It happens to nearly everyone who has ever owned a vehicle. You go out to start your car, only to have the engine groan a few times as it struggles to start. Then, as the battery dies completely, you hear the telltale clicking coming from under the hood. If you find yourself in this situation, don't worry. You needn't call a tow truck or search for a new battery. Depending on the tools you have at your disposal, you can restart your dead battery and have your car up and running again in no time.
Place your vehicle in park, pull the emergency brake, turn off all switches and pop your hood. You'll want to get out and remove any shields from your battery. You must have access to the posts on the dead battery in order to jump-start it.
Park the vehicle with a completely charged battery next to the car or truck with the drained battery. Make sure that you're close enough for your cables to reach between the two batteries. Shut off the ignition on your jumper vehicle and pop the hood on it as well. Then clear away any shields covering the terminals.
Connect the positive clamp of your cables to the positive post on the dead car battery. Then go ahead and connect the remaining positive clamp to the positive post on the charged battery. While you're at the charged battery, connect the negative clamp to the negative post.
Attach the remaining negative cable clamp to an unpainted bolt or bracket on the vehicle with the dead battery. After you're sure all the clamps are securely attached, start the jumper vehicle and allow it to run for a few minutes.
Start the vehicle with the dead battery. After it has started, you'll want to unhook the cables in reverse order. Once you're done, replace the shields, close the hood and take your car for a drive to allow the alternator to charge the battery.
Turn off all switches, open your hood and remove any shields from the battery.
Connect the positive clip of the battery charger to the positive terminal on the dead battery and then connect the negative clip to a portion of unpainted metal such as a bolt or bracket within the engine compartment.
Turn your charger to 12 volts (if applicable). If your charger doesn't have a voltage setting, don't worry. If it's designed for car batteries, it will charge at 12 volts. If your battery has the capacity, you can set the amps. Set it higher to charge more quickly. However, you should set it to a lower amperage to allow for a slow charge, as this is the best setting to fully rejuvenate a dead battery.
Plug your charger into an electrical outlet and turn its power switch to "On." Allow the battery to charge, checking in periodically to make sure it's not getting hot or if it has finished. If the battery gets hot, unplug the charger. It may take eight hours or more for the battery to completely recharge. Most chargers will have a gauge telling you when the battery is finished.
Unplug your charger from the outlet when the battery is finished charging. Turn the switch to "Off" and unhook the clips. When everything is unhooked and you've replaced the shields on the battery, go ahead and start your car.
