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JUMPER CABLES

We have all been there. you get into your vehicle, turn the key and NOTHING! It's a dead battery. This is not time to learn how to properly hook up jumper cables. The Car Care Council states the best time to hook up jumper cables is before an emergency arises.

Hooking up a battery is especially important in cold weather. Jumper cables or cables on a portable battery booster should be connected properly to avoid sparks, which can cause an explosion and damage critical electronic components.

The procedure is simple:

  • Connect the positive (+) clamp (RED or YELLOW) to the positive terminal of the healthy battery and the other positive clamp (RED) to the corresponding terminal of the dead battery.

  • Next, connect the negative (-) clamp (BLACK) to the good battery and, finally, the other negative clamp (BLACK) to the engine block, frame or other grounded metal as far as possible from the battery. You want to avoid sparks in the vicinity of the explosive hydrogen gas that emits from the battery. Never connect it to the negative (-) terminal.

  • When using a portable battery booster, the process is much the same. Connect the positive (+) clamp (RED) of the booster cable to the positive terminal of the dead battery. Then connect the negative (-) cable (BLACK) to the engine block or other grounded metal away from the battery.

When buying jumper cables or a portable battery booster, always buy the best quality you can afford. Under the heavy electrical load of boost starting, lightweight cables may not be able to deliver enough current to start some engines.

If your battery is three-years old or older and you haven't had it checked, it's a good preventive measure to do so. A battery's power is reduced as the temperature drops. And that's when the engine's starting demands are greatest.


"Two things we pride ourselves on are being honest and fixing your car correctly, the FIRST time."

Tommy Wood