Yes, you can jump-start a car with a dead battery using jumper cables and another vehicle with a working battery. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
What You’ll Need:
Jumper cables
Another vehicle with a working battery
Steps:
Position the Vehicles: Park the working car close to the car with the dead battery, but ensure they don’t touch. Turn off both engines and set the parking brakes.
Identify the Terminals: Locate the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on both batteries. They are usually marked with red (positive) and black (negative) covers.
Connect the Jumper Cables:
Red to Dead: Attach one end of the red (positive) cable to the positive terminal of the dead battery.
Red to Working: Attach the other end of the red cable to the positive terminal of the working battery.
Black to Working: Attach one end of the black (negative) cable to the negative terminal of the working battery.
Black to Ground: Attach the other end of the black cable to an unpainted metal surface on the car with the dead battery (e.g., a bolt or bracket). This acts as a ground.
Start the Working Car: Start the engine of the working car and let it run for a few minutes to charge the dead battery.
Start the Dead Car: Try to start the car with the dead battery. If it doesn’t start, wait a few more minutes and try again.
Disconnect the Cables: Once the dead car starts, carefully disconnect the cables in the reverse order:
Remove the black cable from the grounded metal surface.
Remove the black cable from the working battery.
Remove the red cable from the working battery.
Remove the red cable from the previously dead battery.
Keep the Engine Running: Let the jump-started car run for at least 15-20 minutes to recharge the battery, or drive it around to ensure the battery gets enough charge.