A flat battery never happens at a convenient time. It’s either when you’re running late for work, or you really need your car to get to an appointment…Whatever the circumstance, the timing is never in your favour! Instead of getting frazzled, the best way to deal with a flat car battery is by being prepared and knowing exactly what to do next. This usually involves jumpstarting the vehicle, which is something every car owner should know how to do. With that said, here’s a step-by-step guide on jumpstarting a car.

How to avoid a dead battery?

Before delving into the process, let’s look at how you can avoid the problem of a dead battery altogether. If you often find that your car is running out of juice, then there are a few things that you may want to do so as not to have this happen.

First, avoid leaving the headlights on for extended periods of time. This will save considerable energy and prevent wear and tear on the vehicle’s electrical system. Second, if you’re prone to driving short distances, make sure you take your car for longer spins occasionally. Short distances are a sure way to kill the battery because the alternator needs time to recharge the battery after it’s been started. Finally, we ask a lot from our cars these days: from playing the radio to charging phones, everything you plug into the system takes a toll. Be aware of what you’re using and ask yourself whether it’s really necessary to plug it in while you drive.

Listen to your car and if you notice that it is wheezing, then this may mean that the battery is on its way out. Through regular servicing, your local mechanic will be able to tell you if the battery needs replacing.

Steps to follow when jumpstarting a car

The first step should always be to conduct a safety check. Make sure that the ignition of both cars is switched off, that the two cars aren’t in contact at all, and that both batteries are undamaged.

Once that’s done, grab your jumper cables and follow these steps:

Step 1. Attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal of your battery

Step 2. Attach the other red clip to the positive terminal of the other battery

Step 3. Attach one of the black clips to the negative terminal of the other battery

Step 4. Attach the other end of the black clips to an unpainted metal surface on your car that isn’t close to the battery

Step 5. Turn on the working vehicle and let the engine run for around 5 minutes

Step 6. Try to start your vehicle

If your car starts, you should take your car for a drive for approximately 15 minutes to charge up the battery again. However, if your car doesn’t start, it means that you’ll need to replace the battery.