How to start a car with a dead battery: two ways

Perhaps every driver is familiar with the situation when a car stalls in the middle of the road or simply refuses to start after a long parking lot. Often, the problem lies in a dead battery.

But what if there is no way to charge it, and you need to get to an outlet? Auto experts name two effective methods.

Use a jump-starter

When your car's battery is low, using a battery starter is by far the fastest and most efficient way to get it started. It is essentially a backup charger with an attached cable that can be easily connected to your car battery and provide it with enough power.

But before you use the battery charger, make sure it's fully charged. If it is, connect the battery's "plus" cable (usually red or orange) to the positive terminal of the car battery. Repeat the procedure with the "minus" (blue) and the negative terminal. All that remains is to press the power button to activate the battery booster.

Most likely, your car will make a certain characteristic sound to indicate that it has started receiving power. When the car engine starts, turn off the booster and remove it from the car.

The advantage of this method is that once connected to the car battery, the device quickly provides enough power to start the engine. In addition, some types display the power of the car's alternator, which allows you to quickly determine whether it is in good working order or not.

Start from another car

If you don't have such a lifesaver, and you can't call a specialist right then and there, you can always try to start the car from another car. To do this, you will need to connect a dead battery to a working one, but in a different car. In this case, you will need the help of another car owner.

Make sure the donor battery is fully charged and in good condition. And that you or your assistant have the cables to connect the two batteries. If all is well, park your cars as close together as possible and turn off the engines. Then open the hoods and connect the two batteries with the cables.

Here, too, it's important to make sure the polarity is correct. Connect the cable first to the positive terminal of the discharged battery, and then to the positive terminal of the active battery. With the "negative" battery, do the procedure in the reverse order – first connect the cable to the good battery, and then to the discharged battery.

After making sure that all four clamps are securely connected, wait 15 minutes for the empty battery to charge, and then start the engine. If everything is done correctly, your machine should start up. If not, you will need to wait for technical assistance.

Safety precautions

Whichever method you choose, make sure you follow all safety precautions before connecting the wires. For example, all terminals and clamps must be clean. Also, make sure that your car is free of oil or gasoline leaks, as they can cause electric shocks. Also, when "resuscitating" the battery, make sure that it is not swollen or leaking.

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