We recently blogged about reasons why your engine might not start
. Sometimes the problem can be quite serious and you have to turn your car in to a Utah auto repair shop. Other times the issue is a dead battery, and you simply need to jump start your car.
Jump starting your car begins with precautions. Know how your car works. Study the car manual so you know where parts are, specifically your battery.
You will also need to use jumper cables. Jumper cables are a great investment; since you will need them any time your battery dies. It is always best to be prepared ahead of time.
You will need another car to jump start your battery. Call up a friend or rely on a Good Samaritan nearby. The car should be parked close to yours so your cables can reach each vehicle.
Put the car in neutral. Have both cars park next to each other. You want to make sure that the emergency brake is pulled.
Locate the battery of your car and connect the jumper cables. Positive cables are red and negative cables are black. Be familiar with this so you don't get mixed up.
Locate the positive and negative terminals of your battery. The positive terminal can usually be identified by a + or POS, and is typically bigger than the negative terminal. Attach the red and black clips accordingly. Do the same to your friend's car and battery.
Turn on the engines and charge the battery. If your car won't start double check that the cables are connected the right way. If the car still won't start it could be one of the more serious issues that a Utah auto repair mechanic will need to look in to. Thankfully Utah auto repair mechanics are trained to quickly find solutions to these problems, so it shouldn't take a lot of time to find out what the issue is.