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Short Summary
Main recommendation: To jump start a car safely, connect the jumper cables in a specific order, attach the final negative lead to a bare metal ground away from the dead battery rather than its negative terminal, and disconnect in reverse order. The video also recommends a portable jump starter as a self-sufficient alternative that avoids the sparking risk because it has an on/off switch and no current flows until turned on.
Key Points
- Keep the two vehicles separated so they don't touch, and remove the keys from both ignitions before starting.
- Connect the red (positive) lead to the dead battery first, because the dead battery holds less energy and starting there is safest.
- Never attach the final black (negative) lead to the dead battery's negative terminal, since sparks can ignite hydrogen gas that batteries release.
- Charge the dead battery by letting the donor car run for about 2 minutes before attempting a start, and if it still won't start, wait about 5 more minutes and try again.
- A click with no start may mean the battery is permanently bad, so check that both terminal connections are solid and try a different ground.
- A portable jump starter can be connected to the battery directly with no separate ground, because it has an on/off switch and no current flows until it is turned on, and even touching the two leads together causes no spark.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Park the donor car close enough for the cables to reach both batteries, without the cars touching, and remove the keys from both ignitions.
- Identify positive (red, usually marked +) and negative (black, usually marked −) terminals on both batteries. Spread the cables out so you hold one red and one black in each hand, and keep the clamp ends from touching each other.
- Clamp one red lead to the dead battery's positive terminal, making sure the copper teeth contact the bare metal post. Keep the other end of the jumper cables off all metal.
- Clamp the other red lead to the good battery's positive terminal, then clamp one black lead to the good battery's negative terminal.
- Attach the last black lead to a bare, unpainted metal ground away from the battery and not a moving part or electrical component, such as a thick engine block point or a strut tower bolt. Check the owner's manual for a designated jump-start ground point. Avoid thin wires that could melt, and avoid grounds next to flammable parts such as the fuel pressure regulator.
- Confirm the cables are clear of cooling fans and the serpentine belt on both vehicles.
- Start the donor car and let it run about 2 minutes. Then start the dead car.
- To disconnect, remove the black lead from the grounded metal first, then the black lead from the good battery, then the red lead from the good battery, and finally the red lead from the dead battery. Keep the clamps from touching each other or the car.
- If the engine barely turns over, leave the cables on for about 5 minutes for more charge. If it is close but needs more power, have someone rev the donor car to about 2,000 RPM and hold it while you crank.
- For a portable jump starter, keep it switched off, clamp the red lead to the positive terminal, clamp the black lead directly to the negative terminal, switch it on, start the car, then switch it off and remove both leads.
- The speaker's dead battery was in a 1995 Ford Windstar and was 7 years old, while he notes batteries typically last about 4 years on average.
- Batteries can release hydrogen gas, especially when run down, which is why sparks near the battery are a concern.
Bottom Line
Jump starting is manageable if you follow the connection order and keep the final negative clamp away from the dead battery, and a portable jump starter is a safer option you can use without a second car.