A helpful guide for a stressful situation.

How to Jump-Start a Car in Kennesaw, GA

Picture this: You’re running late for work, and your car won’t start. A dead battery typically happens when car lights are left on, or when extreme outdoor temperatures negatively impact the battery. Being stranded is a bad situation to be in — that’s why Cobb County Toyota is here to make it a little less stressful. First things first — you’ll need jumper cables and a trusty friend with a working car! Below, we’ve compiled a step-by-step guide on the jump-starting process. Keep scrolling to learn more.

What to Do Before You Jump-Start Your Car

Before jump-starting, double check:

Your battery. Never try to jump-start a compromised battery. Signs of leaks, damage or corrosion are major red flags. Contact us and our expert technicians will get you back on the road in no time.
For metal objects and open flames. Tools, phones, watches, jewelry or cigarettes should be removed from the area around the battery. This is so that any sparks stay contained within the engine, not outside of it.
Your key. Simply take it out of the ignition and keep it in a safe place.
Your owner’s manual. In order to be more safe than sorry, always refer to your owner’s manual and follow the instructions for jump-starting your particular model.
The battery voltage. Make sure your dead vehicle’s battery and that of the donor car contain the same amount of voltage. Vehicles typically contain a 12 or six-volt battery. Never try to jump-start your car with a vehicle that has a higher battery voltage than yours.

What to Do Next

Ready to jump-start your car? Follow these tips:

Prepare both cars. Conveniently park the donor car next to yours for easy access to both batteries, and put the cars in park or neutral. In addition, make sure both vehicles are not touching each other.
Get out your jumper cables. This equipment comes with four alligator clips — two on each end. They’re color-coded to help make it a straightforward process: Red means positive and black means negative. Here’s the order in which you need to attach the clips:

a. RED to DEAD : Connect one of the red clips to the positive (+) terminal on your dead battery.

b. RED to DONOR : Connect the other red clip to the positive (+) terminal on the donor vehicle’s battery.

c. BLACK to DONOR: On the SAME CAR (donor vehicle), connect one of the black clips to the negative (-) terminal on the donor vehicle’s battery.

d. BLACK to METAL: Now, back to the dead battery. Connect the other black clip to bare metal that is not next to the battery. This can be an unpainted metal bolt or bracket.

Start the donor car and let it run for one to two minutes.
Now it’s time to try and start the dead vehicle.

a. If the car turns on, make sure to let it run for one to two minutes. This allows it to recharge, as power travels along the jumper cables and into your battery.

b. Conversely, if it won’t start, you either need to wait a little longer for it to charge or there may be a larger problem that needs to be diagnosed. You don’t have to figure it all out on your own — schedule a service appointment with us today!

Without turning your car off, remove the cables in reverse order from how you put them on.
Drive the vehicle for at least 30 minutes. This allows it to fully charge and retain the energy so that it can start up properly next time.

Does your ride need a jump pretty often? It may be time for a battery replacement! Schedule a service appointment with our expert technicians and we’ll swiftly install the new battery and dispose of the old one with care. You can count on Cobb County Toyota, not only for battery replacements, but for all your automotive needs!

If you have any questions about jump-starting a car, what battery is right for your Toyota or anything else, we’ll be happy to help. Contact us online or stop by Cobb County Toyota at 2111 Barrett Lakes Blvd., Kennesaw, GA 30144 . We're located near Marietta, Acworth and the greater Atlanta area.