jump cable CHEVROLET TRACKER 2003 2.G Owners Manual

Vehicle Storage
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.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
are not careful. See
Jump Starting on page 5-46
for tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your
vehicle for longer storage periods.
Jump Starting
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 below to do it safely.
{CAUTION:
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 do not 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.
5-46

1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Notice:If the other vehicle's system is not a 12-volt
system with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt systems
with negative grounds to jump start your vehicle.
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 ®rmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in PARK (P) or a manual transmission
in NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake.
Notice:If you leave your radio or other accessories
on during the jump starting procedure, they could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always turn off your radio and
other accessories when jump starting your vehicle.3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter. Turn off the radio and all lamps that aren't
needed. This will help reduce 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 battery. See
Engine Compartment Overview
on page 5-12for more information on battery
location.
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has air conditioning, the
auxiliary electric fan under the hood can start
up even when the engine is not running and
can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.
5-47

{CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
¯ashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You
don't need to add water to the battery installed
in your new vehicle. But if a battery has ®ller
caps, be sure the right amount of ¯uid is there.
If it is low, add water to take care of that ®rst.
If you don't, explosive gas could be present.
Battery ¯uid contains acid that can burn you.
Don't get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, ¯ush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
{CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
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.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+) will go
to a positive (+) battery 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.
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.
5-48

Don't let the other end
touch anything until the
next step. The other end
of the negative (-)
cable
doesn'tgo to the
dead battery. It goes to a
heavy, unpainted metal
engine part or to a remote
negative (-) terminal on
the vehicle with the
dead battery.
9. Connect the other end of the negative (-) cable at
least 18 inches (45 cm) away from the dead battery,
but not near engine parts that move. The electrical
connection is just as good there, but the chance
of sparks getting back to the battery is much less.10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won't start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
Notice:If the jumper cables are removed in the
wrong order, electrical shorting may occur and
damage the vehicle. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Remove the jumper
cables in the correct order, making sure that the
cables do not touch each other or other metal.
5-50

A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead BatteryTo 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.
Jumper Cable Removal
5-51