If your vehicle won’t start, you likely need a jump start, car battery service, or something similar. Most of the time, a simple jump start will do. Follow this guide on how to properly jump start a car from Luther Mazda of Lee's Summit or you can always call for assistance. If this isn’t the first time you’ve needed a jump start, visit our service center near Kansas City for an inspection and battery replacement.

The Proper Way to Jump Start a Car

Before you get started, make sure you have the proper equipment. You’ll need a set of jumper cables and another vehicle. If you don’t want to do this on your own, you have the option to call a jump start car service like AAA. Once you’ve got that settled, follow these steps:

1. Have the car with the good battery park facing the other vehicle, then make sure that the vehicle is turned off. Check to make sure the parking brakes are engaged on both vehicles.
2. Open both hoods and find the batteries. You may need to remove a plastic cover to expose the battery terminals.
3. Identify the positive and negative terminals. Make sure they’re clean and free of any corrosion.
4. Connect the red clamp to the positive post on the dead battery.
5. Uncoiling the battery cable, hook the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the battery with the charge.
6. Connect the black clamp to the negative post on the good battery.
7. For the final clamp, connect it to an unpainted metal surface on the car’s frame.
8. Once everything is hooked up securely, start the engine of the vehicle with the good battery first, then the one with the dead battery.
9. Once the dead vehicle has been jump-started, carefully remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were placed on, then shut off the car that was used to help jump-start the dead car.
10. Keep the engine running on the restarted vehicle for at least 10 minutes to ensure that the weak battery doesn’t die again right away. Consult your owner’s manual for more info on recommended times.

More Battery Tips and Tricks

Jump-starting your car is a recurring event, or if your car won’t jump start at all, you may be in need of a battery replacement as it might be a more serious issue. Take these steps to troubleshoot the issue:

• If you try and start the car but only hear a clicking sound, the starter might not be functioning. Schedule service at Luther Mazda of Lee's Summit near Raytown for a starter replacement.
• If the electrical systems of the car turn on, but the engine fails to turn over, the problem could be a number of issues. The ignition switch, battery, starter, or a fuse could be the problem. It’s worth bringing your vehicle to a service center so they can diagnose the issue.
• Be sure to keep your vehicle running for a while after getting the jump. That allows the battery to recharge fully after it’s been drained.

Turn to Luther Mazda of Lee's Summit for Service

Whether you need help with a new battery or an oil change, we can help. Visit the Luther Mazda of Lee's Summit service center, located just a short drive from Grandview, to browse our available service specials and parts specials to help you save on the services your vehicle needs. Have questions or want to learn about the cost of a battery replacement? Contact us!