How to Jump Start Your Car in Ozark, AL

How to Jump Start Your Car in Ozark, AL

Given that hot summer weather can wreak havoc on your car’s battery, it’s not uncommon to have to jump start your vehicle during this time of year. In case you’re not familiar with the necessary steps or could simply use a refresher, the Service Department at Gilland Ford is here to walk you through the process! If you still have questions or require the attention of our team, don’t hesitate to call or visit us.

First Steps

If you turn the key or press the start button in your vehicle only to hear a clicking noise, then this means your battery is dead or just not producing enough of a spark to ignite your engine. Whether this is from leaving the headlights on, a damaged electrical component, or simple wear and tear, you’ll need to get a friend, neighbor, or coworker to help you out with the jump start. First, make sure the jump cables themselves are in good condition, as using frayed or damaged ones can cause life-threatening injuries. Next, confirm that your battery is still in good physical shape before positioning the donor vehicle next to yours.

Steps for Jump Starting

To begin, attach the red, or positive, clip to the positive terminal of your car’s battery. Then, take the positive side on the other end and do the same to the donor vehicle’s positive terminal before also hooking up the black clip to the donor’s negative terminal. Finally, attach the other black side to a non-painted piece of metal under the hood of your ride that’s not touching the battery. At this point, the other car can start its engine and allow electricity to flow from its battery to yours. To check on your charge levels, test your headlights and see if they can go. If they do, you can start your engine and see if it comes to life.

Wrapping Up

If the jump start is successful, you’ll want to allow the two vehicles to remain together for about 15 to 20 minutes to ensure that your battery has gained enough of a charge. At this time, you can carefully remove the clips in the reverse order that they were attached in. If the initial transfer didn’t work, you can try repeating the steps above once again to see if that makes a difference. In the event that the second charge is also unsuccessful, then your battery is likely too impaired to regain electricity and will need to be replaced entirely. In fact, even if you’re able to get your powertrain running again, it might be wise to have us take a look to confirm that nothing is amiss.

Now that you know how to jump start your car in Ozark, AL, you can feel confident if you ever end up in this situation or have to help out a friend. If you need a new battery or service, be sure to place your trust in the hands of Gilland Ford!

Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained on this site, absolute accuracy cannot be guaranteed. This site, and all information and materials appearing on it, are presented to the user "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. All vehicles are subject to prior sale. Price does not include applicable tax, title, and license charges. ‡Vehicles shown at different locations are not currently in our inventory (Not in Stock) but can be made available to you at our location within a reasonable date from the time of your request, not to exceed one week.