Quick Answer
Jumper cables are essential in a vehicle get-home kit due to the high likelihood of a dead battery in emergency situations such as being locked out of a vehicle or experiencing a faulty starter.
Understanding Jumper Cables
Jumper cables are designed to transfer electrical energy from one battery to another, allowing a vehicle to start when its own battery is dead. A good quality jumper cable set should have heavy-gauge wires (at least 2-gauge) and a rugged design to withstand harsh conditions. When selecting jumper cables, ensure they are the correct size for your vehicle’s battery.
Preparing for a Jump-Start
Before attempting to jump-start a vehicle, ensure both vehicles are parked on level ground, with the engines turned off and in neutral or park gear. Set the parking brake and engage the hazard lights on both vehicles. Locate the batteries and identify the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals. Ensure the cables are not touching any metal parts of the vehicles.
Jump-Starting Techniques
When jump-starting a vehicle, attach one end of the positive jumper cable to the positive terminal of the dead battery and the other end to the positive terminal of the good battery. Next, attach one end of the negative jumper cable to the negative terminal of the good battery and the other end to a metal surface away from the dead battery, such as a bolt on the engine block. Do not connect the negative jumper cable to the negative terminal of the dead battery. Start the working vehicle and let it run for a few minutes before attempting to start the dead vehicle. Once the dead vehicle starts, remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were attached.
Find more answers
Browse the full Q&A library by topic, or jump back to the topic this question belongs to.