Charging a discharged battery with another car is one of the most common inconveniences that motorists encounter. For that reason, ALF Marketing in Hagerstown shares how to jump-start a car in this post.

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If your battery is completely dead and there is no mechanic service nearby, the only thing left to hope is a good samaritan is to lend a helping hand. Still, knowing how to jump-start a car is a worthwhile skill to pursue. Follow these simple steps to master it, so you know how to charge a dead battery.

First and Foremost

If you want to learn how to jump-start a car, you must place the vehicle with the charged battery facing yours, ensuring they don't touch or adjoin. Then, turn off both cars and disconnect any device that consumes battery power. Ensure that both batteries have the same voltage, usually 12 volts in cars, and remove the jumper cables; these appliances always come in handy, so it would be best to always carry a couple of these cords in your car just in case you ever need them. Check that none of the batteries have cracks or are leaking liquid. Otherwise, giving up and calling the tow truck to move your vehicle will be the smartest thing to do in this situation. Plus, damaged batteries can explode and cause severe injuries and other counterproductive reactions, so you have to be careful if you decide to continue this process with damaged batteries.

Get Ready to Get Your Hands Dirty

Follow the steps described below once you've made sure no toxic fluids or liquids are leaking through the battery. First, connect the red cable, though it can also be yellow, to the positive pole of the dead battery, next hook the other end of the red cord to the positive pole of the fully-charged battery. Now proceed to take the black cable and plug it into the charged battery's negative pole, but keep in mind that this cable needs to be connected to the metallic part with a ground strap. Make sure that the surface doesn't have paint or rust and if so, try to rub it off because it won't charge the battery in the slightest. Pay attention and wait until you hear a tiny spark when you hit or find a good spot to ensure this is working correctly.

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Keep the Following in Mind Once This Process Is Done

Once this process is done, mechanics recommend staying as far away from the battery as possible when connecting the cables as a safety measure. Once the circuit is closed, start the car with a charged battery, keep it idling for about five minutes, and start the other vehicle. Turn it off if it doesn't start and wait another five minutes. After that, it should initiate its regular operations within 15 minutes. If this doesn't work out, call a tow truck. You've done your best to get out of this situation, but it's not worth wasting more of your time trying to jump-start after 15-20 minutes into the task.

Lastly, Consider These Last Pointers

If things work out, you must remove the cables in the reverse order to how you placed them originally. Meaning, that you should try plugging the black cable first into the metallic piece, then the other end connected to the dead battery, then the red wire from the dead battery, and lastly, the dead battery wire. Never perform this procedure on rainy days or wet pavement and cover your eyes, if necessary, and don't smoke during the process. Also, if you do this task at night, don't forget to keep the vehicle running with the lights off for several minutes once you arrive at your destination. This trick allows the battery to charge so you can start the car the next day.

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