you. One is motorists who have jumper cables with them, and the other has none.
This is why it is recommended that you should get your own set of jumper cables. Jumper cables can be quite costly but it will be worth it when you experience getting stuck with a dead battery.
Now that you have all the tools you need and the willing motorist, you now have to check your battery first. The battery contains sulfuric acid. If that solution is frozen, never attempt to jumpstart your car. This can result in an exploding battery which can injure you and anyone in the vicinity.
You should also check your battery for cracks. If it is, it's shot and should not be jumpstarted. If you are in this situation, it is better to get a ride and buy a new battery for your car.
If your battery has white, green or blue flakes on the terminals, clean them off first with a wire brush. You should wear gloves when you do so as these flakes can be quite nasty if it comes in contact with the skin. The flakes can also be an indication that you need a new battery.
If your battery and the willing motorist's battery is of the same voltage, you are now ready to get your car jumpstarted.
The first step is to attach one end of the jumper cable to the dead battery's positive terminal. Attach the other end to the starting vehicle battery's positive terminal. Then, taking the other cable, attach one end to the starting car's negative terminal and attach the other end to the dead car's engine block.
For safety, stand back from the hoods of the cars.
Then, start the car providing the jumpstart. After about five minutes, start the car with the dead battery. If it doesn't work, stop trying and wait a few more minutes. The car with the dead battery should start by now and if it doesn't, it may be time to call a tow truck.
When both cars are started, remove the cable connections. Do it in reverse as when you installed it. This means that you should start by disconnecting the cable from the engine block of the jumpstarted car, then the negative terminal on the car providing the jumpstart, then the end of the cable from the positive terminal of the car providing the jumpstart and lastly the cable from the positive terminal on the car with the dead battery.
Jumpstarting the car is just a temporary solution. You should get the battery charged right after you get it started by jumpstarting it.
That's it. You are good to go. Don't forget to thank the motorist who helped you out.
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