Jump Starting a Dead Car Battery

What you’ll need: Jumper cables and access to a running car

What to do:

• Park the other car next to yours, so the engines are close to each other; then, make sure both cars are turned off. (You can keep the headlights on, if you need light.)
• Connect your red jumper cable from the live battery’s positive terminal (usually red, or marked with a "+" sign) to the dead battery’s positive terminal.
• Then, connect the black jumper cable from the live battery’s negative terminal (usually black, or marked with a “-“ sign) to a metal surface on your car, away from the battery.
• Start the other car and let it run for several minutes. Then, start your car. After a couple minutes, remove the cables in the reverse order of how you attached them.
• Let your car run for a few more minutes; then, drive it for 15 minutes to finish charging the battery.

Additional tips: If your car won’t restart, try cleaning the cable clamps and/or battery terminals, to make sure metal is touching metal. If that doesn't work, it might be a bigger problem. If you’re a Progressive customer with Roadside Assistance, call 1-800-776-2778 for help.