
Vehicle not starting? It’s likely you need a jump start, car battery service, or something similar. Follow our guide on how to properly jump start a car from Towne Mazda so you can avoid the phone call for jump-start car service. If you notice this happens often and your battery is nearing the end, visit our service center near Buffalo today for a replacement.
The Proper Way to Jump Start a Car
First, you’ll need jumper cables and another vehicle. If you don’t have either, you can always call a jump start car service like AAA. Once you’ve got everything you need, follow these steps:
- Get the car with the good battery to park facing the dead vehicle, then make sure that the vehicle is turned off. Check to make sure both parking brakes are engaged.
- Open both hoods and find the batteries. You may need to remove a plastic hood to expose the battery terminals.
- Identify the positive and negative terminals. Make sure they’re clean and free of any corrosion.
- Connect the red clamp to the positive post on the dead battery.
- Uncoiling the battery cable, hook the other red clamp to the positive terminal of the battery with the charge.
- Connect the black clamp to the negative post on the good battery.
- For the final clamp, connect it to an unpainted metal surface on the car’s frame.
- Once everything is hooked up securely, start the engine of the vehicle with the good battery first, then the one with the dead battery.
- 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.
- 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
If you can’t get your car to start, you may need a battery replacement, or it may be a sign of a more serious problem. Try the following 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 Towne Mazda near Hamburg for a 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 Towne Mazda for Service
No matter if you’re in need of a new battery or an oil change, our service technicians can be of assistance. Our service department offers rotating service specials for additional savings so be sure to browse your options. Learn more with us, find out which Mazda models have AWD, find the right Mazda3 tire size, or contact us in the meantime with any questions.