I had some experience with this recently. Even in today’s modern age people still make mistakes and machines still fail. I am still getting used to my new car as well as all of the sounds and buttons that are part of the experience. So, when I left my parking lights on recently I was comforted that I am well prepared to face a dead battery. If you own a car it is imperative that you have jumper cables in your tool kit in the trunk of your car, and that you know how to use them.

jump starting a car is a pretty simple task, but it must be done correctly or instead of being the hero, you may need to be rescued too. First, when you go to help leave your car running, and all of your lights and accessories off. That second car will draw a lot of power to start and by turning all of your stuff off you will be providing them that power, as well as preventing any possible damage to your accessories from a possible surge or wrong polarity. I’ll say it again, don’t turn off your car, or you could end up with a dead battery too.

Now on to under the hood. It’s pretty easy to connect the cars, and many newer cars have posts mounted under the hood specifically for jump starting. Others have clearly marked positive and negative posts on the batteries. So what you will do next is attach the red cable to the positive on the running car and then the dead car. After you have connected the positives then connect the black lead to the negative post on the battery of the running car and to a bare metal ground on the dead car. You may have to wait a few moments, or even rev the engine slightly to draw more power from the alternator, but you should be able to start the dead car.

It seems almost too simple huh? well, it is simple and if you do it correctly you will never be stranded for very long, and everyone for whom you come to the rescue will think you are swell.