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Eastside Kia
How to Boost Your Battery
You've almost certainly experienced it at some point: that sinking feeling when you turn the key in the ignition (or press the ignition button on many of today's newest cars) and nothing happens. Perhaps somebody left a light on inside the car, or your battery is getting older, or the brutal Canadian winter sapped the juice right out of your car's battery. Now you need an emergency battery boost. .
Jumpstarting from Another Car May Not Be Your Best Bet
Since about the year 2000, cars have come loaded with sensitive modern electronics such as engine control computers, satellite navigation, electronic stability control and more. These features give drivers more control, convenience, fuel efficiency and safety than ever, but they can easily get zapped by an old-fashioned jump-start using jumper cables hooked from one car's battery to another. .
Kia Roadside Assistance
First, we at Eastside Kia would like to remind you that if you have a Kia and it's still covered by its 5-year 100,000 km Extra Care Roadside Assistance program, you can always give them a call for a battery boost. Call 1-866-444-5421, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for battery assistance or any other roadside mechanical issue. Other manufacturers may have similar programs. .
Mini Jump Starters
Battery booster packs used to be huge and not exactly handy as part of your car's emergency kit. But there's a new generation of mini jump starters (also called booster packs) that take up almost no room in your trunk or cargo area. Consumer Reports has a good roundup of the latest models ranging in price from about $90 on up. Give our Parts Department a call at (403) 250-2716 or check your local automotive parts store to find out where to get one.
How to Use a Mini Jump Starter
If you have a mini jumper pack, here's how to use it:
•Turn off your vehicle's lights, radio, and other accessories
•Connect the cables to the battery
A) Clamp the positive cable (which is usually red) to the positive post on your car's battery, which is marked with a "+" sign
B) Clamp the negative cable (which is usually black) to a metal part of the car's body or engine C) Note: do not clamp the black negative cable to the negative battery post as this may cause sparks which could ignite any hydrogen that's leaking from the battery
•Start your car. Your mini jumper pack will probably have instructions stating the maximum amount of time that you can try to crank your engine while on the jumper pack
•If the engine starts, turn on lights and other electrical accessories to reduce the spike in the electrical system when you remove the jumper pack
•Remove the black, negative cable first, then remove the red positive cable
You should be good to go! If you suspect there's a problem with your battery (for instance, you know that you didn't leave any lights on), give our Service Department a call at Eastside Kia at (877) 575-6418 and they'll schedule an appointment for you to have your battery checked.