Page 278 of 378

Vehicle Storage Jump Starting
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or
more, remove the black, negative (-) cable from
the battery. This will help keep your battery from
running down.
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. Be sure
to follow the steps listed below to
do it safely.
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly
hurt if you
aren’t careful. See “Jump Starting” next for
tips on working around a battery without getting hurt.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your
vehicle for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, see Theft-Deterrent
Feature
on page 3-54.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or
all of these things can hurt you.
Notice: Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it
won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
5-53
Page 279 of 378

Notice: If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can be
damaged.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transaxle in PARK
(P) or a manual transaxle in
NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake.
Notice: If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or in the accessory power outlet. Turn
off
the radio and all lamps that aren’t needed. This will
avoid sparks and help save both batteries. And it
could save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive
(+) and negative (-) terminal locations on
each vehicle. You will not need to access your
battery for jump starting. Your vehicle has
a remote
positive
(+) jump starting terminal for that purpose.
The terminal is located in the engine compartment
on the passenger’s side of the vehicle, near
the diagonal cross brace. See Engine Compartment
Ovewiew
on page 5-72 for more information on
location.
5-54
Page 281 of 378
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too. Don’t connect positive
(+) to
negative (-), or you’ll get a
short that would damage the battery and maybe
other parts, too. And don’t connect the negative
(-)
cable to the negative (-) terminal on the dead battery
because this can cause sparks.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if the
vehicle has one. Negative will go to a heavy, unpainted
metal engine part or to a remote negative
(-) terminal
if the vehicle has one.
6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal location on the vehicle with the dead battery.
Use a remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle
has one.
5-56
Page 283 of 378

11. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
12. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery.
If
it won’t start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
Notice: Damage to your vehicle may result from
electrical shorting
if jumper cables are removed
incorrectly. To prevent electrical shorting, take care
that the cables don’t touch each other or any
other metal. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
I
w
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive
(+) Terminal
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal
To disconnect the jumper cables from both vehicles,
do the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative (-) cable from the
vehicle that had the dead battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (-) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the other
vehicle.
5. Return the remote positive (+) terminal cover to its
original position.
Jumper Cable Removal
5-58