There’s nothing worse than trying to start your car and hearing a clicking noise as you try to turn it over. That sound indicates your battery has died which means you aren’t going anywhere unless you get a jump start. Jump starting your car is easy, but you need to have the right equipment and sometimes friendly help from another motorist to get it done. Once you’ve got your car started, you need to let the battery charge before you head to Panama City Toyota in Panama City, Florida, to get your battery and alternator checked out. Here’s a look at how to jump start your car:
How To Tell If Your Car Battery Has Died
Image via Flickr under CC BY 2.0 by Mic Z.
You usually won’t know if your car battery has died until you get into the car and find it doesn’t respond to an attempt to turn it over. A battery can hold enough charge to power the locks and interior lights, but not have enough amperage to turn over the engine. Everything may seem normal with the car until you try to turn the key or use the key fob. A totally flat battery won’t have enough power to open the locks whatsoever.
Cars don’t typically warn you when your battery is going to die unless you pay attention to the voltmeter on the dashboard. The voltmeter is a standard gauge on the instrument cluster and has a graphic of a battery that denotes its purpose. It’s a good idea to learn the correct battery reading for your car to monitor how well its performing. You’ll know when the battery is in need of replacement because it won’t hold the correct charge. Another benefit of keeping track of the battery charge level is knowing if you have enough juice to turn the car over or if you need a jump.
Tools You’ll Need To Jump Your Car
You’ll need simple, yet essential tools to jump your car when your battery dies. They include:
- Jumper cables
- Power
It’s a good idea to buy a pair of jumper cables and keep them in the back of your car for an emergency situation. Oftentimes, people are willing to help you jump your car, but don’t have jumper cables. You’re more likely to have success getting help if you have a pair of jumper cables handy.
Jumper cables have large alligator clips at each end. They get their name from their hinged jaws and toothy clamps. Make sure that the teeth are clean and don’t have significant damage or corrosion. Also check that the cable connections are clean and the connecting wires aren’t broken. The energy transfer over the cables needs to be as unbroken as possible to make for a solid connection to your battery and the power source.
Another tool for jumping your car is a battery or power pack. This is a self-contained unit that has a pair of alligator clips, a voltmeter, and an internal battery that’s designed to store power for the long term. It’s important to keep the unit charged to avoid a situation where you have a dead car and a dead power pack.
Preparing To Jump Your Car
Once you’ve determined your battery is dead, you need to open the hood to gain access to the battery. Before you open the hood, make sure your car is in park, and keep it in park at all times while you’re jumping the battery.
Open the hood and locate the battery. Once you’ve found the battery, find the red and black (positive and negative) posts. There will be large clamps connected to each post that lead back into the car. Some cars don’t offer direct access to the battery, but will have posts or connectors that allow you to connect the jumper cable clamps. Check the clamps for corrosion (normal for older batteries), and use the jaws of the clip to knock off anything you find. You can put the clamp onto the post and use it to grind off corrosion.
Place the red clamp onto the red or positive post first, then connect the black clamp onto the black or negative post. Make sure the clamps are firmly connected to the posts and won’t pop off as you go to connect the other end of the cables to the car that’s giving you the jump. Repeat this process for the other car. The car giving you the jump should be turned off. When you’re sure the cables are firmly connected, you can start the car giving you the jump. The same process applies to a portable charging pack.
Jumping Your Car
After the car giving you the jump has been started, you can return to your car and wait five to ten minutes. The battery needs time to get enough of a charge to turn your car over. After you’ve given the battery enough time to charge, you can try turning the key or using the key fob to start the engine. The engine will turn over if the battery has enough strength, and might make a grinding or clicking noise if not. Wait a little longer and try again. A car will turn over once the battery has enough charge, but holding a charge depends on the condition of the alternator.
After your car has started, remove the jumper cables in reverse order. That is, take the negative clamp off first, then the positive. Let the car run for a few minutes before driving. Afterwards, drive your car around for at least 20 minutes to allow the battery to charge up. If the battery doesn’t keep a charge, it may be at the end of its life or the alternator has died and isn’t charging the battery.
Come See Us At Panama City Toyota For Battery And Alternator Replacement
Call us at Panama City Toyota in Panama City, Florida, today for an appointment with our maintenance department. Our Toyota-trained technicians are here to help diagnose your car’s problem and replace what’s broken with OEM-quality parts.
