{"id":54780,"date":"2023-07-09T22:16:06","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T03:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=54780"},"modified":"2026-01-08T14:10:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T20:10:38","slug":"how-to-jump-start-a-car-the-complete-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/skills\/cars\/how-to-jump-start-a-car-the-complete-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Jump Start a Car &#8211; The Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wjvZw9jZCaE\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/center>You turn on your car, but it doesn&#8217;t start.<\/p>\n<p>The battery is dead.<\/p>\n<p>No big deal. We&#8217;ll show you exactly how to jumpstart your car with this guide.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While jumping a dead battery is super simple, you&#8217;d be surprised by the number of men who have no idea how to do it. And even if you have learned how to jump start a car before, it can be easy to forget what cables go where. Positive on negative? Ground the positive cable on the car with the good battery? Red cable is negative?<\/p>\n<p>To help you avoid looking like a putz when asked to jump start a car and to help prevent you from shocking yourself when you do it, this article offers a&nbsp;complete multi-media&nbsp;rundown on how to jump start a dead car battery. But first&#8230;<\/p>\n<h2>How to Tell If Your Battery Is Dead<\/h2>\n<p>Before you try jump starting a car, you need to determine that the battery is the reason the car isn&#8217;t starting up. If you turn the ignition and hear the engine cranking, a dead battery isn&#8217;t your problem and jump starting it won&#8217;t do a darn thing. However, if you turn the key and the car does absolutely nothing, then there&#8217;s a good chance you have a dead battery on your hands and jumping it may be your ticket to getting back on the road.<\/p>\n<h3>Your 60-Second Illustrated Crib Sheet to Jump Starting a Car<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_27115\" style=\"width: 569px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27115\" class=\"wp-image-27115\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/08\/Jump-Start-3.jpg\" alt=\"How to jump start a car illustration diagram.\" width=\"559\" height=\"457\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-27115\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2012\/08\/Jump-Start-3.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Click here to see the full-size illustration.<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h2>To&nbsp;Jump Start a Car With Cables, Follow These Steps:<\/h2>\n<p>1. Make sure both cars are turned off.<\/p>\n<p>2. Connect one end of the red (positive) jumper cable to the positive terminal on the stalled battery.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"nonwhite aligncenter wp-image-803 size-full\" title=\"jump starting car\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/jumpcar2.jpg\" alt=\"Connect red cable to positive terminal on dead battery.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/jumpcar2.jpg 500w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/jumpcar2-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>3. Connect the other red (positive) cable&nbsp;to the positive terminal of the good battery.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"nonwhite aligncenter wp-image-802 size-full\" title=\"jump start\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/jumpstart.jpg\" alt=\"Clamp other red cable to positive terminal on good battery.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/jumpstart.jpg 500w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/jumpstart-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>4. Connect one end of the black (negative) jumper cable to the negative terminal of the good battery.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"nonwhite aligncenter wp-image-799 size-full\" title=\"jumper cables\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/carjump2.jpg\" alt=\"Connect black cable to negative terminal of good battery.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/carjump2.jpg 500w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/carjump2-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>5. Connect the other black (negative) cable to a clean, unpainted metal surface under the disabled car&#8217;s hood.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_805\" style=\"width: 354px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-805\" class=\"nonwhite wp-image-805 size-full\" title=\"jump starting car\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/carjump7.jpg\" alt=\"Connect black cable to metal surface on dead car - DO NOT connect to dead battery.\" width=\"344\" height=\"258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/carjump7.jpg 344w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/carjump7-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 344px) 100vw, 344px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-805\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Somewhere on the engine block is a good place. Unless you want to see flying sparks and a possible explosion, do not connect the negative cable to the negative terminal of the dead battery.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>6. Start the car that&#8217;s doing the jumping;&nbsp;run for 2 to 3 minutes before starting dead car.<\/p>\n<p>7. Remove cables in reverse order.<\/p>\n<p>8. Keep jumped car running for at least 30 minutes to give battery sufficient time to recharge.<\/p>\n<p><em>Note: You should always carry <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B007TD1WIK\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B007TD1WIK&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=stucosuccess-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">jumper cables<\/a> in your car with you (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/articles\/things-every-man-should-have-in-his-car-an-illustrated-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">along with a number of other things!<\/a>). You never know when you&#8217;re going to need them.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>And you&#8217;re done. Give yourself a pat on the back for a manly job well done.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_808\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-808\" class=\"nonwhite wp-image-808 size-full\" title=\"jumpercablebox\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/jumpercablebox.jpg\" alt=\"Jumper cables on box with car drawn on.\" width=\"500\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/jumpercablebox.jpg 500w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2008\/09\/jumpercablebox-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-808\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Unfortunately, jumper cables will not bring inanimate objects to life. Including hot model women you build in your lab.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The hardest part of the job is simply remembering where to put each cable. Many a man has broken out in a sweat wondering if he is about to make a wrong move and toast himself to a crisp. Here&#8217;s the good news: It&#8217;s probably impossible to electrocute yourself from jump starting a car. The battery might give you a big shock, but the voltage is too low to penetrate your skin and put you down for the count.<\/p>\n<p>But no one wants to be on the receiving end of a zap, no matter how mild. So come up with some sort of device to help you remember which color goes where. I personally think: red = blood = life = positive; black = death = negative.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Jump Start a Car Without Cables<\/h2>\n<p>If you have a standard transmission car, you can jump start that bad boy without using cables. Here&#8217;s how you do it:<\/p>\n<p>1. Find a stretch of clear downhill road.<\/p>\n<p>2. Fully depress the clutch and put the car in second gear.<\/p>\n<p>3. Turn the ignition to on.<\/p>\n<p>4. Take your foot off the brake and start rolling down the hill, leaving the clutch fully depressed.<\/p>\n<p>5. Coast down the hill until you reach 5-7 miles per hour.<\/p>\n<p>6. Release the clutch quickly. You should feel the engine turn and start. If it doesn&#8217;t start the first time, depress the clutch and release it again.<\/p>\n<p>7. If you don&#8217;t have a hill, get some of your buddies to give you a push and follow the steps above.<\/p>\n<h2>FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Which card do you put the jumper cables on first?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The car with the dead battery.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Should your car be running when jump starting?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>No, do not turn the car until you&#8217;ve got the cables on.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you remove the jumper cables while the car is running?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can if you want. It won&#8217;t hurt anything.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can jumping your car hurt your car?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>No, if you do everything correctly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why don&#8217;t you connect the negative terminal when jumping a car?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It minimizes the chance of a spark from occurring.<\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n    \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Which card do you put the jumper cables on first?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"The car with the dead battery.\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Should your car be running when jump starting?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"No, do not turn the car until you've got the cables on.\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Do you remove the jumper cables while the car is running?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"You can if you want. 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We&#8217;ll show you exactly how to jumpstart your car with this guide.&nbsp; While jumping a dead battery is super simple, you&#8217;d be surprised by the number of men who have no idea how to do it. And even if [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":54840,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42382,6,42259],"tags":[42238],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-54780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cars","category-featured","category-skills","tag-cars"],"featured_image_urls":{"medium_large":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/03\/maxresdefault-768x432.jpg","large":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/03\/maxresdefault-538x280.jpg","reactor-320":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/03\/maxresdefault-320x180.jpg","reactor-640":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/03\/maxresdefault-640x360.jpg","reactor-1280":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/03\/maxresdefault-1280x720.jpg","rpwe-thumbnail":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2016\/03\/maxresdefault-45x45.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54780"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":184553,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54780\/revisions\/184553"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54780"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=54780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}