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Friday, February 3, 2012

How To Properly Connect Jumper Cables

In the world of automotive emergencies, as a car owner, there are a few things that you should know how to do just to be safe. The top two that I can think of are know how to change a tire and know how to connect jumper cables so that you are prepared if an emergency should occur!

When it gets cold out, we tend to need to boost a battery more often. Jumper cables or cables on a portable battery booster must be connected correctly so that you are able to avoid sparks, which can cause an explosion of the hydrogen gas emitting from a battery. Besides an explosion which is pretty serious in and of itself; connecting your jumper cables incorrectly can damage critical, and expensive, electronic components – including accessories, such as cell phones connected to your vehicle’s power outlet.

So here is an easy “How To Guide:”

1. Connect the positive (+) clamp to the positive terminal of the healthy battery

2. The other positive clamp to the corresponding terminal of the dead battery.

3. Then, the negative (-), or ground, terminal on the good battery.

4. And lastly, the negative clamp to the engine block, frame or other grounded metal as far as possible from the battery. Make sure that you avoid sparks near the explosive hydrogen gas that emits from the battery. Do not connect it to the ground terminal (negative).

More and more people are using portable battery boosters; the process is pretty much the same.

1. Connect the positive clamp of the booster cable to the positive clamp of the dead battery.

2. Next connect the negative cable to the engine block or other grounded metal away from the battery.

Do NOT have your car running that is being jumped from to avoid a voltage surge that could damage electronics. If it is necessary, it may be OK to start the car after the cables are hooked up. If the car being jumped doesn't start give up and call a tow truck. It is possible to inflict way more damage than the cost of the tow.

If your battery is three-years old or older and you haven't had it checked, it's a good preventive measure to get it checked out! A battery's power is reduced as the temperature drops. And that's when the engine's starting demands are greatest.

Take good care of your car so that it can take care of you. If you have problems with your vehicle this winter, visit Metric Wrench Billings today to have a certified technician check it out for you. Visit Metric Wrench Billings today for all of your vehicle solutions today!