How to Connect the Positive and Negative Terminals for Jump Starting?
2 Answers
First, park the rescue vehicle and the vehicle to be rescued side by side or head to head, and open the front hood. Use two jumper cables to connect the batteries of the two vehicles. When connecting the jumper cables, the positive terminal should be connected to the positive terminal, and the negative terminal to the negative terminal. However, in practice, it is recommended to connect the negative terminal to the negative terminal. After connecting, start the rescue vehicle and maintain a higher engine speed. Then, start the vehicle to be rescued, and it should generally start.
When helping my neighbor jump-start their car, I always noticed that before operating, ensure both car engines are turned off and the vehicles are parked parallel but not touching. Locate the batteries; the positive terminal is usually a red post or marked with a + sign. Use the red clamp to first attach to the dead battery's positive terminal, then attach the other end to the working car's positive terminal. Next, for the negative connection: use the black clamp to attach to the dead battery's negative terminal (black post marked with a -), but never attach the other end to the working car's negative battery terminal—I clamp it to the engine block or any clean metal frame, such as a chassis bolt, to avoid sparks igniting battery hydrogen during the final connection. Start the working car and let it idle for a few minutes to charge, then try starting the dead car. Once successfully started, remove the clamps in reverse order: first the negative clamp from the dead car, then the engine block clamp, and finally the positive clamps. Wear gloves throughout the process and keep metal tools away to prevent electric shock or short circuits. Remember, reversing the positive and negative connections can fry electronic devices, so double-check the color markings. Always keep a new set of jumper cables in your car—don't wait for an emergency.
