Learn How to Jump-Start a Car

When your car won’t jump-start in Austin it can make for an aggravating and stressful experience, to say the least. While you can call a jump-start car service like AAA, you can also learn how to jump-start a car on your own. Learning how to properly jump-start a car is easy. All you need is another vehicle and a pair of jumper cables. Follow along with South Point Hyundai below as we go over the proper way to jump-start a car.

The Proper Way to Jump-Start a Car

To learn how to properly jump-start a car, you will need two things: a second vehicle and a pair of jumper cables. Most Kyle auto-stores will have jumper cables available if you don’t already have a pair. Otherwise, you can find them online or at some larger gas stations. Once you have those two items, follow our step-by-step instructions below to learn how to jump-start a car battery. 

1. Have the running vehicle park so it’s facing the engine of the dead vehicle. Turn off the engine. 
2. Open the hoods to both cars and locate their batteries. Some vehicles may have plastic covers or housing that cover the terminals. 
3. Find the positive ( + ) and negative ( – ) terminals on both cars. Clean them off of any dirt, water, or corrosion if it’s present. 
4. Take one of the red clamps and connect it to the positive terminal on the dead battery. 
5. Unwinding the jumper cable, connect the second red clamp to the positive terminal on the good battery. 
6. Find the paired black clamp and connect it to the negative terminal on the good battery.
7. Connect the final clamp to an unpainted metal surface on the dead vehicle’s frame. 
8. With everything connected securely, start the engine of the vehicle with the good battery first, then start the vehicle with the dead battery. 
9. With the dead vehicle revived, remove the jumper cables in the reverse order you put them on. Take care not to let the metal tips of the jumper cables touch. 
10. Allow the revived vehicle to run for at least 10 minutes before shutting it off again. This will allow the alternator to recharge the battery so it doesn’t die again after you shut the car off. 

Other Reasons a Car Won’t Jump-Start

If you tried to jump-start your car battery with the method above, but it either never turned on or died again after you allowed it time to run, then you may have a bad battery or a larger problem on your hands. Read below to diagnose the issue:

• If you allowed your vehicle time to charge after it was jump-started, and it died again later on, you may have a bad battery. If this is the case you can easily order a new battery from your local Round Rock Hyundai dealership.
• Your alternator could also be to blame if your vehicle died again after it was jump-started. To diagnose this, get in your vehicle with the engine off and turn on the lights. If your lights appear dim, but brighten after you start your car, then your battery is most likely to blame. If your lights appear bright but then fade in and out after you start your vehicle, you could have a bad alternator. 
• If you start your vehicle but only hear a clicking sound, you may have a bad starter. Bring your vehicle to the South Point Hyundai service center for a replacement. 
• If the electrical systems of your vehicle turn on (the lights, radio, charging ports, etc), but the engine fails to turn over, this could be your ignition switch, battery, starter, or a bad fuse. Bring your vehicle into South Point Hyundai to have this problem diagnosed and fixed. 

Get Battery Service at South Point Hyundai 

Whether you need a new battery or you need to schedule a service appointment, you can count on the expertise of the South Point Hyundai service team to fix your Hyundai and get it back on Cedar Park roads. Stop in today to have all your maintenance concerns addressed and attended to, you can even save on your visit when you use our service specials! We look forward to helping your car run like new on Kyle roads!