To jump a car battery, follow these general steps:
- Park a working car close to the car with the dead battery, keeping the vehicles about two feet apart but not touching.
- Turn off both vehicles and set the parking brakes.
- Open the hoods and locate the battery terminals. Identify the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals.
- Connect the red positive (+) jumper cable clamp to the positive terminal of the dead battery first.
- Connect the other end of the red clamp to the positive terminal of the good battery.
- Connect the black negative (-) jumper cable clamp to the negative terminal of the good battery.
- Connect the other end of the black clamp to a clean, unpainted metal surface on the engine block or chassis of the car with the dead battery, away from the battery itself—this acts as the grounding point.
- Start the working car and let it run for a few minutes.
- Try starting the car with the dead battery.
- Once started, let both cars run for some minutes before disconnecting the cables in reverse order. Disconnect the black clamp from the grounded metal first, then from the good battery, then the red clamp from the good battery, and finally the red clamp from the previously dead battery.
- Keep the jumped car running or drive it for some time to recharge the battery.
Important safety tips:
- Do not let the cable clamps touch each other during the process.
- Avoid sparks near the battery by connecting the negative cable to the metal engine or chassis, not directly to the dead battery's negative terminal.
- Wear gloves and eye protection if possible.
This method is widely recommended for safely jump-starting a car battery.
