You insert the key into your car's ignition, turn it and the engine remains lifeless.You try it again and there is no sound coming from underneath the car's hood except perhaps for a rapid clicking noise.In all likelihood your battery is dead - on closer inspection you realize that you left the car's headlights on, draining the battery of precious juice.Fortunately for you, you're not stranded someplace where traffic is non-existent such as on the back road.Even if you were, you may be able to flag someone down who can offer you some much needed help, sending you on your way within minutes.Jump starting your car battery is a simple process, one that you can quickly handle by following these easy steps..1.Line them up - You'll need to have another car or at least access to a strong, working battery to get your car going again.Turn off your headlights and anything else that is still in the on position in your car including the audio system.Pop the hood of your car to locate your battery.Have the driver of the second car align his front end with your front end as close to your car as possible without touching it.2.Wipe it down - Locate your battery and take a clean cloth or rag and wipe off the battery posts.If much corrosion is present, you may need to disconnect, clean off and spray the posts with a battery cleaning solution.If the battery is leaking or otherwise damaged, you'll need to replace it.Skip the remaining steps and buy a new battery instead.3.Connection to connection - Connect one end of the red positive cable to the good battery and the other end of the red positive cable to the bad battery.Connect one of the black negative cable to the good battery and the other end to a metal, non-shiny part of the dead car.You will not be connecting it to the battery as you want to avoid the possibility of an explosion.Find a grounded metal location under the hood of the dead battery's car.4.Start your engines - The driver of the car with the good battery should start his car first.About one minute later, the driver of the car with the bad battery will start his car second.The second car should come to life quickly, but if not start it again.Check the battery cable connections too and then try again.Once the car with the formerly bad battery starts you're ready to move on to the final step.5.Disconnect the cables - Disconnect the black negative cable from the car that had the dead battery and then disconnect that same cable from the other vehicle.Disconnect the red positive cable from the good battery car and then the red positive cable from the formerly dead battery car.Put the cables away, close your car hoods and head on out.Important Considerations.Once your car has been restarted, you'll want to ensure that the battery has enough voltage.A voltmeter can measure the battery and it should read at least 12 volts.Keep a set of jumper cables in your car and if your battery is old, replace it immediately before you encounter battery failure again.
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