Jump-Start the Car

A flat 12-volt battery is a common reason a Toyota Aygo won’t start. If the dash is dim or dead and the engine won’t crank, you can jump-start it from another 12-volt vehicle. This is the emergency method for getting a dead Aygo going — for planned battery work, use the battery disconnect and reconnect guide instead. The battery is in the engine bay; the positive terminal has a red cover.

Before you start

• This is a conventional 12-volt petrol car (not a hybrid), so you connect directly at the battery terminals in the engine bay — there is no separate jump point.
• You need another 12-volt vehicle (not a 24-volt truck system) or a 12-volt jump pack, plus jumper leads in good condition.
• Do not jump-start a battery that is cracked, frozen or leaking — have it replaced instead.
• Select N (neutral) — on both the manual and the MultiMode automated-manual versions — apply the handbrake, and switch off all electrical loads in both cars.
• Wear eye protection, keep sparks and flames away, and make sure the two cars are not touching.

How to jump-start the car

1. Park the donor vehicle close enough for the leads to reach, without the two cars touching, and switch off both engines.
2. Lift the red cover on the Aygo’s positive terminal. Connect one red (+) clamp to the Aygo’s + terminal, and the other red clamp to the donor battery’s + terminal.
3. Connect one black (−) clamp to the donor battery’s − terminal. Connect the final black clamp to a solid, unpainted metal earth point on the Aygo’s engine, such as an engine lifting bracket — not to the flat battery’s − terminal. This keeps any spark away from the battery.
4. Start the donor car and let it idle for a few minutes to put some charge into the Aygo’s battery.
5. Start the Aygo. Once it is running, remove the leads in the reverse order of connection: the Aygo earth clamp first, then the donor −, then the donor +, and finally the Aygo + clamp. Refit the red terminal cover.
6. Keep the Aygo running, then drive it for at least 20 minutes (not just idling) so the alternator can recharge the battery.

If it still won’t start

If the Aygo will not crank after a good jump-start, or it starts and then dies, the battery has probably failed or there is another fault such as the starter or a poor earth. Stop cranking and have the battery load-tested and the car checked. If the battery needs replacing, follow the Aygo battery disconnect and reconnect guide to swap it safely.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the battery on a Toyota Aygo?

In the engine bay. The positive terminal has a red cover you lift to connect the jumper lead, and the negative terminal is nearby. You connect directly at the battery — there is no separate jump point on this car.

Should the donor car’s engine be running when I connect the leads?

Connect the leads with both engines off, then start the donor car once everything is connected. This is safer and avoids voltage spikes while you attach the clamps.

Why connect the earth lead to the engine and not the battery?

A flat battery can give off flammable gas. Making the final negative connection to a metal earth point on the engine, away from the battery, keeps any small spark clear of that gas.

The car still won’t start after a jump — what now?

Stop cranking and have it checked. A battery that will not hold a jump is usually failed, and repeated attempts can flood the engine or overheat the starter. A workshop can test the battery, alternator and starter quickly.

If a warning light stays on after you get going, you can look up what the specific dashboard symbol or fault code means on autodtcs.com.