Jump Starting Your Car

If you turn the key and your engine does not turn over, it could be that your battery is dead. This often happens when you forget to turn your lights off. To jump start your car you need jumper cables and another car with a working battery.

1. Park the two cars close enough for the jumper cables to be able to reach underneath both hoods.
2. Pop open the hoods to both cars.
3. Both cars should be turned off. Beginning with the car that works, connect one red clamp (positive) to the positive (+) end of the battery.
4. Next, connect the black clamp (negative) to the negative (-) end of the battery. CAUTION: DO NOT let the red and black clamps touch at any time.
5. Moving over to the dead car, connect the other red clamp (positive) to the positive (+) end of the battery.
6. Now connect the remaining black clamp somewhere on the car's metal frame. DO NOT connect it to the negative end of the dead car's battery.
7. Start the car that works, wait one minute, then start the car that was dead.
8. After letting the two cars run for about five minutes, remove the clamps from the good vehicle, starting with the negative clamp and then the positive clamp. CAUTION: To avoid getting shocked DO NOT let the two clamps touch until they are disconnected from both cars.
9. Finally, disconnect the clamps from the previously dead car.


Click here for instructional video on how to jump start your car.