South Meath Driving School

Flat batteries account for about 30% of all breakdowns according to the Automobile Association. In the main those batteries are old and in need of replacement. Internal lighting or sidelights left on for long periods will also run down the battery. I know of one gentleman who parked up his Mercedes for a month in the winter of 2010, while he holidayed Down Under. While he was having Christmas dinner on Bondi Beach, his Merc was struggling silently with -17.5 degrees of frost here. The seizure the car suffered, adequately matched that of its owner on his return. It cost him the price of another holiday or, maybe one could say that it was then his car’s turn to go Down Under!

In the distant past, there was no problem using jump leads for any car that stalled. That has all changed. Consult the car handbook and if specific procedures are to be followed, then the manufacturer’s guidelines must be taken into account. The AA advises that jumpstarting a vehicle is a safe procedure but that it can be dangerous if performed incorrectly and a step by step guide is suggested here –

• Drivers should keep metal objects away from the top of the car battery – rings, watch straps, hand tools etc. just brushing a battery post can cause a massive spark, possibly exploding the car’s battery and releasing the acid.
• Drivers should never attempt to jump-start a car battery that is leaking or looks damaged – an explosion could result.
• Drivers should avoid smoking or naked flames – car batteries give off flammable gases and an explosion could result.
• Drivers should keep their hands well away and avoid loose fitting clothing – with the vehicle’s engine running it’s easy to get caught-up and seriously injured on moving parts.
• Jump leads must be in good condition – damaged conductors or clamps can result in overheating and even fire.

Step by step

Before connecting leads to your car make sure the vehicles are the same voltage and parked with their handbrakes on and ignition off. The vehicles must not touch as this can cause sparks or an explosion.

1. Use the red jump lead to connect the positive terminal of the donor vehicle’s good battery to the positive terminal of the flat battery.
2. Then use the black lead to connect the negative terminal of the good car battery to a suitable earthing point on the engine or chassis of the other vehicle. This earthing point must be away from the battery and vehicle’s fuel system.
3. With both leads connected wait three minutes for the voltages to equalize before starting either car’s engine.
4. Start the engine of the donor car and allow it to run for a minute, then while still running, start the engine of the other car and leave both running at a fast idle for ten minutes. Don’t remove the jump leads while the cars’ engines are running as this can cause serious damage to the electronics on either car.
   If the jump leads get hot, avoid a possible fire by switching off both vehicles’ engines and allow the leads to cool.
5. Turn off the ignition on both cars and then disconnect the leads carefully in the reverse order to the way they were connected to the cars. Be careful not to touch the clips against each other or the car bodywork.
6. Start the car that had the dead battery using its own battery power. If it won’t start there could be a more serious problem that’ll need investigating by a professional.

 If all that advice doesn’t get you on the road, stick with the High Nellie.