How to jump start a car

Caught in a spot of trouble and need a quick fix to get you back on the road? We can help.

Choose between jump starting your vehicle by pushing or starting your car battery with jump leads - and read our guide below to help you to get back on the road as soon as possible.

How to start a car with jump leads

What you'll need

Positive (red) jump lead
Negative (black) jump lead
Another car with a charged battery with the same voltage as your battery (this is usually 12 volts)
Safety gloves (optional)
Safety goggles (optional)

1. Park the cars next to one another

Arrange for the working car to line up and park next to the car which needs jump staring - ensuring either the batteries of both vehicles are in line, or facing one another. This is to allow the jump leads to connect.

Turn off the ignition of both vehicles, and make sure the handbrakes are applied.

2. Attach the positive jump lead

For safety, put on your safety gloves and safety gloves if you have them.

Attach the red jump lead to the positive battery terminal on the working vehicle - this should be connected to the '+' symbol on the battery. Next, attach the other end of the positive jump lead to the positive battery terminal on the vehicle with the flat battery.

3. Attach the negative jump lead

Now, it's time to attach the black jump lead to the negative battery terminal on the working car. Do not attach the other end of the jump lead to the flat battery - instead, you need to attach it to an earthing point. This is usually a piece of unpainted metal away from the battery and fuel system, or it can be a designated earthing point within the vehicle. Unsure where your earthing point is? Check your vehicle manual.

4. Restarting the engines

After 5 minutes, turn on the ignition in the working vehicle and let this run for about 1 minute. Next, the vehicle with the flat battery can be turned on, and you can let both of these vehicle's engines run for around 10 minutes.

5. Finishing touches

After 10 minutes, turn off both car engines. Next, remove the positive and negative leads in reverse order - removing the black lead first, and then the red lead. Ensure that the leads do not touch one another, or either vehicle, when they are removed.

You can now attempt to restart your vehicle - if it doesn't start after a few attempts, it might be more serious than just a flat battery. If this is the case, seek professional help. If it does start, leave it running for 5 minutes and then you should be ok to drive off.

How to jump start a car by pushing

There is a traditional method of restarting car batteries - 'giving it a bump start'. This method is only preferable if you do not have any jump leads, as this can be physically straining. It also only works with manual cars, and the environment and your surroundings need to be carefully considered before attempting this method.

What you'll need

1-2 volunteers to help push your vehicle
Someone in the driver's seat to start the vehicle

1. Position your vehicle

First, make sure your vehicle is in the correct position. For example, if you are parked facing downhill, you won't need to push.

2. Apply the clutch

Apply the clutch and put your vehicle in second gear - but make sure you do not remove your foot from the clutch pedal.

3. Start to push

You can now turn on the ignition and ask your volunteers to help push your car - or take your foot off the brake if you are on a hill.

4. Release the clutch

Once your vehicle is moving at a walking pace, you can then bring up the clutch and the engine should start. You can then let the engine run while the battery recharges.

Car batteries from PTA garages

Here at PTA Garages, we provide expert car battery services - supporting you if your battery needs charging, your battery dies often with no obvious reason, or you require a battery health check. It's important to keep an eye on your battery life, as sometimes a faulty battery can be indicative of a serious problem.

Find out more about our car batteries today at your local branch.