Jump starting

If you get stranded or happen across someone with a dead battery, a jump start is often enough to get the stalled car back on the road, even if temporarily.

Proper Jump-starting procedure

  • Pull up next to the stalled car safely and out of the way of traffic, preferably with the running car's battery as close as practical to the stalled car's battery. Leave the running car idling during this procedure.
  • Attach the red jumper cable clamp to the running car's positive battery terminal.
  • Attach the other end of the red jumper cable to the stalled car's positive battery terminal.
  • Attach the black end of the jumper cable to the running car's negative battery terminal.
  • Attach the other black end of the jumper cable to an unpainted, grounded metal surface on the stalled vehicle. This minimizes the chance of sparks igniting hydrogen vapors which are generated by charging batteries.
  • Allow 5 minutes to pass so that the stalled car's battery can obtain a partial charge.
  • Attempt to start the stalled car by cranking for 5 seconds at a time. Wait about one minute between attempts to start the car.

    Location of the battery

    The battery is always on the driver's side, regardless of which year. Consult the Identifying your engine article to see actual engine photos. Pay close attention to the actual Positive (+) and Negative (-) markings on the battery itself when attaching the jumper cables.

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