Hopping into your car with a dead battery is unfortunate. Forgetting to turn off your car lights or leaving a door open can cause this trouble. It’s smart to buy and keep some jumper cables in your trunk for these inconveniences. It’s a simple fix. With the help of a good individual, you can jump start your car and be on your way in a matter of minutes.
Step 1.
You will need your jumper cables for this step. You also will need the help of another person who is willing to use their vehicle to assist you.
Step 2.
Make sure both cars are turned off and the parking brake is engaged. Then, open up the hood of both cars. You will need to work in the engine compartment.
Step 3.
Attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal of your vehicle. It usually has a ‘+’ sign on it or says the word ‘POS’ on it. Attach the other red clip to the other car’s same positive terminal.
Step 4.
Now you have 2 black clips left to attach. One of them will have to clip to the negative terminal of the other car. The remaining black clip will need to be attached to any metal surface on your car that isn’t close to your battery.
Step 5.
Start the working car, from the person helping you out, and leave it running. Try turning on your car now.
Step 6.
If your car doesn’t start, check the cables and make sure they are connected properly. If this still doesn’t work, let the vehicle rest for 15 minutes and try again. Eventually your battery will hold enough charge to restart.
We recommend taking your car for a battery inspection as soon as you can. This will let you know if it was a one time incident, or if your car’s battery needs replacement.