Give correct start help
A donor vehicle and a jumper cable are required to give jump start and breathe life into an empty battery. The two vehicles are parked to each other in such a way that the donor battery and receiver battery can be conveniently connected with the cable. If the cars are in position with the engine switched off, the plus poles of the donor vehicle and recipient vehicle are connected via the red cable. In the second step, the black cable is connected to the negative pole of the donor car and a so-called earth point on the recipient vehicle. Ideally, this is a metal part of the engine block.
Attention: Under no circumstances may the minus pole of the donor battery be connected to the minus pole of the receiver battery via the jumper cable, as otherwise there is an acute risk of explosion.
If the receiver battery and the donor battery are connected to each other, the jump start can begin. To give a start, the car engine is started by the donor vehicle. In the receiving vehicle, however, all consumers must be switched off. Now the start attempt can also be made here. During this time, both cars remain connected via the jumper cable. When the receiver vehicle starts, a large consumer such as the rear window heater should be switched on. This prevents damage from voltage peaks. These can occur when starting the engine and can damage the receiver battery and electronics.
Starting the engine starts
When the car starts, the jumper wire is removed. This happens when starting the engine while the engine is running. To do this, the negative poles are first separated using the black cable. This is followed by the red cable that connects the plus poles to each other. If the jumper cable is removed from the donor battery and the receiver battery, the large consumer can be switched off again.
The car should drive a longer distance so that the receiver battery is charged and problems do not arise the next time the engine is switched off. The alternator recharges the car battery. In addition, the car battery can be connected to a charger. In this way, the car battery can be fully recharged quickly.
Giving start-up assistance does not lead to success
If the car makes no sound despite starting assistance, the jumper cable should be checked first. Are the pliers properly seated on the contacts of the donor and recipient batteries? Loose-fitting pliers can also cause problems. It is also problematic if the starter crank goes out when giving start assistance, but the engine does not start. In this case, you should stop giving start-up assistance, otherwise the engine could be damaged by unburned fuel and the engine could be damaged. To determine the cause, the car should be checked by a specialist workshop.
Bring the jumper cable to the jump starter
There should be a jump starter cable in a car that complies with DIN standard 72 553 or ISO standard 6722. A sufficient length (about three meters), good flexibility and completely insulated pliers must be ensured. Here are the test winners from 2016. So it is safe to give jump start.
Note regarding newer cars
If the car is new, there is a good chance that a jump start damage the whole wiring harness.
Jumping batteries on cars built after 2000 might harm the electrical system if the process isn’t done properly, because newer vehicles contain a complex on-board computer and many digital devices that can be damaged if a voltage surge large enough fry the system.
That is why you should count on professionals that proceed with knowledge and safeness to guarantee an well done service in your car. Check our post Why jump start can be dangerous to your car.
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