Getting stuck with a dead car battery is never a fun situation. But there are a few things you can do to help yourself out.

Firstly, ensure that you have a good pair of jumper cables handy. These can be anywhere from 10-20 feet long, so make sure they are in good condition and free from rust or fraying.

Second, get the vehicle you want to jump into park or neutral and shut off its engine. This will keep it from catching fire.

Then, put the other vehicle with a working battery into drive. This will allow the alternator to recharge it.

It should take about five minutes for the battery in the working vehicle to build a decent charge, which should give it enough power to start your dead one.

But if the engine still won’t start, your problem may be more serious than just a dead battery. It could be a broken alternator, a corroded battery, or a parasitic drain.

Safety is the most important thing to remember when jumping a car, and you should wear gloves and eye protection. The battery of your vehicle contains sulfuric acid, which is caustic and can cause skin or eye damage.

Once you have everything ready, connect the jumper cables according to the chart below. Be sure to carefully place each cable in the right order, and don’t let any of the clamps touch the battery terminals. This is important because if the cables spark, they can ignite hydrogen gas, which is highly flammable.