24/7 dispatch
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WreckMaster and I-TECC certified
Family-owned in Evergreen
(303) 674-0198
D&J Towing's jump start service brings the power to your vehicle when the battery is too weak to crank the engine, any hour of the day or night across the Colorado foothills and Denver metro. Tell us what you heard when you turned the key, and we will tell you on the phone whether a jump should do it or a tow makes more sense.
The sound and the dash lights together say a lot about whether a jump will help. Pick one of each and the matrix shows the usual reading. It is a starting point, not a diagnosis: the driver confirms on scene, and dispatch can talk it through with you first.
| Sound | Bright | Dim | Dark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid clicking | TryWeak battery or loose terminal | JumpWeak battery | JumpVery low battery or connection |
| One click | TowStarter or starter relay | TryVery weak battery | JumpDead battery or connection |
| Slow crank | JumpBattery losing strength | JumpWeak battery, worse in cold | JumpBattery nearly flat |
| Normal crank, no start | TowFuel or spark, not the battery | TowBattery likely not the cause | AskUnusual pairing |
| Nothing at all | TowPower not reaching the starter | JumpWeak battery | JumpDead battery or connection |
No sound or lights picked yet
Pick two Start with the soundChoose what you heard, then what the dash lights and headlights did. Clicks, a slow crank and silence with dim or dark lights usually point to the battery.
If the engine spins at normal speed and still will not start, the battery is usually doing its job and a jump will not fix it.
Dead batteries in the foothills usually trace back to a few conditions. None of them means the battery is bad. They mean a battery that was getting by finally ran out of margin.
The chemical reaction inside a battery slows as the temperature drops, so it delivers less power. At the same time, cold engine oil thickens and the starter needs more power to turn the engine over. A battery that started fine in September can give up on the first hard freeze.
Air temperature drops about 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1,000 feet of elevation on average. Foothill driveways, trailheads and ski lots sit well above Denver, so the overnight low where your car is parked is often colder than the forecast you checked.
A full day on the trail or the slopes, or a concert night in a Red Rocks lot, means hours of cold soak. Add a dome light, headlights or a phone charger left on, and a tired battery has nothing left by the time you get back.
AAA notes that most car batteries last three to five years. An older battery may take a jump and still fail again the next cold morning. That is a sign the battery itself needs replacing, not another jump.
Jumping a battery is quick when it is done in the right order, and risky when it is rushed. Batteries give off hydrogen gas during normal use, and a spark in the wrong place can ignite it. This is the order a jump start call follows.
Tell dispatch where you are, what you drive, and what you heard and saw at the key. If it is a hybrid or electric vehicle, say so.
Hazard lights on. If there is a safe spot well away from traffic, wait there. If there is not, stay in the vehicle with your seat belt on. On a narrow shoulder with no room to work, a tow to a safer spot may be the better call.
The battery gets checked first. A bulging case, ice in the cells or a low fluid level means no jump, because a frozen or damaged battery can rupture or explode.
Positive to positive, then negative on the good battery, and the last clamp on a solid ground point away from the dead battery, so any spark happens away from the gas.
Once the engine runs, the cables come off in reverse order. If it stalls again within a few minutes, that points to the charging system, and the same call becomes a tow.
A frozen battery has to thaw out somewhere warm before anyone charges it. If you see any of these, tell dispatch, and plan on a tow or a new battery instead of a jump.
A jump only adds power. If the battery was never the problem, or it cannot hold a charge anymore, the car will be back where it started. These are the patterns that tell us to plan for something else.
If the engine spins at normal speed, the battery is doing its job. An engine that cranks normally but does not start is usually missing fuel or spark.
When a jumped engine runs for a few minutes and then winds down and stalls, the battery is draining with nothing putting charge back. That usually points to the alternator.
Full lights mean the battery has power. A single loud click instead of a crank usually points to the starter or the starter relay, and extra power rarely changes that.
If the car starts on a jump but is flat again the next cold morning, or the battery is three to five years old, it has stopped holding a charge.
A hybrid or electric vehicle has a big drive battery, but it also has an ordinary 12-volt battery that wakes up the computers. When that small battery goes flat, the vehicle will not power on, even with plenty of charge in the drive battery. Owner's manuals treat it differently from a gas car, so check yours before anyone clamps on.
Details vary by make, model and year. Your owner's manual is the final word for your vehicle.
Something else going on? Call dispatch at (303) 674-0198 and describe what the vehicle is doing. D&J Towing has worked out of Evergreen since 1984, and our WreckMaster and I-TECC certified professionals answer roadside calls around the clock.
Clicking, a slow crank, or silence with dim or dark lights usually means a weak battery, and a jump often gets you going. If the engine cranks at normal speed but will not start, or you hear one loud click with bright lights, a jump is unlikely to help and a tow is the better plan.
No. A frozen battery should never be charged or jumped because it can rupture or explode. Signs include a bulging case or ice in the cells. It has to thaw somewhere warm first, so a tow or a new battery is the usual answer.
That pattern usually points to the alternator. The engine runs on what the jump put into the battery, and when that runs out with nothing recharging it, the engine stalls. Another jump will not change it, so plan on a tow to a shop.
Hybrids and EVs have a 12-volt battery that can go flat like any other. Many owner's manuals show a specific jump terminal and warn that the vehicle cannot be used to jump another car. Tell dispatch the make and model when you call so we can talk it through.
It depends on where you are, the time of day, the road and weather conditions, and your vehicle. Dispatch quotes it on the phone before the truck rolls. We accept cash, Mastercard and Visa, and we serve AAA members.
Tell dispatch where you are parked, what you drive, and what you heard when you turned the key. We will give you a quote, tell you whether it sounds like a jump, and send a truck any hour of any day, holidays included.
