How to Jump-Start a Car

If you’re trying to get your car running and you’re having trouble, don’t panic–it might just need a jump start. There could also be issues with your car battery or something else under the hood, but a jump start is usually the most likely option. Fortunately, the process of jump-starting a car is relatively straightforward as long as you carefully follow all the necessary steps. 

If you’ve tried jump-starting your car and still aren’t getting any luck, you might need to get your battery replaced–this is another straightforward fix as long as you use a qualified service center in the Albuquerque area. The service team at Tillery GMC, Llc has all the details on the proper way to jump-start a car in the guide below. 

The Proper Way to Jump-Start a Car Battery

The first thing you should do if you need to jump-start your car is gather the necessary materials–namely, a set of jumper cables and another vehicle. Once you’ve gotten ahold of these, just follow the steps below and you should be all set.

1. Park the vehicle with the good battery facing your vehicle, and make sure that both parking brakes are engaged and both engines are turned off. Open both hoods.
2. Locate the batteries under the hoods of both vehicles. Keep in mind that you might need to remove a plastic hood to expose the terminals.
3. Identify the positive and negative terminals, and make sure that they’re clean and free of debris, corrosion, etc.
4. Take the red clamp and attach it to the positive post of the dead battery. Uncoil the battery cable and hook the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the good battery.
5. Connect the black clamp to the negative post on the good battery, and connect the final clamp to an unpainted metal surface on your car’s frame.
6. Double-check that everything is hooked up securely. Start the engine of the car with the good battery first, then start your car’s engine. This should successfully jump-start your engine.
7. Carefully remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that you placed them on (black, then red), and turn off the engine of the car with the good battery.
8. You want to make sure that your car’s battery doesn’t die again, so be sure to keep your engine running continuously for at least 10 minutes before getting behind the wheel and driving. Your owner’s manual may have a more specific wait time.

Jump-Start Car Service With Buick/GMC Roadside Assistance

If you would rather have a jump-start car service help you out rather than performing a DIY jump start, you can take advantage of Buick/GMC Roadside Assistance. Both Buick and GMC offer roadside assistance for drivers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, whether your vehicle is under warranty or not. Jump-starting your car is part of a numerous list of services offered by Buick/GMC Roadside Assistance, which also includes towing to the nearest available dealership, unlocking your vehicle, changing a flat tire, and delivering emergency fuel reserves. Just call 800-252-1112 if you drive a Buick and 800-462-8782 if you drive a GMC. 

More Battery Tips and Tricks

If you’ve tried everything above and still find that your car won’t jump-start, your battery might have reached the end of its lifespan and need to be replaced. A lack of success with jump-starting could also be a sign of a more serious problem with your car. In this case, schedule a service appointment as soon as possible with Tillery GMC, Llc and we’ll take it from there. Before making an appointment, though, there are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot:

1. If you’ve tried to start your car and are only hearing a clicking sound instead of your engine running, your starter might not be functioning. This can be fixed at our service center.
2. If your engine isn’t turning over but the rest of the electrical systems are working properly, there could be a problem with your ignition switch, battery, starter or fuse. A trip to our service center can properly diagnose the problem.
3. If you try to drive away as soon as you’ve jump-started your car battery, it might die on you again. Be sure to keep it running for at least 10 minutes after jump-starting so it can fully recharge.

Turn to Tillery GMC, Llc for Service

Whatever your service needs are in Belen or Socorro, Tillery GMC, Llc is here to help. We strive to make the service process as smooth as convenient for you as possible, so you can get back on the road in no time. Contact our office if you have any questions, or stop by the dealership to talk to a service expert in person.