How to jump start battery on jeep wrangler with efficient methods?

When you find yourself jump-starting your wrangler it is mostly due to a dead or low-charge battery. At times that is not the case as there might be other reasons that may lead to your wrangler not starting. But in here we’re going to specifically see How to jump start battery on jeep wrangler.

Some might be battery related and others might be as a result of issues with the ignition system. Apart from the battery being dead or low on charge, there might be corrosions on the battery terminals which prevent the battery clamps from conducting power from the battery. 

How to check for signs of a Defective or dead battery in your jeep wrangler?

Electrical components do not turn on 

If you turn your key to the “On” position and turn on the radio, windshield wipers, or headlights and none of these turn on or flicker when turned on, that means the battery is weak and dying and you need to replace it or charge it if it is a chargeable battery. 

Swollen battery 

This is due to a faulty voltage regulator in the alternator that has overcharged the battery thus building up hydrogen gases in the battery. When this happens, the battery cannot dissipate these excess hydrogen gases and ends up swelling up. This cannot be reversed or fixed and the only solution is to get a new battery for your wrangler. 

Foul smell from the battery 

When you smell a foul smell coming from under your hood, most of the time it is that the battery has releases sulfuric acid which has a foul smell. This sulfuric acid might cause damage to components near the battery and it is recommended you remove the battery immediately before it causes more damage. When this happens, you need to replace the battery. 

Old battery 

A good battery should last for between 3 years to 5 years depending on the type of battery, driving habits, and weather conditions that you are driving. Old batteries can be revamped but the best working solution that will work is to get a new battery that will last longer than the revamped old battery. Revamping an old battery is an inexpensive solution that only works for a short time.  

Check engine light goes on 

Most of the time that the check engine light goes on, it is mostly due to engine or transmission-related issues but after a good check, you find that it is only battery-related issues. When this happens you should check if there is an issue with the battery and replace it or fix it depending on the degree of the issue that you have found. 

The engine starts and then fails immediately 

If you start your engine and it fails immediately this indicates that the battery is low on charge. It has enough charge to start the engine but not to keep the sensors controlling the engine idle, and the fuel pump working which results in the engine shutting down.

When this happens, you need to replace or charge your battery depending on the kind of battery you have. You can always check if the battery is in good working conditions by checking its physical state before driving your wrangler or checking whether the battery has enough charge before driving. 

How to check the battery charge level in jeep wrangler?

There are a couple of methods that you can use to test the charge level in your wrangler’s battery. They are:

The headlight test

• Park your wrangler in a spot at which you can monitor the headlights’ brightness. 
• Turn on your headlights. 
• Rev your engine hard, if the headlights flicker or the brightness reduces, it means that the battery is low on charge.

This is also the easiest way to check if the battery has enough charge to go for long. 

Measuring the battery voltage using a multimeter

• Open the hood of your wrangler and keep the hood open using the hood support. 
• Set the Volts dial to 20 which will allow you to accurately measure the battery voltage from between 0 volts and 20 volts as batteries do not exceed 20 volts. 
• Identify the positive and negative terminals on the battery. 
• Touch the red probe of the multimeter to the positive terminal and the black probe to the negative terminal.
• If the resulting voltage reading on the multimeter is between 12.2 volts and 12.6 volts it is half-charged, if the reading is below 12 volts, the battery has very little charge, if the reading is above 12.6 volts, then it is above half and can last for long depending on your driving habits. 
• When you find your battery is low on charge you should not even attempt driving your wrangler with that same battery that is why it is recommended to have an extra battery for use when the other battery is charging. 

Other issues that may lead to your wrangler not starting 

Jump-starting is only applicable where there are battery-developed issues when starting your wrangler, with the following, jump-starting won’t help, and only repairing will enable you to start your wrangler. 

• Faulty starter motor – The starter motor is responsible for turning the engine to fire, if it is faulty you will have to get a new one installed as you cannot fix it. 
• Damaged distributor cap – The distributor cap rotates voltage from the ignition coil to the spark plugs and the distributor cap is mostly damaged by moisture. If you are lucky enough to find it not damaged and wet, wipe it dry before reinstalling it and if it is damaged you have to replace it with a new one.
• Faulty fuel filter – A clogged fuel filter will reduce the amount of fuel from getting into the engine and when this happens the engine will start for a short while then stop. Fuel filters can only be replaced as they cannot be repaired. 
• Faulty ignition coil – The ignition coil is responsible for transforming the voltage coming from the battery into high voltage then transmits the high voltage to the spark plug which ignites the air and fuel in the engine. When the ignition coil is faulty the spark plug won’t receive any power thus there will be no combustion in the engine and it will shut down. 

How to jumpstart your jeep wrangler with Jump Starter box?

Using a jumper kit to jumpstart your wrangler can be very easy in times of sudden battery drain and especially during off-roading.

The big advantage of having a jump starter box is that you don’t have to rely on anyone for help and it is pretty much portable and easy to carry in your jeep as it is compact in size.

We recommend you checking NOCO Boost XL Jump Starter Box this is a lifesaver in times of battery failure.

• Open your hood, attach the jumper cables from the jump starter box.
• Turn on the power button on the jump starter box.
• Start you jeep wrangler, once it is done make sure your remove the jump started box.

How to jumpstart your jeep wrangler with Jumper cables?

Always have jumper cables in your wrangler just in case your car stalls on you and if you can also have an extra battery in your wrangler, 

• Find someone willing to assist you to jumpstart your wrangler and ask him to park next to your wrangler depending on the size of your jumper cables.
• If the jumper cables either of you has are long there is no need to park so close but if they are short ask him to park as close as possible that the car’s battery is close to your wrangler’s battery. 
• Make sure the ignitions of both cars are completely off and engage the emergency brakes on both vehicles. 
• Open the hood of both vehicles and hold them in place using the hood supports. 
• Untangle the jumper cables separating the positive cable and the negative cable.
• Remove the battery terminal covers if any. 
• Attach the positive clamp to the dead battery on one side of the cable and the other positive clamp of the cable to the working battery. 
• Attach one negative clamp to the working battery and the other side to an unpainted metal surface on your wrangler that is not near the battery but a distance that the cable can reach. 
• Start the vehicle with the functioning battery and let it run for at least a minute.
• Then start your wrangler and rev it slightly. If the wrangler’s engine doesn’t start make sure the jumper cables are connected correctly.  

If your wrangler doesn’t start then it means that there might be other issues that lead to your wrangler not starting or your battery has other issues that jumpstarting cannot help and your wrangler needs to be towed. 

When jumpstarting your wrangler, make sure neither of the clamps touches each other and always use coated jump cables. If the jumper cables are not coated use gloves and ensure that you get new jumper cables. 

Conclusion 

Batteries in jeep wranglers get depleted of charge quicker especially if you have power-draining modifications such as winches, adjustable suspensions, and spotlights on your wrangler.

When used they drain your battery charge quicker as compared to a stock wrangler and other vehicles. The alternator charges your battery when driving and when damaged you will notice the battery charge getting depleted quicker than usual.

Having a spare battery comes in handy when there is no one to help you jump-start your wrangler since all you have to do is to replace it with the dead battery.