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MANUAL
DO-IT-YOURSELF
Jump-start a dead car battery
It's hot out and the only thing on your mind after class is hopping in your airconditioned car and going home.
There's one problem, though: Your car won't start because the battery died.
Store manager Will Fritzler and sales representative Jason Nguyen from AutoZone, 2714 Iowa St., explain what you need to do when your battery dies.
Damn. Now what?
Put protective eyewear and gloves on if you have them, and absolutely don't smoke while you do this.
Begin by examining the battery. Is it frozen, cracked, leaking or does it have a rotten egg odor? If yes, don't jump the battery because it could explode. Your best bet is to have your ride towed. If the rotten egg smell disappears, then you can try to jump the battery later.
You'll need two things to jump-start your battery: a running car and a jumper cable. Locate a car that has the same battery voltage as yours. Twelve volts is standard in almost all vehicles. Don't try to jump a hybrid car or use a hybrid as a jumper; because it has two batteries and it won't work.
Park the cars close to each other, but make sure the cars don't touch.Turn both cars off.
Turn on the jumper car and give it a small amount of gas while in park or in neutral. This spins the alternator and charges the battery.The charge from the good battery helps to charge the bad battery.
The jumper cable has two clamps on each end, one positive and one negative. Begin by connecting the positive clamp to the dead battery then the positive clamp to the good battery. Next, connect the negative clamp to the dead battery followed by the negative clamp to the good battery.
Next, try starting the dead car and give it some gas. Give up if the car doesn't start within five minutes of jumping it. If the car does start, don't turn it off.
Remove the clamps beginning with the negative on the good battery, then the negative on the bad battery. Then, remove the positive clamp from the good battery, then the positive from the bad battery.
Drive the car around for awhile, preferably on the highway because this makes the alternator spin faster and longer, further charging the battery.
Even if your jump-start is successful, Nguyen recommends getting your battery tested ASAP. You can do this for free at AutoZone, or if your battery is completely shot, you can buy a new one at AutoZone and an employee will install it for free.
—Heather Melanson
18
September 4,2008
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