How to Jump-Start a Car, Step-by-Step

In an ideal world, you’ll never find yourself stranded with a dead car battery in the Raleigh area. However, preparedness in the face of an unexpected setback will make the situation far less stressful. As always, Hendrick Chevrolet Southpoint is here to help! Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to jump-start a car, so you’re ready for anything when you hit the road. 

What Is the Proper Way to Jump-Start a Car? 

In order to avoid injuring yourself or ruining your car battery, it’s important that you know the proper way to jump-start a car. There’s a special order in which each step needs to occur, which we’ve laid out below. Keep reading to learn how to properly jump-start a car when a friend or fellow driver offers to help:

1. Park the car with the charged battery so it’s facing the car with the dead battery. Both vehicles should be turned off with the parking brake activated.
2. Pop the hood on both vehicles and, if applicable, remove the plastic hoods from the battery terminals.
3. Make sure you know where the positive and negative terminals are on both batteries. Before you jump-start the car battery, check that all terminals are free of corrosion.
4. Place the red clamp on the positive terminal of the dead battery.
5. Place the other red clamp on the positive terminal of the charged battery.
6. Next, place the black clamp on the negative terminal of the charged battery.
7. Finally, connect the last remaining clamp to an unpainted metal surface on the frame of the dead vehicle.
8. With everything connected in the proper order, you can have your helper start the engine of their working vehicle. Then, start the engine on your dead vehicle.
9. After you jump-start your car battery, you can remove the jumper cables, which must be done in reverse order of how they were connected. Now, you can shut down the vehicle that was used to jump-start your car.
10. We recommend letting your engine run for at least 10 minutes to ensure your now-charged battery actually holds the charge. 

Jump-Start Car Service With Chevrolet Roadside Assistance

Driving a Chevrolet vehicle with an active OnStar® subscription? If you prefer to get professional assistance, you can use your roadside assistance plan to get jump-start car service at your location in Cary or Chapel Hill. Here are the phone numbers for Chevy, Buick, or GMC roadside assistance:

• Chevrolet Roadside Assistance Phone Number: 800.243.8872
• Buick Roadside Assistance Phone Number: 800.252.1112
• GMC Roadside Assistance Phone Number: 800.462.8782

Car Won’t Jump-Start? Read About the Potential Causes.

If you try to jump-start a car battery and it won’t hold the charge or fails to jump-start altogether, you may be due for a battery replacement. Here are some common reasons a car won’t jump-start:

• If you only hear a clicking sound when you attempt to start the car, it could be due to a malfunctioning starter. 
• If you can get the electrical systems to activate but the engine won’t turn over, there could be an issue with the ignition switch or starter, or it could be a bad fuse. 

Schedule Battery Service in Durham

Need to have your car battery inspected? Book an appointment with the Hendrick Chevrolet Southpoint service department, and we’ll let you know if it’s time for a replacement. Whether you need basic battery maintenance or you have to purchase a new unit, we have ongoing service offers that can help make your automotive requirements more affordable!