So How to jump start a semi truck semi truck owners question lets find out. Most of you are probably familiar with the process of starting a car from an external source. It’s something we all learn, and sometimes it’s hard. This is a very useful skill because you will almost certainly encounter a dead car battery at least once, and it will never happen at a convenient time or place.
If you’ve never tried electric trailer start, you might think that now that you know how to start your vehicle, you already know what to do if your truck’s battery dies.
Despite some similarities, you should know that starting a tractor trailer is not exactly the same as starting a car. If you don’t understand these differences, you could seriously damage your truck or injure yourself. Here’s what you need to know about starting a dump truck.
How to jump start a semi truck – Semi-trailer launch equipment
One of the most important things to remember is that you absolutely need the right equipment before you start jumping from half court. Using the wrong tool can interfere with the electric start and drain the starter’s battery, leaving you in trouble.
You need 15 to 20 feet of interconnecting cable, and the cable must be at least gauge 2 thick. You will also need a 12-volt battery. Or you can use a specially designed transmitter or charger. They should come with the correct voltage and a sturdy cable that can handle the current, but it’s always a good idea to check.
Safety glasses are also required. Using the wrong component can easily accidentally touch the end of the connecting cable, creating many sparks. You really don’t want them in your eyes.
To launch the semi-trailer
Once your equipment is ready, it’s time to start your semi-finished product. The process is pretty simple, and as long as you have the right equipment, you should have no problem.
Turn off all electrical systems in the truck, including the radio. This is an important safety step that many overlook, but you shouldn’t connect cables to the battery while the electrical system is running on the truck.
How to jump start a semi truck – tips
Make sure the truck you are using to start the truck is also completely disabled. Find the boot terminal. They don’t need to be battery powered, and it’s a very good idea to cover them up and mark their location before you drive the truck. Once you find them, make sure they are clean and free of corrosion. Otherwise, you may not be able to start the trailer.
Connect the positive terminal of the jumper cable to the positive terminal of the dead battery and the other positive clip to the positive terminal of the other battery you are using to power the trailer.
Now connect the negative cable tie to the negative terminals of both batteries. Turn on the charger with the battery fully charged and let it run for a few minutes. Start your truck now. When it’s on, you can unplug the wires in the reverse order you plugged them in and let the truck run for 15-20 minutes to charge the battery.
Final steps
Now, if you use a charger or jumper starter, the process is different. This is because there is no second battery to connect, but you still need to ground the circuit at the negative terminal. That means you’ll need to find a good solid metal component to attach the negative clip.
Clean, rust-free sheet metal is ideal, so look for brackets that hold the various components in place. With the negative clip connected, just turn on the charger/jumper, then wait a few minutes and start the truck.
What if the engine doesn’t start?
If you have everything hooked up, turn on the starter or jumper and the engine still won’t start, you may have made a mistake on the jumper cable.
But before you lift the hood of the trailer, just turn off the trailer with the dead battery, wait a few minutes and try again. Maybe it just doesn’t have enough power to start the engine. But if the engine still won’t start, the problem is with the cables.
How to jump start a semi truck – Check that the cables are properly connected.
To start the trailer, you need to attach all four clips in the correct places. If the negative terminal is clamped to the positive terminal, you will not be able to start the trailer.
Most of the time, if the battery doesn’t spin, it’s because the terminals corrode too much and the current can’t flow. Clearing the terminal helps: many drivers have some soda cans for this. Great for cleaning battery corrosion and helpful when you need to start your trailer quickly.
Once the terminals are clear, reconnect the clamps, pay close attention to which clamps go where, and let the auxiliary trailer run for a few minutes before trying to start your own trailer. This time it should work and you will successfully launch your semi-finished product. If not, you may have problems else. where How to jump start a semi truck and start is not what you need for your semi-finished product.