How To Charge a 12v battery With Jumper Cables.
When the vehicle remains parked in one place for a long time, the battery of some vehicles gets discharged. After the battery is discharged, you cannot start the vehicle. If you are stuck in such a situation, then jumper cable can help you a lot.
If you are traveling by car and your car’s battery runs out during the journey, then you can charge it with the help of jumper cables.
What is Jumper Cables?
Jumper cable is a type of wire, red and black, with red being positive and black being negative. Jumper cable clamps are installed on both sides of the wire, which can be easily connected to the battery terminal. Jumper cables are used to charge one battery to another.
How do jumper cables work?
Jumper cables can charge one battery from another. If one battery is dead and the other battery is fully charged, you can charge the dead battery with the help of jumper cables. Jumper cables use copper wire and have a length of cable. Clamps are placed at the ends so that the jumper cables can be easily connected to the battery terminals.
How to Connect Jumper Cables to The Battery
It’s important that the jumper cables are connected to the right terminals of your battery. If by mistake you attach them on the wrong side, you risk damaging both cells. As such, make sure that you use caution with connecting these wires between batteries.
Keep in mind that the red wire of the cable is positive, and the black wire is negative.
- If a dead battery is installed in the car, then park the car with working battery close to the car with dead battery so that the jumper cable can reach easily.
- Then connect the clamp of the black wire of the jumper cable to the (-) terminal of the battery, and connect the clamp of the red wire of the jumper cable to the (+) terminal of the battery,
- Make the connection between both the batteries in this way. Keep in mind that before connecting the clamp, switch off the AC light in the car and whatever is on in the car. There may be spark while connecting the clamp, hence it should be done carefully.
- After connecting the clamp properly, start your car and keep the car running for some time. It is important to keep the car running. If you do not start the car, then both the batteries will get half charged and then none of your car will start.
Is it Safe to Charge Battery With Jumper Cables?
Charging the battery with jumper cables is safe, but you need to keep some things in mind, otherwise the battery may get damaged and even explode. It is important to keep the following things in mind.
It is very significant to connect the jumper cables properly. Keep in mind that the red wire in the jumper cable is positive, and the black wire is negative. Connect these two cables properly. Be careful that the connection is not reversed, otherwise a short circuit may occur and everything in the car may get spoiled. It is possible that the battery may also get damaged. Before connecting it to the battery, keep the engine of the car switched off and do not keep anything running in the car. Start the car only after connecting the battery properly with jumper cables.
You should be aware that the voltage of the battery used to charge the dead one should be the same while charging a 12v battery so that you don’t put your life at risk. Some vehicles use 24v batteries.
For a 12v battery to be charged, it must have a 12v battery in front of it. If there is a 24v battery in front of it, connect the 12v battery to the 24v battery.<strong>Otherwise, the 12v battery may explode.</strong>
After charging is complete, carefully separate the negative terminals of the battery from the positive ones. First, take out both the negative terminals from the battery, and then remove the positive terminal.
If you don’t think you can do it, do not attempt to charge the battery. When you are working with electrical systems, have somebody else help you with the job and always remain cautious.
Important Note:
Ensure that the jumper cable clamps do not come into physical contact with each other or any metal surface except for the appropriate battery terminals to prevent sparks that might result in battery damage or harm.
Battery Health: Even though it is possible to get your vehicle back on the road by jump-starting, the reason for the dead state of battery should still be ascertained. The battery might be old, there are corrupted terminals, and the alternator is almost failing. Visiting a mechanic’s garage will help resolve these unmentioned cases if your automobile is involved in one.
Conclusion
If you want to have a car moving again as quickly as possible, follow the following procedure. Call a professional if you have trouble understanding any of the steps or if you find out that it is not possible to jump start your car. Please, ensure your safety at all times!