Today’s cars are very complex. If the battery of your car dies – you want to be very careful how you get it started up. Here are 4 different ways you can charge the battery to get your car rolling down the road again.
1. Slowly charge the battery by using a battery charger.
2. Use a booster pack to jump the battery.
3. Call an expert mobile service to jump the battery.
4. If you must use jumper cables then I highly suggest you invest in MICHELIN’S Smart Jumper Cables™.
If you hook up ordinary jumper cables incorrectly it can result in sparking or shorting which could seriously hurt you. This could also produce a power surge that could kill your car’s expensive electrical system. I like to call modern cars – Computers on Wheels. And we all know that computers hate power surges.
This is why I highly recommend MICHELIN’S new Smart Jumper Cables ™. These idiot proof jumper cables eliminate the guesswork of how to hook them up the right way.
*They cost only $40.00 at auto supply retailers.
*The cable clamps can attach to either the positive or negative connections. How cool is that!
*They have these LED indicators that light up to tell you that the cables are hooked up right and you’re ready to start the cars and jump the battery.
*The textured grips make them easy to handle, especially in cold weather.
*The heavy-duty cable with insulated clamps stays flexible, tangle free, even in the winter’s cold.
Why does a battery die?
*You left something on or connected in the car that drained all the energy from your battery.
*The vehicle has a bad alternator.
*The serpentine belt is bad.
*The battery is old. They only last about 3-5 years.
*You got a defective battery and need to return it for a good one.
*You leave the car idling all the time or you drive the car on short trips not allowing the battery to recharge – so you wore out the battery before its time.
*Your battery is not b enough for all the add-ons like monster stereo systems etc. that you have had installed.
*The battery has dirty connector/terminals.
*The vehicle has a bad computer.
*The battery was damaged in an accident.
Getting Prepared to Use Jumper Cables!
*** Read your owners manual*** It will give you information you need, like – where the battery is located. Some vehicles have the battery under the hood, some behind the cab, under the seat or even in the trunk. ALSO, find out if there is an anti-theft system. Some alarms will activate whenever the battery is low or disconnected. That would be very annoying!
VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure that both the dead battery and the rescue battery have the “same” voltage. Car batteries are usually 12 Volts. Trucks may operate on a 24 volt system. Do not attach 12V to 24V.
DANGER! Never jump a battery that is frozen or has insufficient battery acid in it.
*Wear eye protection. Wear gloves.
*Make sure both cars are close enough for cables to reach BUT the cars are NOT touching.
*Set an auto transmission vehicle in “Park” position.
*Set a manual (5 speed) transmission in “neutral”.
*Set the emergency brake on both cars.
*Turn off the headlights, wipers, radios, and all accessories on both cars.
*Unplug anything that is connected to the cigarette lighter.
*Leave on the emergency flashers if needed.
*Turn off both cars’ engines.
*Open the hood of each of the cars and secure them.
Jumping a Battery using MICHELIN Smart Cables
1.Connect one set of clamps to the assisting vehicle’s battery. Put one clamp to each battery terminal – polarity doesn’t matter
2. Then go to the disabled vehicle: Connect the first clamp to the Positive Battery Terminal (red). The other clamp is attached to some metal on the dead vehicle’s engine block or frame. Painted, oily, or rusted metal will not work. Nuts, bolts, or other protruding shiny metal is best.
3. Both green indicator lights should be lit on the MICHELIN Smart Cables Center Module. If not – re-adjust the clamps until they do. If the green LED lights still do not glow after you have firmly connected the clamps, then your battery is damaged, completely drained or has less than the 6 residual volts required for boosting. Don’t try to jump this battery – you could do damage to your car or the assisting vehicle. Time to call the tow truck!
4. Start the assisting vehicle and let it idle at least 1 minute.
5. Then start the disabled car’s engine. Chances are that if there aren’t any other problems, the car will start easily.
6. Once the disabled vehicle is running, disconnect the clamp attached to the engine block first, then disconnect the remaining clamps in any order.
How is that for EASY!
Please Note:
If the vehicle does not start after cranking for 30 seconds. STOP! Call a tow truck!
Once you get your car running, drive it somewhere safe and secure before shutting off the engine. You will want to get the battery tested to see its condition, starting and charging voltage. If it was really dead, then you should have it slowly and completely charged using a battery charger.