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Instructions for Jump Starting a Car

WARNING!
Hybrid and EV cars, must not be used to jump-start any vehicles!

Jump starting a car can either be from another car with jump leads, or from a portable car starter battery pack

1. If you are jump starting from another car ensure that it has a fully charged battery for the jump start process.
2. If jump starting from a portable car battery pack ensure that the battery pack is fully charged.
3. Before beginning to connect either the Jump leads or the battery pack double check which are the positive and negative terminals on the batteries.
4. Be very sure as connecting the leads to the wrong terminals could be both very costly and dangerous. The positive terminal is generally marked by a “+” sign, while the negative terminal is marked by a “-” sign
5. Especially in the case of jump leads from car to car. Both must be correct.
6. Connecting the jumper cables:
   • a. Connect one end of the positive cable (red) to the positive + terminal of the flat battery,
   • b. Connect the other end of the positive cable to the positive + terminal of the car with the fully charged battery.
   • c. Connect the end of the negative cable (black) to the negative – terminal of the charged battery.
   • d. (Very Important) connect the other end of the negative cable to an unpainted metal ground on the dead car, away from the battery and fuel system
7. Start the working car, the car with the charged battery. Let it run for a minute or two.
8. The car with the flat battery, switch on the headlights on bright and also the air conditioner. This might seem counter intuitive. This is to protect both cars’ computers from a spike in voltage from the alternator of the car with the flat battery
9. Start the car with the flat battery. If it starts successfully, let the engine run for a few minutes.
10. Disconnect the jumper cables:
    • a. First, remove the negative cable from the ground on the once-dead car.
    • b. Remove the negative cable from the car with the fully charged battery.
    • c. Remove the positive cable from the car with the fully charged battery.
    • d. Make sure that the crock clips do not touch each other, keep them well apart.
    • e. Lastly, remove the positive cable from the car which had the flat battery.

NOTE: If your vehicle does not start after about eight revolutions of the engine, wait for two minutes and then try again. If it does not start after three tries, then it is time to call road-side service.