It doesn’t matter if you drive an Audi or a Volvo; jump-starting the battery is the same. East Coast EuroWerks recommends that you bring your European automobile to our shop once you’ve got the engine started so we can inspect the battery. It’s possible that you need a new battery and this is why you had to jump-start the old battery in the first place.
Position the Vehicles
If you are stuck with a dead engine, flag someone down to see if they will help you jump-start your European automobile. If the person agrees, have him or her park their vehicle in front of yours so that both engines are facing each other. Make sure that each car has its parking brake set to prevent the vehicles from rolling. You want to make sure that the vehicles stay put.
Locate the Batteries
Once the cars are in position, pop the hoods and find the battery in each engine. If necessary, remove any covering over the batteries. Check the battery terminals on each battery to make sure they are not corroded. If they are, clean the battery terminals before you jump-start the dead battery. If you need to clean a battery, reconnect the battery cables when you are done.
Connect the Cables
Take the jumper cables and spread them out between the two engines. You need a positive and negative side for each engine. Clamp the positive clamp to the positive terminal on the car with the good battery first. Next, clamp the positive clamp on the dead battery’s positive terminal. Do the same with the negative clamps. Note, if your European automobile has a piece of unpainted metal for the negative clamp, clamp it there instead of on the battery terminal.
Start the Automobiles
Start the automobiles in this order: the car with the good battery first and your European automobile with a dead battery second. Allow the vehicles to run for a few moments. Keep the engine running on the European automobile. Do not turn it off or the battery may die again.
Remove the Cables
Remove the jumper cables opposite of how you attached them. In other words, remove the negative clamp from your European automobile and then the jumper car, and then remove the positive clamp from your European automobile and then the jumper car.
Swing by East Coast EuroWerks in Wilmington, NC, for a battery inspection so we can determine if your battery will charge itself again.
