Helpful Subaru How-To’s for the Everyday Driver

How to Jump a Car & How to Change a Flat

When it comes to everyday driving, a little knowledge can go a long way. If you’ve ever wondered what the protocol is when your car needs a jump or how to change a flat tire on your own, we’re going to be covering this information right here, complete with helpful step-by-step How-To's, so stay tuned.

How to Jump Start a Car:

If your battery dies while you’re out, you might be able to get it running again using a jump start from a Good Samaritan’s vehicle. You’ll need a set of jumper cables, either your own or belonging to a helpful stranger:

1. Get out the jumper cables
2. Put both your vehicle and the other vehicle in Park or Neutral and be sure to turn off the ignition on both—for safety, engage both vehicles’ parking brakes
3. Hook up one of the red clips to the positive terminal on your battery—it could say “POS” or “+” or it may be larger than the negative one
4. Attach the second red clip to the positive terminal in the other vehicle
5. Hook one black clip to the negative terminal on the other vehicle’s battery
6. Hook the final black clip to an unpainted/uncoated metal surface on your vehicle that is NOT near the battery—Ex: one of the metal struts that holds the hood open
7. Turn on the other vehicle (the working vehicle) and let the engine run for 2 – 3 minutes
8. After the 2 – 3 minutes, try starting your engine. If it doesn’t start, have the other person run their engine for a bit longer, about 5 minutes, then try again.
9. If your car doesn’t start, the battery might be too far gone. If it does start, however, keep your engine running for at least 15 minutes to recharge your battery.
10. If the car won’t start the next time you try to fire it up, this means your battery isn’t holding a charge and needs to be replaced. You can count on our Parts Department for help with that!

How to Change a Flat Tire:

When you run a flat, it’s easy to feel discourage, but if you have a donut or a spare tire handy and the know-how, changing your flat tire isn’t too difficult:

1. Secure the vehicle—make sure you’re safely off the road, the vehicle is off, and your parking brake is on. Ensure you’re not on a hill so your vehicle doesn’t roll.
2. Use a screwdriver to pry off the hubcap/wheel cover.
3. Using a wrench, loosen the lug nuts, but don’t remove them.
4. Using a car jack, jack the vehicle up about 6-7 inches off the ground.
5. Remove the lug nuts by hand and put them somewhere safe. Then, remove the flat tire.
6. Lift up your spare and place it on the lug bolts.
7. Reaffix the lug nuts, tightening by hand. You’ll secure the lug nuts with a wrench once the car is back on the ground.
8. Lower the car onto the ground, tighten the lug nuts using a wrench, finally replacing the wheel cover.
9. You should be good to go, but make sure to visit a Service Center like ours to have your tire repaired, replaced, and rebalanced!