Tips for Jump-Starting Heavy Vehicles from a Truck Shop in Wytheville, VA

During the colder months of the year, battery failures become more common, which means so too does having to jump-start a vehicle. Here are some specific tips from a truck shop in Wytheville, VA you should keep in mind whenever you have a situation in which you need to jump-start a heavy-duty vehicle, such as a semi truck:

• Have the right tool: Jump-starters are available in a wide variety of forms, including different sizes and functionalities. The primary function of any jump-starter is to start your vehicle back up if it is having problems. Always have a jump-starter that is meant for your specific purposes, especially if you are trying to restart a heavy-duty vehicle like a tractor trailer.
• Take care of your tool: You should always keep your jump-starter charged, as you never know when you will suddenly have to use it. This is especially important to keep in mind during extreme temperatures, as you do not want to be stranded in harsh conditions. Those conditions will make it difficult to restart your vehicle if you do not have a fully charged jump-starter. Try to store the tool at a temperature above 50 degrees Fahrenheit all throughout the winter, and wrap it with a special insulating wrap if you can.
• Find a good ground: You must find a good vehicle ground for your negative clamp. If you are to have success in your jump-starting effort, you must form a complete conductive circuit. Keep an eye out for a heavy gauge metal part of the engine block or vehicle chassis, far away from the battery. Never under any circumstances should you connect the negative clamp to a carburetor, sheet metal body part or fuel line.
• Check the water level: If your vehicle’s battery is a flooded battery, make sure the water is at a proper level, as laid out in the manufacturer’s guidelines. If you have a low water level, you can add in some distilled water—again, according to manufacturer guidelines—being extremely careful not to overfill. If the battery is frozen, you should never attempt to jump-start it.
• If there are multiple batteries: The condition and conductivity of the battery connections are extremely crucial in vehicles with multiple batteries. All connections should be secure, and should be free from deterioration. You should always connect to the battery closest to the starter when performing your jump-start. Doing so ensures you will get the maximum available power from the jump-starter, and that it will not be depleted instead by the battery bank.

Jump-starting a heavy-duty vehicle can be an intimidating prospect, especially if you do not have a whole lot of expertise with vehicles. If you are ever having battery issues with your truck, get in touch with our team at Complete Truck Service, Inc., and we are happy to lend a hand. Contact our truck shop in Wytheville, VA today for more information about the wide variety of services we provide to drivers throughout the region.

Categorised in: Truck Repair Shop

This post was written by Writer