Advice From Your Kia Dealer: How To Jump-Start a Car

Jump-starting might look difficult, but it’s a very simple process. As your Kia dealer, we want to tell you how to jump-start a car safely and easily. In this example, your Kia will have a healthy battery and jump-start the other vehicle.

Locate the Dead Battery

This might seem obvious, as most car batteries are under the hood. Some vehicles, however, have a battery and engine in the rear. It’s important to know the battery location, as you want to position your Kia, so its battery is as close to the other vehicle’s battery as possible. Parking close to the other vehicle makes it easier to connect the jump leads and speeds up the flow of electricity from one battery to the other.

Connect the Cables

Jumper cables have a red and a black cable. The red cable connects to the positive terminals while the black cable connects to the negative terminal in your battery and acts as a grounding wire in the other vehicle. The cables must be connected in a specific order, as an incorrect connection can prevent the dead battery from recharging or even start a fire.

Connect one end of the red cable to the positive terminal on the dead battery, then connect the other end to the positive terminal on your battery. Once this cable is securely connected, attach one end of the black cable to the negative terminal on your battery. The final step is to connect the remaining clamp to the black cable to any unpolished metal surface in the other vehicle’s engine.

Apply Some Juice

Once the cables are in place, start your engine and idle. This will allow electricity to flow into the dead battery. After a few minutes, head to the other vehicle and try to start its engine. If the engine starts, your work is done.

If the other engine doesn’t start, return to your Kia and allow the engine to idle for another ten to fifteen minutes. It’s important to remember that a battery can be affected by the weather. If the weather is very cold, a weak battery will need extra power to overcome the resistance caused by low temperatures. Try and start the other vehicle again.

Remove the Cables

Once the other engine is running, it’s time to disconnect the cables. Jumper cables must be removed in reverse order, starting with removing the black cable from the jumped car. Pack your jumper cables away, and you’re now ready to leave.

If you’d like ​more information about jump-starting a car, contact us today at Courtesy Kia in Altoona, PA. We ​can also test your battery to ensure it’s in good condition and will never leave you stuck and looking for a ​jump-start.

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