Car troubles are always inconvenient, especially when rushing to get somewhere. A common problem drivers face daily is their battery dying or running out of power.
However, lucky for you, the simple solution to fixing a dead battery is jump-starting it.
All you need is jumper cables and an auxiliary power source.
However, can you jump start a car using the wire for the trailer harness?
How to Jump Start a Car with Jump Cables?
Before jump starting your car
- Review your vehicle’s manual, especially the parts related to your car’s battery or jump starting. Some manufacturers don’t recommend jump-starting your vehicle, while others might have specific instructions for your model.
- Ensure you know the position of your car battery. The battery is at the front, next to the engine for most cars. However, for others, the battery could be in your trunk. If that’s the case, there’ll be set terminals if you want to jump-start.
- Inspect your battery to determine the negative and positive terminal. The negative terminal is (-), while the positive is (+). It’s important to tell the two apart as a proper connection is essential to perform a jump start and avoid accidents. In an electrical system, energy flows from a wire system to positive terminals from negative terminals. Ensure the jumper cable clamps don’t touch anything except your target.
- Before you recharge your battery, you’ll need a power source, which could be another car or a portable jump starter.
During jump starting a car
- First, ensure the necessary tools and vehicles are off for either scenario. For further safety, it would be best to take out your key. Also, ensure there are no flammable items close by. Although fires, sparks, and extreme cases are uncommon, explosions could occur when attempting to jump-start your car. Jump starter packs and car batteries have high volts of electricity, and although manufacturers design cables and jump starters to minimize the risk of incorrect usage, accidents could still happen.
- To safely attach your jumper cables, follow the steps below.
- First, connect either side of the red cable to the dead battery at the positive terminal.
- Then, connect the opposite side of your red cable to your working battery at the positive terminal.
- Now, connect either side of the black cable to the negative terminal on the working battery.
- Lastly, connect the opposite side of the black (negative) cable to an unpainted metal piece on the other vehicle. Ensure you don’t attach the last clamp of the black to the negative terminal of the dead battery.
(Most portable jump starter chargers and devices have two clamps permanently attached to the device. Ensure both clamps are separate to minimize the chances of sparking.)
Jump Starting Dead Battery With Another Car
- Once you’ve properly connected the cables, turn on your power source and attempt to start your car. Turn the ignition key and hold it for two or three seconds if necessary. If a few seconds isn’t enough to start your car, give your battery pack some time to cool down before attempting again. Doing so increases the energy sent to the battery while trying to start it again.
- You’ll know a successful jump start when your car engine turns over and starts running independently.
During jump starting a car
- Now, you can disconnect the cables.
- First, disconnect the black cable from your car.
- Followed by the red cable from the positive terminal on your battery.
- After jump-starting your car, drive around for a while to give your battery time to recharge itself.
- However, if your jump-start fails, have a mechanic check out the car to provide a more detailed diagnostic.
What Two Wires Start a Car?
Jumper cable gauges range from 1 AWG – 12 AWG. Two factors determine the best AWG size cable for a battery connection: Amperage and Distance.
Amperage determines the amount of current a car engine pulls when trying to start. If you drive a smaller car, you won’t need the same amount of amperage as a full-size SUV or large truck will need.
Sometimes, as little as 200 amps will be enough power to start your car. However, using a cable rated lower than 400 amps is not advisable. Furthermore, you might need more in some scenarios, something with 600 amps or higher.
Also, there’s a particular voltage drop whenever you run a wire. If the voltage drops below this threshold, your electronics may not function as intended.
However, with electric circuits, you can battle voltage drop using larger AWG wires.
So, you should choose the two wires accordingly.
Compact
Often, compact cars will need a 6 AWG jumper cable to start. Whether you drive a Mazda 3 or Kia Forte, you want a 6 AWG 10-foot jumper cable capable of providing up to 200 amps.
However, a 4 AWG jumper cable could still get the job done. However, with such a cable, you’ll need one 20 feet in case you can’t park the vehicle’s bumper to bumper.
Also, for the best results with a 4 AWG jumper cable, you’ll need one capable of providing up to 400 amps.
Sports Car
If you drive a sports car, a 4 AWG 10-foot jumper cable is the minimum size you should get.
However, getting a 2 AWG 20-foot jumper cable for a Ford Mustang or Chevy Camaro is recommended.
Despite 400 amps being sufficient, opting for a cable offering 600 amps would be better.
Furthermore, you’ll want a jumper cable with solid copper clamps to ensure secure connections.
Intermediate
If you have a Kia K5 or Toyota Camry with a dead battery, a 6 AWG 10-foot jumper cable capable of providing up to 200 amps should do the job.
However, in order to ensure performance, upgrading to a 4 AWG 20-foot jumper cable capable of offering up to 400 amps is recommended.
Full Size
If you have a Nissan Maxima or BMW 7 Series, you’ll need at least a 6 AWG 10-foot jumper cable capable of supplying at least 200 amps.
However, for optimum performance, you can opt for a 4 AWG 20-foot jumper cable capable of supplying up to 88 amps. Plus, with this cable, you have added protection.
Minivan/SUV
If you drive a Honda Passport or Toyota Sienna, your battery needs more juice to jump start.
Therefore, you can opt for a 4 AWG 10-foot jumper cable capable of supplying up to 400 amps.
However, for maximum performance, you can opt for a 2 AWG 20-foot jumper cable capable of supplying up to 800 amps.
Truck/Van
If you have a Chevy Express full-sized or Ford F-150, you can opt for a 4 AWG 10-foot jumper cable capable of supplying up to 400 amps.
However, for maximum performance, you can get a 2 AWG 20-foot jumper cable capable of supplying up to 800 amps.
Jump Starting Dead Battery With Portable Jump Starter
Can you Jump Start a Car Using the Wire For The Trailer Harness
No, you can’t use the wire from the trailer harness to jump start your car.
A trailer harness normally uses 16 AWG wires; however, if you have a bigger truck, opt for a thicker wire, probably 12 AWG or 14 AWG.
If you’re looking to jump start a regular-sized vehicle, then as previously mentioned, a 6 AWG jumper cable will do the job.
However, if you drive a full-size truck, especially one running on diesel with a bigger battery, you should opt for a 4 AWG jumper cable. Also, such a thick cable is ideal for jump starting heavy machinery.
Furthermore, if you drive a truck with a lot of power and many batteries, you should go for a 1 AWG or 2 AWG jumper cable. This size is also ideal for various machinery or a skid steer.
It’s important to note that choosing a thicker cable is better than choosing a too-slim cable.
If your jumper cable is too slim, it increases resistance and probably won’t jump start your dead battery.
Also, keeping your jumper cables in your vehicle is important because having them at home doesn’t serve their purpose.
Plus, you never know where exactly you will experience a dead battery.
Conclusion
Now, it’s safe to assume you can now navigate jump starting your car if you suffer from a dead battery.
Remember that the type of car you drive determines the wire gauge of the cables you decide to get. For all your jumper cable needs, feel free to contact Cloom Tech.
