Every driver should have an idea of how to properly jump start a car.

It’s simple, and once you complete this task once, you’ll have it down. Learn more about the proper way to jump start a car, or contact our service team for some assistance. We’re more than happy to help you safely return to Hagerstown roads in no time at all.

The Proper Way to Jump-Start a Car

Should you ever find yourself in a parking lot with your Toyota Tacoma not starting, you’ll want to know how to jump start the car battery. Once you have a friend or a friendly civilian with a charged vehicle to help you, park both cars facing each other — close enough for the jumper cables to reach both hoods. You’ll then want to turn off the charged vehicle. After this is done, follow these steps to jump start the other vehicle:

1. Prop open both hoods, locate each vehicle’s battery, and remove any potential battery boxes or covers.
2. Identify the red, positive terminal and the black, negative terminal on both batteries.
3. Any corrosion or built-up debris on the terminals can be safely wiped with a rag.
4. Connect the one end of the red jumper cable to the red terminal on the dead battery.
5. Connect the other end of the red jumper cable to the red terminal on the charged battery.
6. Connect the black jumper cable to the negative terminal on the charged battery.
7. Connect the final black clamp to a metal, paintless part of the dead car’s frame to ground the connection.
8. Start up the car with the charged battery. Let it run a bit, and rev the engine a few times. This should jump start the car battery in no time.
9. Now, you can start your dead battery! Turn the key over and fire it up. If the car won’t jump start at this point, rev the engine a few more times.
10. After the car starts, let it run for a bit to allow the battery to charge.
11. You are now safe to carefully remove the jumper cables, even with the cars running.
12. Remove each black cable first, then red (reverse of the way they were put on). Be sure to keep them from touching each other.
13. Drive your car around Linganore-Bartonsville for 10-15 minutes to let your battery consume an ample recharge.

Learn More Service Tips From DARCARS Toyota of Frederick

We can help diagnose the problem if your car battery dying is a common occurrence. If you’re in need of a new battery or another part, you can find genuine Toyota parts at our parts department. Simply browse our parts and parts specials for additional savings, and you’ll be one step closer to cruising through town. Contact us today with any questions, to learn how we’re helping fight COVID-19, about how the Toyota Pre-Collision System works, about the Toyota Tundra towing capacity, or if you can’t get your vehicle to start at all.