So, the battery in your vehicle has gone dead and you’re left stranded. Well, before you start making a thousand calls trying to figure out what you should do, take a minute to relax! There are certainly worse and more expensive things that could have happened to your vehicle. Luckily, jump-starting an old, dead battery is an easy task to accomplish and this week we are going to tell you how you can do that so if you ever find yourself in this situation you know what to do. So, buckle up and let’s get started!

Grab your jumper cables.

Whether you are a new driver or experienced, it’s a good idea to own a set of jumper cables and keep them in your vehicle. If you don’t have cables, call a friend who does have a set or look for a good Samaritan who is able to help you.

Both vehicles should be in park or neutral with the engine turned off.

Next, you want both of the vehicles to be in either park or neutral, engines turned off, and parking brakes engaged in both of the vehicles.  

Attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal of your battery.

Attach the other red clip to the positive terminal on the other vehicle.

Attach one of the black clips to the negative terminal on the battery of the other vehicle.

The last black clip should be attached to an unpainted metal surface on your vehicle that is a safe distance away from your battery.

A metal strut that holds the bonnet open is perfect for this.

Start your vehicle and let it charge.

If your vehicle starts right up, let it run for a few minutes and then disconnect your cables. If your vehicle does not start, make sure that all cables are connected to the proper terminals and have the person helping you, run their engine for about five minutes. Once more, try starting your vehicle. If your vehicle still will not start, your battery might be beyond help and you’ll need to replace immediately. If it does start, wait a few minutes and then disconnect the cables and be on your way!