A Quick Guide To Jump-Start a Diesel Truck Engine

Diesel truck engines are some of the most powerful and reliable ones out there. Still, even the best vehicles need a little help getting started occasionally, and especially on cold mornings. Diesel trucks are a bit trickier to jump-start than gas-powered models, though. They have multiple electronics, for instance, and have much bigger batteries. No matter the reason for the energy drain, here’s a quick guide to jump-start a diesel truck engine.

The Right Tools

Have jumper cables because you never know when you’ll need a jump. Before beginning, confirm your truck’s battery’s specifications by looking at the manual. Understand your vehicle, its engine, and the battery it uses. Keep in mind that some diesel engines, such as Powerstrokes, are different than others. Lastly, and perhaps most obviously, you’ll need another running vehicle parked near your truck to give it the jolt it needs. Be sure the other vehicle has a battery as powerful as your vehicle’s. A smaller battery won’t deliver enough power!

Step 1: Park and Prepare

Park the vehicles close enough together so the jumper cables can reach from one battery to the other. Keep the vehicles slightly separated to allow some wiggle room and prevent the possibility of accidents once your truck is running. Make sure both trucks are turned off before beginning, and pull up on the emergency brake to keep them parked in place. Finally, pop the hoods.

Step 2: Identify Positive and Negative Terminals

This is an important step. Look at the terminals (the metal parts that stick out of the battery). Identify which is the positive lead and which is the negative. Positive will have a plus (+) sign, while the negative one will have a minus (-) sign. Is the battery too messy for you to tell which is which? Use a rag to clean the area around the leads to find the symbols. This will also aid the process by supporting greater conductivity.

Step 3: Attach the Jumper Cables

Clamp the right cable to the appropriate terminal on both batteries. The jumper cable clips should be red and black. Red is always positive, and black is always negative. Therefore, clip the red one to the positive terminals, and connect the nearest black clip to the negative terminal of the working battery. Then, clip the other black clip to a piece of metal on the vehicle to serve as a ground connection. Never touch the cable clamps together.

Step 4: Start the Working Vehicle

Start the vehicle with the live battery, and let it idle to charge the other. After a few minutes, try to start the vehicle with the dead vehicle. If it doesn’t start, wait a few more minutes. When it starts, remove the clamps in reverse order, from the ground to the other black clamp. Let the restarted vehicle run for 15 to 30 minutes.

That’s a quick guide to jump-start a diesel truck engine. Jump-starting a diesel truck is a cinch but be aware that a battery that requires regular jumps may be on its last legs. Contact us for more information on optimizing your vehicle for peak performance. Whether you have a 6.7 Powerstroke motor or another type, we have the parts and equipment you need to keep it rolling!