What might seem to be an easy and simple task may also have underlying dangers whether you know the procedures or not. No matter what type of car you own, jumpstarting your vehicle will prove to be a hazardous task, especially for first-timers. Therefore, everyone should take precautions in case you need to jumpstart your own car on the road, or somebody else’s car.
Again, if you are a first-timer who is not sure what to do when dealing with dead car batteries, you shouldn’t proceed by dealing with it on your own. It is better to ask for help from people who have done it before.
What are the tools you’ll be needing?
Part of being careful when you’re about to jumpstart a car is using the correct tools. By doing so, you will not only be protecting yourself but your car as well. Here are some of the things you need to keep inside your car in cases when you have dead battery situations on the road.
- Clean and rust-free cables and clamps.
- Rubber gloves (and shoes if you have them)
- Splash-proof polycarbonate safety goggles rated for auto repair (sometimes there might be small outbursts of electricity when jumpstarting a car).
- Another vehicle has a fully charged battery that is the same voltage as the car being jumped.
The hazards that you need to watch out for!
These are the most common and technical risks that you may or may not face when jumpstarting a car battery.
- Damaged Battery – You should never jumpstart a damaged battery because this will cause more harm than good. Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can leak when the battery is broken. As a result, when you attach the cables to them, they will have a tendency to spark (this is where the protective goggles come in).
- Leaks – Battery leaks are sulfuric acids that become vapors leaking in vents. This will ultimately be dangerous to you and your car battery when you attempt to jumpstart your car with leaks.
- Refrain from jumpstarting under a downpour – Water is electricity’s number one enemy. Although it won’t really pose a threat to you and has been deemed “safe” when jumpstarting a car in the rain, there still might be underlying hazards when doing so.
- Don’t smoke while jumpstarting a car – An advice to smoke before jump-starting a car or after, but never during. If you do, this will cause battery sparks that can harm you.
- Don’t jump-start if battery fluids are frozen – This kind of action can cause battery explosions.
- Refrain from leaning over the batteries – Remember, car batteries are prone to spark. Leaning over them will only expose you to that hazard.
- Don’t jumpstart hybrid or electric cars – This will cause bad effects on their ignition systems.
- Make sure batteries are of the same voltage – If the voltage is too low then the battery won’t charge. On the other hand, if the battery voltage is too high, it may cause sparks.
The safe way of jumpstarting your vehicle.
If there are hazards, there are also safer ways how you can jumpstart your car. If you think it’s simply transferring electricity from one battery to another, it’s not. There are other safety precautions that you need to know for you to revive your dead batteries. According to Auto Repair for Dummies, here’s how you should safely jumpstart your car:
- Take out your jumper cables. It’s a good idea to buy a set of jumper cables and keep them in the trunk compartment. If you don’t have jumper cables, you have to find a kind stranger who not only is willing to assist you but who has jumper cables as well.
- Place both vehicles in Park or Neutral and shut off the ignition in both cars. Engage both parking brakes as well.
- Attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal of your battery. It has “POS” or “+” on it, or it’s bigger than the negative terminal.
- Attach the other red clip to the positive terminal of the other car.
- Attach one of the black clips to the negative terminal on the other battery.
- Attach the last black clip to an unpainted metal surface on your car that isn’t near the battery. Use one of the metal struts that holds the hood open.
- Start the working vehicle and let the engine run for a few minutes.
- Try to start your vehicle. If it won’t start, make sure that the cables are properly connected and have the other person run their engine for five minutes. Then try to start your car again. If it still doesn’t start, your battery may be beyond help.
Warning that your car batteries are going dead.
Refrain from getting lost in the middle of nowhere because you didn’t know that your car batteries were about to die. Ultimately, a car battery can last up to 3-5 years and that’s quite a long time. However, most people tend to overlook these simple facts, and some, just simply forget about them. And this kind of negligence can lead you to unexpected dead batteries.
1. Slow engine crank. You can tell if your car batteries are almost running cold if your car doesn’t sound right or if it takes longer to start, this could be a telltale sign.
2. Warning lights. One of the main indicators of a dying battery is the warning lights, If the battery is getting weak, a light on your dashboard will indicate this. Remember, if this light turns on while you’re driving don’t immediately turn off your car. Wait till you get to your destination because you might not be able to start it again.
3. Rusty connections. In other words, these are the corroded posts. Yes, batteries nowadays are “maintenance-free” but this doesn’t exempt them from the fact that they are also prone to corrosion. If you notice corrosion around the battery posts, this indicates a leaking battery. This kind of battery problem can lead to difficulty in starting your car.
4. The car is misbehaving. Car batteries actually power a lot of functions in your cars such as radios and automatic windows. If one of those functions starts malfunctioning, Then it’s a crystal clear sign that your batteries are starting to drain out.
5. Oil change. Want to know a car care hack? If you get your oil changed (depending on which car shop you go to) they sometimes run complimentary battery tests. Here, the worker in charge can gauge how old your battery is. If they say that it’s already 5-7 years old, then it’s high time for a battery change.
A Helpful Advice…
Dante’s 24hr car battery delivery can cater to all your automobile battery needs. We are ranging from cars to motorcycles, to even speed boats and trucks! No need to worry about getting stranded in the night with a dead battery. Dante’s can deliver to wherever you are.
So if you have any battery needs, let Dante’s be your go-to battery delivery! Get your batteries from a trusted distributor here at Dante’s Car Battery Delivery Service.
