1. Park the vehicles so that they're close to each other, but not touching. The jumper cables should be able to reach easily from one vehicle's battery to the other.
2. Turn off the engines of both vehicles.
3. Open the hoods of both vehicles.
4. Locate the battery terminals on both vehicles. The positive terminal is usually marked with a "+" sign and the negative terminal is marked with a "-" sign.
5. Connect one end of the red (positive) jumper cable to the positive terminal of the dead battery.
6. Connect the other end of the red jumper cable to the positive terminal of the working battery.
7. Connect one end of the black (negative) jumper cable to the negative terminal of the working battery.
8. Connect the other end of the black jumper cable to an unpainted metal surface on the frame of the dead vehicle, away from the battery.
9. Start the engine of the working vehicle and let it run for a few minutes.
10. Try to start the engine of the dead vehicle. If it starts, let it run for a few minutes to charge its battery.
11. Disconnect the jumper cables in the reverse order that you connected them.
12. Close the hoods of both vehicles.
Here are some additional tips for jump-starting a car:
* If the dead battery has a removable cap, remove it so the battery acid can vent. This will help to prevent sparking.
* Do not allow the jumper cables to touch each other or any other metal surfaces. This could create a spark and cause a fire.
* If the dead battery is completely discharged, it may take several minutes of charging before it will be able to start the vehicle.
* If the dead battery is more than three years old, it may need to be replaced.
