How to Jump Start a Car Safely: Step-by-Step for UAE Drivers

Jump start with cables, step by step

Park the donor car close but not touching, switch both cars off, and turn off lights, AC and accessories. Check the flat battery first: if it is swollen, cracked, leaking or smells of rotten eggs, do not jump it.

1. Red clamp to the positive (+) terminal of the flat battery.
2. Other red clamp to the positive (+) terminal of the donor battery.
3. Black clamp to the negative (–) terminal of the donor battery.
4. Last black clamp to an unpainted metal point on the flat car’s engine or chassis, away from the battery.
5. Start the donor car and let it run for two to three minutes.
6. Start the flat car. If it does not start, wait another few minutes and try again, no more than a few attempts.
7. Remove the clamps in exact reverse order: black from the flat car, black from the donor, red from the donor, red from the flat car.

Why the clamp order matters

A lead-acid battery can give off hydrogen gas, especially when it is deeply discharged or has just been charged. The last connection always makes a small spark. Making it on metal away from the battery keeps that spark away from the gas. Connecting positive first also means that if a spanner or clamp touches the bodywork while you work, it does not short the battery.

Cars where jump starting is different

Many cars common in the UAE do not have the battery under the bonnet, or use it differently. Check the owner’s manual for your exact model.

• BMW and many Mercedes models keep the battery in the boot or under a floor panel. Use the remote jump posts under the bonnet: a marked positive post and an earth point.
• Toyota and Lexus hybrids use a small 12V battery to wake the hybrid system. Jump it from the jump terminal in the engine bay; the car then goes to READY rather than cranking. Read more in 12V batteries in hybrids and EVs.
• Tesla and many EVs should not be used to jump start another car, and some cannot be jumped in the usual way. Follow the manual or call for help.
• Dodge Charger, Challenger and Chrysler 300 keep the battery in the boot; jump from the posts under the bonnet.

Jump cables or a portable jump pack?

Cables need a second car and cost little. A lithium jump pack works alone and is safer for most drivers because it has reverse-polarity protection. In the UAE, the catch is heat: a closed car in summer can go well past the storage temperature most packs are rated for, which shortens their life and can be a safety risk. Keep a pack out of direct sun, check its rated temperature range, and recharge it every few months.

Whichever you use, choose cables or a pack rated for your engine size. A thin set of cables that works on a Yaris may not start a Land Cruiser.

Clicks, cranks or nothing: what the car is telling you

If the car cranks strongly but will not fire, more jumping only drains both batteries. Read car won’t start: battery, alternator or another fault.

After the jump: how long to drive and when to test

Drive for at least 30 minutes, ideally at steady speed rather than in traffic, so the alternator can put charge back. Short trips after a jump often end in another flat battery.

If the car needed a jump with no obvious reason, such as lights left on, get the battery and charging system checked. A mobile battery test tells you whether the battery is worn out or the alternator is not charging. If the battery is more than about three years old in UAE heat, plan a battery replacement before the next failure.

Safety: when not to jump start

• The battery case is swollen, cracked or leaking.
• There is a smell of rotten eggs (sulphur) near the battery.
• The battery is frozen or visibly damaged after an accident.
• The cables or clamps are damaged, or the clamps get hot during the jump.
• You are on a motorway hard shoulder: get behind the barrier and call for roadside assistance.