Jump-starting a discharged battery requires a set of jumper cables and another vehicle with a good battery. Before connecting jumper cables, remove any rings, watch, or bracelets that you are wearing. Then, follow this procedure:

1. Maneuver the vehicle with the strong battery next to the one with the run-down battery, making sure that the two vehicles don’t touch.

2. Turn off ignition switches, lights, and electrical accessories in both vehicles.

3. Shift the transmissions in both vehicles to Park or Neutral. Engage the parking brakes.

4. Open the hoods. If one or both of the batteries have vent caps, place a cloth over the tops of the caps. Batteries emit hydrogen through holes in vent caps. If exposed to a spark, hydrogen can ignite and cause the battery to explode.

Don’t smoke.

5. Connect one of the jumper cables to the clamp of the cable at­tached to the positive side of the battery in the vehicle that doesn’t start. Connect the other end of this jumper cable to the clamp of the cable attached to the positive side of the battery in the other vehicle.

6. Connect the second jumper cable to the clamp of the cable at­tached to the negative side of the battery in the vehicle that does start. The negative side of a battery is marked – or NEG. Connect the other end of this jumper cable to a clean metal part of the engine in the vehicle that doesn’t start. Place the clamp as far away from the weak battery as possible. An alter­nator bracket or an engine bolt that is large enough for the jaws of the clamp to bite into is a suitable spot.

7. With everyone away from the engine compartments of the vehicles, start the engine of the vehicle with the strong battery. Then, try starting the engine of the vehicle with the weak battery. If it doesn’t start, turn off the ignition switches in both cars and check to make sure that both jumper cables are securely attached. Try again. If the engine of the vehicle with the weak battery still does not start, the problem is probably more serious than a run-down battery.

8. If the engine in the vehicle with the weak battery starts, let it run for several seconds. Then, with the engine still running, disconnect jumper cables in this order:

• From the ground connection of the vehicle with the weak bat­tery
• From the negative side of the strong battery
• From the positive side of the strong battery
• From the positive side of the weak battery

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