6. HOW DO I JUMP START MY VEHICLE?

These procedures assume that both vehicles are negatively grounded and that the electrical system voltages are the same.

In cold weather, a good quality booster cable with six-gauge (or larger diameter) wire is necessary to provide enough current to the disabled vehicle to start the engine. Larger diameter wire is better. Please check the owner's manual for both vehicles before attempting to jump-start. Follow the manufacturers' procedures, for example, some good cars should not be running during a jump-start of a disabled one. However, starting the disabled vehicle with the good vehicle running can prevent having both vehicles disabled.  Avoid the booster cable clamps touching each other or the POSITIVE clamp touching anything but the POSITIVE (+) post of the battery. Momentarily touching the block or frame can cause extensive and costly damage.

6.1.  If below 10° F (-12.2° C) wind chill, insure that the electrolyte is NOT frozen in the dead battery.  If frozen, check for a cracked case. If the case is OK, thaw the battery before proceeding.  The electrolyte in a dead battery will freeze at approximately 13° F (-10.6° C).

6.2.  Without the vehicles touching, turn off all unnecessary accessories and lights on both cars, insure there is plenty of ventilation, and wear some some glasses or protective eye ware.

6.3. Start the vehicle with the good battery and let it run for at least two or three minutes at fast idle to recharge its battery. Check the positive and negative terminal markings on both batteries before proceeding.

[Source:BCI]

6.4.  Connect the POSITIVE booster cable clamp (usually red) to the POSITIVE (+) terminal on the dead battery [Step 1 in the diagram above].  Connect the POSITIVE clamp on the other end of the booster cable to the POSITIVE (+) terminal on the good battery [Step 2]. If the positive battery terminal is not accessible, the connection on the starter motor solenoid from the positive terminal of the battery could be used.

6.5.  Connect the NEGATIVE booster cable clamp (usually BLACK) to the NEGATIVE (-) terminal on the good battery [Step 3]. Connect the NEGATIVE booster cable clamp on the other end of the jumper cable to a clean, unpainted area on the engine block or frame on the disabled vehicle [Step 4] and awayfrom the battery.  This arrangement is used because some sparking will occur, and you want to keep sparks as far away from the battery as practical in order to prevent a battery explosion.

6.6.  Let the good vehicle continue to run at high idle for five minutes or more to allow the dead battery to receive some recharge and to warm its electrolyte.  If there is a bad jumper cable connection, do not wiggle the cable clamps connected to the battery terminals because sparks will occur and a battery explosion might occur.  To check connections, first disconnect the clamp from the engine block, check the other connections, and then reconnect the engine block connection last.

6.7.  Some vehicle manufacturers recommend that you turn off the engine of the good vehicle to protect its charging system prior to starting the disabled vehicle.  Check the owner's manual; otherwise, leave the engine running so you can avoid being stranded should you not be able to restart the good vehicle.

6.8. Start the disabled vehicle and allow it to run at high idle.  If the vehicle does not start the first time, recheck the connections, wait a few minutes, and try again.

6.9. Disconnect the booster cables in the reverse order, starting with the NEGATIVE clamp on the engine block or frame of the disabled vehicle to minimize the possibility of an explosion.

6.10.  As soon as possible, fully recharge the jumped battery, remove the surface charge and load test the battery and charging system for latent or permanent damage as a result of the deep discharge. This is especially important if you are using a sealed, maintenance free battery, like a ACDelco for example.

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