My car won't start and the battery is dead — how do I jump-start it safely?

Jump-starting works when the only problem is a dead battery. The order of the cables is the whole safety trick: connect in one order, remove in the reverse order, and never let the two ends of the same cable touch each other or the wrong terminals.

How to do it, step by step

Park the working car close enough for the cables to reach, but do not let the cars touch. Turn both cars off and remove the keys from the ignition.
Find the battery terminals: + (positive, usually red) and − (negative, usually black) on both cars. If a terminal is cracked, leaking, or covered in heavy corrosion, do not jump-start — call a mechanic.
Connect the RED (+) cable to the + terminal of the DEAD battery.
Connect the other end of the RED (+) cable to the + terminal of the GOOD battery.
Connect the BLACK (−) cable to the − terminal of the GOOD battery.
Connect the other end of the BLACK (−) cable to a bare metal part of the dead car's engine — a bolt or bracket away from the battery. Never to the − terminal of the dead battery.
Start the working car and let it run for a few minutes. Then try to start the dead car.
Once the dead car runs, remove the cables in the REVERSE order: black from the engine metal, black from the good battery, red from the good battery, red from the dead battery.
Keep the jumped car running (or drive it) for at least 20–30 minutes so the battery recharges, and have the battery tested soon — a battery that died once often dies again.

Stop and call a professional if…

You hear only a click, or nothing at all, after a good jump attempt — the problem may not be the battery. Stop and call a mechanic.
The battery is swollen, cracked, leaking, or smells strongly — do not jump-start it. Call a mechanic.
Sparks fly heavily or a cable gets hot — stop immediately, remove the cables in reverse order, and call for help.
Never connect + to − directly, and never let the cable clamps touch each other while connected.

Tip: keep a set of jump cables in the car, and check every year that the clamps are clean and the cables are not cracked.

Auto ne pali, akumulator prazan — kako sigurno dati kablove?

Paljenje kablovima pomaže kad je jedini problem prazan akumulator. Redoslijed kablova je cijeli sigurnosni trik: spojite jednim redom, skidajte obrnutim redom i nikad ne dopustite da se dva kraja istog kabla dotaknu međusobno ili pogrešne polove.

Kako redom

Parkirajte ispravan auto dovoljno blizu da kablovi dosegnu, ali da se auti ne dodiruju. Ugasite oba auta i izvadite ključeve.
Pronađite polove akumulatora: + (pozitivan, obično crven) i − (negativan, obično crn) na oba auta. Ako je pol napuknut, curi ili je prekriven teškom korozijom, ne palite kablovima — zovite mehaničara.
Spojite CRVENI (+) kabel na + pol PRAZNOG akumulatora.
Drugi kraj CRVENOG (+) kabla spojite na + pol ISPRAVNOG akumulatora.
Spojite CRNI (−) kabel na − pol ISPRAVNOG akumulatora.
Drugi kraj CRNOG (−) kabla spojite na goli metalni dio motora praznog auta — vijak ili nosač podalje od akumulatora. Nikad na − pol praznog akumulatora.
Upalite ispravan auto i pustite ga da radi par minuta. Zatim pokušajte upaliti prazan auto.
Kad prazan auto upali, skidajte kablove OBRNUTIM redom: crni s metalnog dijela motora, crni s ispravnog akumulatora, crveni s ispravnog akumulatora, crveni s praznog akumulatora.
Pustite upaljeni auto da radi (ili vozite) najmanje 20–30 minuta da se akumulator napuni, i dajte ga uskoro testirati — akumulator koji je jednom izdahnuo često izdahne opet.

Stanite i zovite stručnjaka ako…

Čujete samo 'klik' ili ništa nakon dobrog pokušaja — problem možda nije akumulator. Stanite i zovite mehaničara.
Akumulator je napuhnut, napuknut, curi ili jako smrdi — ne palite kablovima. Zovite mehaničara.
Iskre jako lete ili se kabel zagrijava — odmah stanite, skinite kablove obrnutim redom i zovite pomoć.
Nikad ne spajajte + i − izravno i nikad ne dopustite da se štipaljke dodirnu dok su spojene.

Savjet: držite komplet kablova u autu i svake godine provjerite jesu li štipaljke čiste i kablovi neoštećeni.