How to Jump-Start a Car

It happens to the best of us: You head into the office in the morning, only to come out eight hours later and discover you left your lights on all day. Or, maybe your car battery has reached the end of its life and you’ve been put in the unfortunate position of discovering that fact through a dead battery at the grocery store. No matter the situation, every Raleigh driver should know how to jump-start a car. You never know when it’ll help you or a fellow driver! BMW of Southpoint details the proper way to jump-start a car in the following guide.

How to Properly Jump-Start a Car

Before you call around for jump-start car service in Cary—which can be costly depending on your coverage—you might be able to jump-start your car battery on your own. You will need a set of jumper cables and the assistance of a helpful friend or stranger who has a working vehicle. When you’re ready, here is the proper way to jump-start a car:

1. Park the car with the good battery so that it’s facing the car with the dead battery, then turn it off completely. Double-check that both vehicles have the parking brake in use.
2. Pop the hood of both vehicles and locate their batteries. Some vehicles protect the battery underneath a plastic hood.
3. Locate the positive and negative battery terminals and ensure they’re free of corrosion.
4. Connect the red clamp to the positive post of the dead battery.
5. Connect the other red clamp to the positive post of the charged battery.
6. Connect the black clamp to the negative post of the charged battery.
7. The remaining black clamp should be connected to an unpainted metal surface on the frame of the car with the dead battery.
8. With everything hooked up properly, you can now start the engine of the car with the good battery, then start the engine of the car with the dead battery.
9. Once the dead battery is jump-started, you can remove the jumper cables. This must be done in the reverse order of how they were connected. Once you’ve done this, turn off the car that had the working battery.
10. The vehicle that was jump-started should be kept running for at least 10 minutes to ensure the battery stays charged—it’s smart to check the owner’s manual, too, which might recommend waiting a bit longer after a jump-start.

BMW Jump-Start Car Service Details

Depending on how new your BMW vehicle is, it may still be covered by BMW’s Roadside Assistance package. BMW Roadside Assistance is given to new vehicles for four years from the original in-service date, with no mileage limits. Fortunately, BMW Roadside Assistance includes jump-start car service! Simply call the BMW Roadside Assistance phone number at 1-800-332-4BMW (800-332-4269) for 24/7 help. In the event that your car won’t jump-start, your vehicle can be towed to the nearest BMW service center.

Car Won’t Jump-Start? Read These Tips.

If you’ve attempted to jump-start the car battery several times and it’s not working, you might need an entirely new battery—a car battery can only withstand a certain number of charge cycles before it needs to be replaced. Here are some other potential reasons why a car won’t jump-start:

1. If you hear a clicking sound when attempting to start the car, you might be dealing with a bad starter.
2. If the car’s electrical systems start-up but the engine won’t turn over, the issue could be tied to one of several components: the ignition switch, battery, starter, or fuse.
3. Did you let the car run long enough after jump-starting it? This is important because it gives the battery time to fully recharge after being drained.

Schedule Battery Service in Durham

Having battery troubles in Chapel Hill? Allow the service department at BMW of Southpoint to take a look. Our experienced service technicians will diagnose the problem and advise you on what to do next. We offer the convenience of online scheduling, and our ongoing service specials help keep service costs low. Contact us with any additional questions!