How to Use Jumper Cables & Which Color Jumper Cable is Positive?

What are jumper cables?

Car mechanics and people who are familiar with engines may be familiar with how to use jumper cables but an average driver may wonder what a jumper cable is and how to use those!

However, it is a useful piece of knowledge to have, should your car fail to start because of a dead battery? The answer is "No".

Jumper cables are thick electric cables which have a clip at each end. They are used to recharge a dead car battery by connecting to another car whose battery is charged.

You may find it deeply frustrating to come out of work or to the end of a shopping trip and to find out that you can’t start your car because the battery is flat. Even worse if you are by the side of the road and it is raining.

The most important consideration is how to get it started as quickly and cheaply as possible. If you know how to use a jumper cable, you will have a great advantage in such cases. 

Which color jumper cable is positive?

One of the most frequently asked questions is which one is the positive and negative clip of the jumper cable?  Is red positive on jumper cables?

For this you have to recognize the positive and negative battery cables and their particular uses. On the cable, two of the clips are positive and two are negatives. The red one is the positive and the negative one is marked with black tape.

The name "jumper cable" derives from the fact that the power in the charged battery 'jumps’ over to the dead battery. They are a useful piece of kit to store in the trunk of your car.

You never know when they may be needed, and it could be hugely inconvenient to be stranded without any of them. Even if you manage to flag down a driver that is willing to help you, if neither party has any  jumper cable, you are going nowhere.

How to use jumper cables?

So, if you find yourself in a situation where you have a dead battery, you need to know how to properly use  jumper cables. Without putting it up in the right way, you won't be able to charge your battery.

Firstly, you need to park the cars close together in order to connect the jumper cables. Jumper cables are often over ten feet long. So this gives plenty of room to connect from one car to another.

Some mechanics suggest that you purchase cables that are twenty feet long to give you maximum flexibility when connecting. A thick, durable coating on the cables is preferable as they will last longer.

Read more, If you want to know how to charge a car battery without another car

How to put on jumper cables?

Once you have retrieved the cables, you need to open the battery if it is covered. And then locate the battery posts underneath. Then you need to securely fasten the alligator clips on each end of the cable to the battery posts on each car.

The way the jumper cables connect is important. To start off, take the positive ends of the cable. You should attach the positive end to the positive battery post on the car with charge. Then you have to attach the other positive end of the cable to the battery post on the car with the dead battery.

Then you need to attach the negative clamp to the battery post of the charged car. Now there should only be one available battery post left. So, attach the negative clamp on the remaining cable end to the negative battery post on the car with a dead battery.

At this stage, you have to start the functioning car and the power from the engine will be transmitted to the car that is not working. This process will be charging the dead battery. The alternator in the good car and the battery will send or jump the power to the dead car which should produce a fully working battery.

It might take some time, several minutes at least, for the dead battery to recharge.

After a few minutes, if you are the driver of the car that needs charging, you can attempt to start the engine. If the car starts, the alternator in the car will recharge the battery. But if the car does not start then the battery needs further charging before the ignition will turn over.

Make sure that the red and black, or positive and negative ends of each cable do not touch each other during the handling of the cables. It could cause damage to the cables or, even worse, to the cars.

How to remove/disconnect jumper cables?

Once the dead battery has been recharged, it is important for you to know exactly how to remove/disconnect the jumper cables successfully and safely.  You need to remove the cables in reverse order to be safe and successful.

So, you have to remove the negative clamp on the car that has just been charged first. Then go for the negative clamp on the good car. Then take off the positive clamp from the good car. At last finish the whole process by removing the positive clamp on the newly recharged car.

It is a good idea to keep the newly recharged car running for a while to ensure that the battery is fully charged. If the engine is turned off too quickly, it might be hard to restart the car, so it is safer to keep the car running until you get to where you are headed, or at least to a garage if you have concerns about driving for a long distance.

So, that's it for today! If you have something more to share with us please leave it in the comment box. We would appreciate it.