Jump Start Another Car Safely

It's easy to jump start another car, but you have to pay attention to what you are doing. Jumper cables have red and black contacts, which match the red and black terminals on both vehicles. Turn off both cars and attach the cables carefully to the good vehicle first.

Be careful that you don't allow the two clamps on your jumper cables to touch once they are attached to the good battery. This will cause sparks and can damage your good vehicle. Attach the jumper cables one at a time to the bad battery. Match the red wire with the red attachment on the battery and the black with black.

Step away from the vehicle. Turn on the good vehicle, letting the bad battery charge for a few minutes. Try to start the dead car after one to two minutes to see if it will start. If it does, the jumper cables can be removed.