How to Jump-Start a Car Safely
The order you connect the cables in matters — do it wrong and you risk a spark near the battery.
⏱ 15 minDifficulty: Easy
What you'll need
- Jumper cables
- A second, running vehicle
- 01
Park and position
Park the working car close enough for the cables to reach, engines off, both cars in park with parking brakes on.
- 02
Connect red to positive terminals
Clip one red clamp to the dead battery's positive (+) terminal, the other red clamp to the working battery's positive terminal.
- 03
Connect black to negative, then ground
Clip one black clamp to the working battery's negative (−) terminal. Clip the other black clamp to an unpainted metal surface on the dead car's engine block — not the battery itself.
- 04
Start the working car, then the dead one
Run the working car for a couple of minutes, then try starting the dead car. If it starts, let it run for at least 15 minutes before removing the cables in reverse order.