Jump-start
A jump-start means starting a car with a flat battery by connecting it to another battery or a booster pack.
What is Jump-start?
Many cars have dedicated jump-start points under the bonnet, especially when the battery sits in the boot or under a seat. Booster packs with lithium cells are a convenient alternative to a second car. Electric and hybrid cars may be jump-started on the 12 V side only, and some must not be used to jump other cars.
How it works
Connect positive to positive, then the donor negative to a bare metal ground point on the dead car, start the donor, then try starting the dead car.
Why it matters for your car
Wrong polarity can destroy fuses, control units and the alternator. After a jump-start, drive long enough or charge the battery properly, and test it, because a deeply discharged battery may be damaged.
Other terms
- Coil Spring Compressor
- Compression Test
- Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
- DC Fast Charging
- Electronic Parking Brake
- Gear Lever (Gear Selector)
- Ground Clearance
- Historic Vehicle Registration (Classic Plates)
- LIN Bus
- Lithium Grease
- NACS Connector (SAE J3400)
- Naturally Aspirated Engine
- Neutral Safety Switch (Inhibitor Switch)
- Pressure Washer
- Recovery Points
- Refractometer (Coolant And AdBlue Tester)
- Service Indicator Reset
- Valet Mode
- Vehicle Overloading
- Vehicle-to-Load (V2L)