The first thing you should do when you have a dead car battery is found out why it’s dead. If you left your headlights on overnight, then the problem is simple just turn everything off and jumpstart the car.
But if it’s not so easy to identify what caused your vehicle’s battery to die in the first place, then there are some things you can do to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.
First of all, make sure that all of your electrical systems are operating at peak efficiency.
If your headlights tend to dim when you drive down certain roads or in certain conditions, then this could be due to a shortage in one of your electrical components or wires.
You should take your car into a mechanic who can perform an inspection and determine whether or not any repairs need to be made before jumping start your vehicle or replacing its battery altogether.
Check your headlights
Check your headlights and interior lights. If they’re on, it’s likely that your battery is fine, but something else is preventing your car from starting. Try starting it again after turning off all of these lights.
Check the cables
Check the cables. Make sure that none of them are loose or damaged in any way. If they are, get them fixed or replaced before trying this again.
If everything looks good with the cables, try starting the car using a jump starter or calling a tow truck to come to get you going again.
Check your starter motor
Check your starter motor by turning on the ignition without cranking over the engine which means pressing down on the gas pedal while turning the key in order to activate the starter motor without cranking over your engine by hand.
It should click loudly once for each revolution of its shaft when it’s working correctly if it doesn’t make any noise at all, try cleaning it with some spray lubricant or other similar product before attempting to start again!
Check your battery’s voltage
Check your battery’s voltage using a voltmeter or multimeter. If it measures below 12 volts, it’s dead and needs replacing, but if it’s above 12 volts, proceed to step 5.
Check all connections on the battery
Check all connections on the battery for corrosion or lose connections this could be causing a drain on your vehicle’s electrical system that’s causing problems with starting up properly again after turning off at night or during cold weather.
If everything looks good here, go back to step 4 and check again you may find that there was some residual charge left in there after all.
Or you might need to replace your battery anyway if it still reads low after this test has been performed twice in a row now.
Check the engine oil level
If your car battery dies, it’s important to check the engine oil level. If it’s low, you might have just run out of gas.
If the oil is fine, though, and you’re still having trouble starting your car, you may be dealing with a dead battery.
You can also try jumping the battery with a good one from another vehicle. If that doesn’t work, try changing the starter.
Check the water level
If you’ve got a dead car battery, the first thing you should do is check the water level.
If it’s low, you may need to add some distilled water. If not, check your battery terminals and make sure they are clean and free of debris.
You can also try charging your battery with a jumper cable from another car.
Check the transmission fluid level
it can be a real pain to get back on the road. You’ll need to check the transmission fluid level and refill it if necessary so that you don’t get stuck in a bad situation where you can’t drive.
Check the dead battery
If you have jumper cables, connect them to the dead battery and then connect them to the other car’s battery.
This will allow them to charge up your dead battery and start it again.
You’ll want to make sure that you’ve got the positive and negative ends of each cable on the right terminals, though!
If you don’t have jumper cables, try charging up your car with a portable charger or asking someone else if they can give you a jumpstart.
Check the battery terminals
Check terminals. If they’re corroded or loose, clean them off with a wire brush and replace any that look damaged.
Check the alternator belt by removing it from the pulley on top of the engine if it’s broken or frayed, replace it before jumping start your car.
If none of these steps work, you may have to have your battery tested by an auto shop.
And replace them if necessary
The longer you drive without a fully-charged battery, the more damage will be done to the starter and other parts of your engine.
If your car won’t start after replacing the battery, try checking for corrosion on the terminals of both ends of the old battery or corrosion on the posts of your new one.
If there is corrosion, clean it off with sandpaper or steel wool dipped in water or vinegar.
How to jump-start a car with a dead battery?
You should always make sure your car is off and the ignition is off before you begin.
Get another vehicle that has a good battery and jump-start the dead one.
Switch off the ignition and remove the key from the ignition of both cars.
Connect the positive + jumper cable clamp to the positive terminal of your vehicle’s battery.
Let it rest on top of the terminal guard if possible, or clamp it to a solid part of the engine block away from any moving parts or sharp edges
Connect the negative-jumper cable clamp to a clean metal surface under the disabled vehicle’s hood, away from any moving parts or sharp edges.
Make sure there is no paint on either clamp; if necessary, scrape off any paint with a knife so that it doesn’t interfere with electrical contact between clamps and terminals bolts/etcetera when you connect them together.
Conclusion
If your battery has been completely discharged, you may need to repeat the above procedure several times.
Do not attempt to start the engine until you get a strong reading on your voltmeter, or else you’ll be draining both batteries which could damage the electrical systems of either vehicle.
