Jumper cables are a gear you always want to have with you but hope you\u2019ll never actually need to use. These cables can be a lifesaver when your battery is dead and your car won\u2019t start, or when you get the chance to help out someone who\u2019s been stranded by a bad battery.<\/span><\/p>\n Knowing how to use the cables appropriately and how to store them safely will make it that much easier to help both yourself and others out of a sticky situation.<\/span><\/p>\n You might have a hard time finding the battery under the hood of some vehicles. That\u2019s because it may be in the trunk or, in the case of some SUVs, under the load floor in the cargo area. In these installations, you\u2019ll likely find an access panel that lifts up over the positive terminal of the battery, alongside a ground terminal that might not be the actual battery ground itself. Your owner\u2019s manual can help you find the battery as well.<\/span><\/p>\n Jumper cables<\/a><\/strong>, also called booster cables, seem pretty straightforward. The black alligator clamps\u00a0connect to the negative ( \u2013 ) or ground on each vehicle, while the red alligator clamps\u00a0connect to the positive ( + ) terminal on each<\/span> car\u2019s battery<\/a><\/strong>, completing the electric circuit between the two vehicles and allowing them to share the electricity needed to run the starter on the dead automobile.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s not as simple as just connecting the clamps, however. With both vehicles off, you\u2019ll want to use the following sequence:<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Connect to the positive terminal on the good battery.<\/span><\/p>\n 2. Connect the positive terminal on the bad battery.<\/span><\/p>\n 3. Connect the negative terminal on the bad battery. Don\u2019t connect the negative clamp to the good battery.<\/span><\/p>\n 4. Look for an unpainted piece of metal in the engine bay to use as a ground, and clamp there instead \u2014 it will offer a better connection, without risking damage to the good battery.<\/span><\/p>\n 5. Once clamped on, start the car with the good battery, let it idle for a minute and then crank the car with the dead battery for five seconds, or until it starts.<\/span><\/p>\n Wait a minute or two between each five-second pull to make sure you don\u2019t drain the other vehicle\u2019s electrical system.<\/span><\/p>\n Jumper cables need to stay clean and free of corrosion to ensure they can transmit enough power to get a car started. Most cables come with a protective bag you can use to store them in your trunk, but it\u2019s important not to get that bag wet and to clean off any dirt or rust that could form on the leads. Cables can corrode on the inside, too \u2014 this is harder to spot, but generally if you keep them dry you won\u2019t have to worry.<\/span><\/p>\n For more information on jumper cables, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local<\/span> NAPA AUTO PARTS store<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo Credit:<\/span>\u00a0Jumper cables<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>by<\/span> cohdra<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(<\/span>morguefile<\/a><\/strong>).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n This article has been reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder, National Automotive Parts Association. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Click here for more<\/span>\u00a0<\/i>automotive tips and stories<\/a><\/i><\/strong>\u00a0from NAPA, or here for more information on<\/span> the next Pomona Swap Meet & Classic Car Show<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":9158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cos_headline_score":0,"cos_seo_score":0,"cos_headline_text":"","cos_headline_has_been_analyzed":false,"cos_last_analyzed_headline":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[805],"tags":[5125,5128,3342,5124,5123,5122,5129,1136,5120,3633,3026,5121,5130,5127,5126],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/NAPA-Blog-Jumper-Cables.jpg?fit=895%2C468&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9nnZN-2nH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9157"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/98"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9157"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9157\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9160,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9157\/revisions\/9160"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Locate the Battery<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Connect Properly<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Store Safely<\/strong><\/h3>\n