How You Are Putting Yourself At Risk When You Jump Your Battery

I've been using jumper cables ever since I got my driver's license. I grew up in rural Northern Minnesota, and everybody had a set in their cars. Our harsh, cold winters do a number on vehicle batteries, especially back in the day of carburetors and cranking the engine forever to get it going.

I stumbled on a video today on YouTube that was titled, "What most people get wrong about using jumper cables. I figured I knew everything about using jumper cables, but I have to admit there were some new things here.

The Donor Car Should Have A Bigger Engine Than The Jumped Car

YouTuber James Gatlin says a common mistake is trying to jump a larger vehicle than the donor vehicle. Like if you tried to jump a 1-ton pickup from a Smart car. It's not good for the donor battery. The engine should be bigger (meaning more battery power) on the donor car than the vehicle with the dead battery.

Read More: Explaining 30 Below Zero To Someone Not From Minnesota

To Properly Connect The Battery Terminals

Here's where a lot of people get it wrong. Most people know that you connect the red cable to the positive post marked with a + sign. But what a lot of people get wrong is where to put the negative cable.

On the car that's running, put the red cable on the positive post and the black cable on the negative post.

Negative Black Cable Should Attach To Metal In Engine Compartment

Then, on the car you're going to jump, connect the red cable to the positive post, and then the black cable should connect to bare metal in the engine compartment at least a foot a way from the battery? Why? It's safety.

Batteries can explode and burn you with acid. With a charge coming from the donor vehicle, connecting the black cable to the negative terminal will cause a spark. Usually, this isn't a problem, but sparks under the hood generally aren't a good thing. By connecting it to the vehicle's engine, it prevents a spark. Just make sure you're connecting to something solid, bare metal that's not a moving part.

Watch the full video for more tips, and stay warm out there!