With many of us looking forward to the summer holidays, and possibly a long drive to our holiday destination, now is a good time to know how to deal with a flat car battery.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the jump-starting procedure is relatively standard for all vehicles on the road today, boost starting can cause serious damage to the vehicle\u2019s electrical system and computer,\u201d explained Les McMaster, chairman of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA).<\/p>
\u201cFirst consult the owner\u2019s manual for any specific boost starting instructions, as well as to ensure that the different locations are identified for the jump-start terminals in your car. In many modern cars these terminals are placed at strategic areas of the vehicle due to the battery being fitted in awkward locations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once the terminals are located and jumper cables are on hand, he advises lining up the car with the flat battery as close as possible to the vehicle with the booster battery.<\/p>
\u201cNext make sure both cars\u2019 handbrakes are up, that the gear selector is in neutral or park position, and that both cars are turned off and not touching each other before you connect the cables,\u201d said McMaster.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to remember that over 300 volts go through your system when the two batteries are connected and the transients can destroy equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cMake sure all headlights, indicators, car radios and air conditioners are off and radar detectors and cellphones are unplugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso unplug all accessories from cigarette lighters and other power sockets from both cars and remove the keys from the flat car\u2019s ignition until jumper cables are hooked up,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
McMaster advised that you take some time to familiarise yourself with the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals of both car batteries so you know exactly which one is which.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll batteries are clearly marked, so if you can\u2019t find it, it\u2019s probably under caked-on corrosion around the terminals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He suggests wiping off any battery acid that may have leaked.<\/p>\n
However, he warned that if the battery is cracked and liquid is leaking out, you should not go any further.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you try to jump-start the battery with a crack in it, it will explode.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt also doesn\u2019t make any sense to jump-start a cracked battery as it will die in a few minutes anyway. Bite the bullet and go buy another battery to replace the faulty one,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Once the posts are cleaned you can connect the car battery jumper cables.<\/p>\n
Usually, the positive battery cable is red or orange, and the negative cable is black \u2013 but always check for yourself just to be sure, he stresses.<\/p>\n
Remember that the cables must be connected in the correct order for safety reasons. Remember \u2018positive to positive\u2019 and \u2018negative to negative\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst connect one positive end of the jumper cable to the positive terminal of the dead battery.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen connect the other positive end of the jumper cable to the positive terminal of the good battery.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo the same with the negative cable,\u201d McMaster instructed.<\/p>\n
When the car batteries are hooked together, let them run for a minute or two before you try to start the dead vehicle.<\/p>\n
Once the dead vehicle starts, remove the cables.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter that is done, I\u2019d recommend having the electrical system checked,\u201d McMaster said.<\/p>\n
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