Every now and then we may need a boost
Every now and then we all need a boost. Sometimes it’s an emotional boost from friends and family, but other times it’s a boost to get your vehicle running. Sometimes it’s both. Knowing how to properly boost a battery can save you time and frustration. How much do you know about boosting someone’s…battery?
Luckily I learned how to boost a battery early on in my driving career. It’s saved me a lot of frustration and time over the years. It’s also saved one of my student’s a lot of frustration just before their road test. After arriving at the test centre to take my student to their test, we returned to the vehicle to wait for the driving examiner to come to meet us after signing in. Since it was cold outside, I suggested to my student that they start the engine and run the heater. The only problem was the battery was dead – and this was just 10 minutes before the scheduled road test was to begin.
I needed to get a boost for the dead battery so I quickly grabbed the booster cables and tried to flag down a passing driver, but they continued without stopping. A second driver stopped but said they didn’t know how to boost the battery. I guided their vehicle close to mine and did the boost, threw the cables back into the trunk just as the driving examiner came outside to take my student on their road test. Talk about a close call. Oh yeah, my student passed their road test.
The first thing to remember is to always carry a set of booster cables in your vehicle. Even if you aren’t prepared to boost the battery yourself, someone passing by may be able to help you. You may also be able to carry a battery pack with cables that can boost the battery without another vehicle present.
Now, the following video will be able to explain all the steps you’ll need to know in order to safely boost the dead battery. You’ll have to figure out for yourself how to boost the morale of your friends.