Getting a Jump Start on Winter Driving
Stay Safe with Jump Starts this Winter
Madison, WI. Icy roads, plows shooting up clouds of snow and blinding light bouncing off packed snow cause all sorts of problems for Wisconsin’s drivers, but one of winter’s worst effects come before people even hit the road—winter causes dead car batteries and jump starting them presents a fair share of issues.
Car batteries often die in the winter, because the cold affects the vehicle in two ways. First, a cold battery has less cranking power than a normal temperature battery. Second, cold oil is thick oil, and thick oil is harder to turn over in the engine. While these traits occur independently of each other, they combine and make it harder for vehicles to start, effectively killing the battery.
Dead batteries can occur in both traditional cars as well as more modern hybrid vehicles. And while many people might know how to jump start a traditional car, the precautions necessary for either jump starting or receiving a jump from a hybrid vary depending on make/model, yet hybrid owners might not even realize this. Owners of hybrid vehicles must check their owner’s manual, or check with their dealer regarding correct jumper cable connecting procedures.
“If hooked up improperly, the 12 volt battery of the dead vehicle could explode, spraying sulfuric acid onto anyone nearby—with that possibility, it’s always good to be safe” says Smart Motors Service Manager Jim Ward. Also, incorrectly connected battery jumper cables could explode but far more often do damage to vehicle electrical systems even before a vehicles fuse will blow.
How can one be safe when jump starting a vehicle? Smart Motors’ Jim Ward put together the following checklists for how to keep vehicles safe and fully powered even through the worst of winter’s fury.
Jump starting a traditional vehicle:
Park the booster vehicle close but not touching the one that needs to be jumped.
Begin the process by clamping one of the positive jumper cable ends (red) to the positive battery terminal (labeled with a “+” on the battery) of the dead vehicle.
Connect the other end of the positive cable (red) to the positive battery terminal on the booster vehicle (again, confirm that a “+” is next to the battery terminal).
Connect the negative cable end (black) to the negative battery terminal on the booster car (marked with a “-“). Finally, attach the other end of the negative cable to an unpainted metal surface on the engine of the dead car.
Start the dead vehicle and let the two vehicles idle for a few minutes.
Once the dead vehicle is started and running smoothly, disconnect the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were connected.
Drive the revived car to somewhere safe and secure before shutting off the engine.
An important note about batteries and cold temperatures: Timing is key with discharged batteries. Even a brand new battery can become discharged if for example, lights were left on, or a door left open. The battery has a fluid in it which does not freeze primarily because it has an electrical charge. The discharged battery will likely be ruined and require replacement if left all day or overnight without charging so the point is to take action as soon as possible in very cold weather. The difference between waiting overnight or for a day may be the difference between simply charging up the battery vs. having to replace it.
About Smart Motors
Smart Motors was founded in 1908 by O.D. Smart and is one of the nation’s oldest automotive dealerships. Smart Motors is the mid-west’s largest hybrid dealer, is Wisconsin’s #1 volume Toyota dealer, and Wisconsin’s #1 volume Scion dealer. Smart Motors is also the #1 Prius, Prius c, and Prius v dealer in the Chicago Region. Located at 5901 Odana Road, Smart Motors is Wisconsin’s only two-time President’s Cabinet Award recipient from Toyota Motor Sales for superior customer service & sales volume. For more information visit www.smartmotors.com
