Battery Problems – What to do Next
Jump Starting a Car Battery and Related Charging Trouble
Aug 13, 2009
Getting in the car and turning the ignition first thing in the morning and nothing happens, isn’t the best way to start off the day. To get the car started normally the first thought is to get out the jumper cables and jump-start the car. Even if the car is started with jumper cables, there could be other problems besides a bad battery.
Things to Check Before Jumping the Battery
There are a few things that could cause the car not to start that could be an easy fix before the jumper cables are brought out. These are some of the things that should be looked at before getting out the jumper cables
- Check for loose battery cables on the battery terminals and tighten as necessary.
- Check for corroded battery cables. Corroded cables or cable ends will leave a white caked on substance. Try wiggling the cables and cable ends. Pouring a mixture of baking soda and water over the battery terminals and cable ends may help to clean some of the corrosion. Using a stiff wire brush or a battery terminal cleaning brush would be a better option.
- Check and see if anything was left on in the vehicle that could drain the battery. Interior lights and headlights will drain a battery if left on overnight. If something was left on, proceed with jumping starting the vehicle.
- Check to make sure the battery doesn’t have leaks. If the battery is leaking, do not try jump-starting the car. Replace the battery.
Proper Method of Jump Starting a Car Battery
To jump start a battery, position another vehicle so that both batteries are in close proximity to each other. It’s best to use another vehicle that has at least the same size battery or larger as the car that’s being jump-started.
Make sure that both vehicles are the park position (neutral for standard transmission) and the parking brake is properly set. Position vehicles on level surface if possible. Keep the engine running on the vehicle brought up. Make sure the two vehicles are not touching.
The following steps should be used in the exact order listed below. Red cables are for positive (+) and black cables are for negative (-)
- Connect the positive (+ red) jumper cable clamp end to the positive (+) post of the dead battery.
- Connect the other clamp end of the positive (+ red) jumper cable to the positive (+) post of the battery that’s good.
- Connect the negative (- black) clamp end of the jumper cable to the negative (-) post of the battery that’s good.
- Connect the other clamp end of the negative (-) jumper cable to a solid metal part of the engine on the car that battery is dead. Try to find a clean, unpainted sturdy metal part on the engine or engine block. This is an important step to help inure that the batteries don’t explode.
- Start the engine of the cars battery that’s dead. Make sure everyone is clear of the exposed batteries while starting the engine. Once the car is started, carefully remove the jumper cables without touching the clamps together.
If the engine stops running after the jumper cables are removed, this usually means that the alternator is bad. A good alternator will send enough of a charge to the battery to keep the engine running. If the alternator’s bad, it won’t send enough of a charge to keep the engine running.
What to do After Jump Starting the Cars Battery
Normally if something was left on to drain the battery then the battery should be OK. If not the vehicle should be taken in to make sure the battery is still good. If the battery checks out OK and the vehicle is still having battery problems, there’s probably something else wrong with the vehicle. There could be something that’s drawing power from the battery and an auto repair technician should be consulted.
There’s nothing worse on an alternator than charging a dead battery. The alternator gets overworked, which may cause premature failure of the alternator. Constantly jumping the battery is not advisable for the health of the alternator.
As part of a routine scheduled maintenance, the battery should be tested to make sure it’s at full strength. If there is any corrosion or exposed battery cable wires, the cables or cable ends should be cleaned or replaced.
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