You get in your car, put the key in the ignition, and turn it, but nothing happens. The most common cause of a vehicle not starting is that the battery is dead. If that's the case, you'll want to try to jump-start it to get it going.
How Do You Jump Start a Car Battery?
All you need is a set of jumper cables and a good Samaritan that will let you use their vehicle. Once you've acquired those items, follow these steps to jump-start your car safely.
- Put both vehicles in park and turn off the ignition in both cars. You should also apply the parking brake, just to be safe.
- Attach a red clip to the positive terminal of your battery. It should have either a "POS" or "+" symbol, and it may be bigger than the negative terminal.
- Attach the other red clip to the positive terminal of the other car's battery.
- Attach a black clip to the negative terminal of the other car's battery.
- Attach the remaining black clip to the unpainted metal surface of your car. This part shouldn't be near the battery. Many people like to use the metal pole that holds the hood open.
- Start the other car first and let it run for a few minutes.
- Try to start your vehicle. Did it start? Yes! Keep your engine running and drive around for at least 15 minutes to recharge the battery. No! Double check that everything is connected correctly and keep the other car running for another five minutes. If it still doesn't start, you'll need to replace the battery.
Contact Eynon GMC to Schedule Your Battery Service
Once you get your car started again, you'll want to schedule a battery service appointment with our Eynon GMC service center. We're located just a short drive from Archbald, Scranton, Dunmore, and Carbondale, PA, and would love to get your vehicle in great shape.