If you're worried about getting stranded with a flat battery when you are unable to call for help or seek assistance from someone, then you can buy a portable battery pack as a precaution, to keep you mobile if your battery goes flat.
These can be purchased from the RAC shop and are able to jump start a car without the use of another vehicle.
Before you start
When jump starting a vehicle, it’s important not to take risks. Consult your owners manual first and If you’re not confident that you know what you’re doing, give the RAC a call on 0330 159 1111 and we’ll be happy to help.
- Check for damage - if there’s any obvious damage to either of the batteries, or the jump leads, don’t risk attempting a jump start
- Remove any rings or metal jewellery you’re wearing and make sure nothing metal touches the terminals on the battery.
Jump starting with a portable battery pack
First check that the battery pack is fully charged.
Locate the vehicle battery - usually situated in the engine bay under the bonnet, but in some vehicles, it is located in the boot. It’ll probably be hidden under a plastic cover – unclip this and you should see the battery with its two terminals.
Connect the positive (red) lead from the battery pack to the positive (+) terminal of the battery. Connect the negative (black) lead to a good earth point on the casualty vehicle – a solid metal part of the engine is usually best.
Stand the battery pack on the ground next to the vehicle, the leads are usually long enough to reach the battery. Avoid placing it on the engine as it might fall off when the engine starts.
Once the battery pack is connected, switch on the pack and attempt to start the vehicle as you normally would. If it doesn’t start after a few attempts, it might be more serious than a flat battery. In this event, seek professional help by calling the RAC on 0330 159 1111.
If the vehicle does start, keep the engine running for about 5 minutes. Switch off the engine, then switch off the battery pack and remove the leads from the battery pack. Now restart the engine again.
The vehicles’ battery will need to recharge fully for it to be fully serviceable, which is best achieved using a quality battery charger for several hours. In the meantime, if possible, drive the vehicle normally (not heavy traffic) for around 30 mins to try to put some charge back into the battery.
If your MOT is due or if you would like to book your vehicle in for a full car service, you can book online with your local RAC Approved Garage today.
Hopefully you won't need this information anytime soon, but make sure you have breakdown cover, van breakdown cover or business breakdown cover sorted just in case!
Car Battery Jump Start is considerably cost-efficient but did you know that it has a negative side also? Yes, it is sometimes risky to jump start your car because if you don’t execute the necessary checks appropriately, then you risk damaging your car’s other equipment or perhaps causing a blast.
Doing Car Battery Jump Start sounds and look easy but bear that in mind that, car circuit board and electronics are all very sensitive to electrical current. For example, if the car battery has been bypassed and you do a battery jump start, it will cause some circuit board to short circuit or burn out. At that point in time, you will have to spend a few hundreds of dollars to replace it rather than that small amount of jump start service money.
If you are not aware of the battery’s physical status like leakage or crack, or you do not practice the basic safety precaution, you might even cause injury to yourself with an explosion. That is how dangerous it can be!
Do not save that few dollars of money and cause such things to happen. Just contact us and leave this matter to our professional to assist you.
Most of us spend a significant amount of time in our cars, whether it’s commuting or running errands or simply enjoying the road. But many of us don’t know the basics of vehicle maintenance or repair. With a little do-it-yourself spirit and a few basic tips, you can learn how to do most anything on a car.
First, find the owner’s manual for your vehicle. This is a high level guide to most of the major components, complete with troubleshooting suggestions for your particular make and model.
How To Jump Start A Vehicle
Keep the following in your car at all times:
- Jumper Cables: The longer, the better!
- Mechanic Gloves: Disposable gloves at the very least, but heavy duty offers more protection
- A Flashlight: Always handy to keep in your car!
- Paper Coveralls: Protection for your clothes – paint stores usually carry these
- Owner’s Manual: You can often find this in your car’s glovebox
To jump start your car, you will need to find someone with a vehicle to provide the jump to your dead battery. It is important to be safe and use sound judgment when seeking assistance from people you don’t know. Don’t accept help from anyone you don’t feel comfortable around, and be sure to phone a loved one to let them know exactly where you are and what’s going on.
Before you and your helper begin the jump-start process, here are a few words of caution:
- Read your owner’s manual, first. Your manufacturer may advise against jump starting a vehicle due to sensitive electronic circuitry.
- Don’t try to jump a frozen battery.
- Do NOT jump a battery that is cracked or leaking. This is very dangerous. You will need to purchase a new battery at this point, so call a tow truck or a friend that can help you out.
- Ensure that the battery isn’t dry. Check individual cells for fluid levels and add water accordingly. Check your owner’s manual for details and warnings.
- If there is corrosion (white or greenish powdery stuff) on the battery, try to clean it off with a wire brush, aluminum foil or anything but your hand as the chemicals can be damaging to your skin. Be sure you cover your nose and mouth to avoid inhaling the dust as it is a lung irritant.
- Once you begin the process of hooking the cables up NEVER allow any of the hook-up clamps to touch. Each person should hold an end of the cables and keep the two clips separate (one to each hand is a good idea).
Step-by-step Guide:
- Start by protecting your clothes and your hands with protective clothing or a blanket on the ground and gloves.
- Open the hood to your car. Sometimes when you “pop” the hood, you need to also release the latch. This can be found by running your fingers under the slightly open hood until you find a little lever to push on. Use the stick to prop the hood open while you work.
- Locate the battery. If you aren’t sure where to find the battery, your owner’s manual should provide instructions or a picture to guide you.
- Ensure that the donor car is parked close to yours and that it is turned off before you start.
- On the battery there are two post “terminals”. One is positive (+), usually red and one is negative (-), usually black.
- The positive terminal post (+ or red) should have a plastic cover that opens easily to expose the metal beneath. Keep in mind that when you begin to attach the cables to each component, you want it to be as solid as possible to ensure a safe and complete connection.
- Take a POSITIVE (red) clamp and attach it to the dead car’s positive terminal post (+ or red). The clamps should have metal teeth that help them grip the terminal post.
- Take the POSITIVE (red) clamp at the opposite end of the cables and attach it to the positive terminal post (+ or red) of the good, working battery. Their car should still be off!
- Next, take the NEGATIVE (black) clamp on that end and attach to the (-) terminal of the good, working battery.
- Take the final NEGATIVE (black) clamp and attach it to a non-painted metal surface on the main engine block of the car that is being jump-started (yours). A good metal surface could be a metal nut or bolt and farther away from the battery is better to allow for solid grounding.
- At this point, once all of the connections have been secured, start the donor car. After a few minutes, try to start your car. If your car won’t start, then wait several more minutes and try again.
- If this doesn’t work, stop. Working in reverse order, unhook each of the clamps and thank the owner of the donor car. It’s time to call for professional help.
- When the dead car is started, check the battery light on the instrument panel. If it is on, this may mean that the alternator is not charging the battery and the driver should not run the vehicle very long. If this is the case, call for professional help.
- If your car does start, let it run for a few minutes to help charge the battery further.
- Unhook the clamps in the reverse order of how you put them on. Be sure to drive your car for about 30 minutes before stopping again so the battery can continue to charge. Otherwise, you might need another jump start.
For the true do-it-yourselfer, look into a Jump Start Box or Jump n’ Carry. These small boxes run about $150, but they can provide you with a solo jump start regardless of where you are. Be sure to read the details and your owners manual to ensure this is an option for your vehicle.
Print this article out and keep in your glove compartment for easy reference.
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