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Jeep Wrangler JK: How to Jump Start Your Battery

A dead battery can be easily fixed to get you home by jump starting it. Read on to learn how to revive your Jeep Wrangler.

By Bassem Girgis - November 25, 2015

This article applies to the Jeep Wrangler JK (2007-Present).

If your Jeep Wrangler's battery dies, it means you are not going anywhere; unless, of course, you have jumper cables. In order to jump your battery, you need another working vehicle and a jumper cable. The process of jumping the car should be classified as one of the easiest procedures you can do for your car, even easier than driving. The jumper cables borrow the charge from the working battery and charges your dead battery with just enough to get it started. Once it started, the alternator takes over and it recharges the battery. Sometimes you can recharge the battery by driving it for a little bit, but other times the battery will keep losing charge and you will have to replace it. Either way, jumping your car will allow you to get home instead of sitting around waiting for a tow truck. Read on to learn how to jump your Jeep Wrangler's battery.

Figure 1. Jumper cables.

Materials Needed

  • Jumper cables
  • Working vehicle

Step 1 – Park face to face

Ask the assistant that will help you jump your car to park in front of your car, so both front bumpers are close to one another.

Figure 2. Park working car in front of your wrangler, facing each other.

Step 2 – Connect jumper cable

Open the hood on both cars. Connect the red cable to the working (running) car battery, then connect the other end of the red cable to the dead car battery.

Connect the black end of the cable to the working car battery, then connect the other black end to anything metal on the dead car, such as a bolt or bracket. The Wrangler will have a bolt designed for that under the hood, which is connected to the fender, so connect the black cable to it.

Figure 3. Connect negative cable to metal part.

Step 3 – Start your car

After you've hooked up the jumper cable, wait two to three minutes to allow the dead battery to recharge a little bit. Go in your car and start it. If you hear it trying to start (making clicking noises), let it recharge for five more minutes. If it starts, remove the negative cable from your car, then the negative from the assistant car, then the red cable from your car and finally the red cable from the assistant car.

Figure 4. Remove jumper cable.

Pro Tip

Be sure to take the long route home; the longer you drive, the more your battery will recharge.

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