All car owners need to be prepared to deal with different vehicle issues. Knowing how to change a tire, for example, is important. You should also know what to do if your battery dies. The experts at our Volkswagen service center have compiled a guide to help you get out of this jam.
Supplies Needed
You only need two things to get a dead battery started: a working battery and jumper cables. The first thing to do is to drive a car with a good battery up to the other car, turn it off, and pop both hoods. After that, it’s just a two-step process:
Step 1: Make the Connections
Take one end of the red cable and attach it to the positive terminal (marked with a plus) of the dead battery. Take the other end of the red cable and do the same with the working battery.
Now, take the black cable and connect one clamp to the negative terminal (marked with a minus) of the working battery. Don’t attach the other end of the black cable to the dead battery. It needs to be connected to an unpainted metal surface away from the battery, such as the hood strut.
Step 2: Turn the Cars On
Start by turning on the car with the good battery. Let it run for a few minutes. Next, turn the other car on. If everything has gone as planned, it should start up. Let it run for a few minutes, at which point you can disconnect the cables.
Don’t, however, turn the engine off; you’ll want to keep the car running for at least 20 minutes so the battery will get fully charged.
If your battery is in good shape, it should be fine. If, however, it’s old and running out of power, it probably won’t be long before it conks out on you again. To have your battery tested, make an appointment with our service center at Patrick Volkswagen near Westborough, MA.