If you happen to start your car in the morning only to find out that your battery is dead, don’t flip out. Jump-starting a car battery is not as difficult as it seems. I realize that electricity scares a lot of people. Keep in mind that if you follow the procedure as outlined in this article, you have nothing to worry about. And if you’re worried about remembering these steps on how to jump-start a car, keep in mind that your car’s owner manual also outlines these steps. The real key is to make sure you have a set of jumper cables in your car!

A video demonstration of how to jumpstart your car:

Every driver should know how to jumpstart a car. If you don’t know how to do it yet, keep reading and I’ll teach you. When strictly followed, the following steps listed below should have your dead battery charged in no time.

1. Place both cars nose to nose as closely together as possible without touching.

2. Turn off the ignition in both cars and put both parking brakes in place.

3. If you notice any type of “fuzz” or abnormal looking corrosion on the battery, scrub it off with a wire brush and rinse away with water. Try to wear safety gloves at all times so that you never have this corrosion come into contact with your bare hands.

4. Connect the red cable first to the positive posts on each battery marked “POS” or “+”. Never touch the red and black cables to each other as this could spark and cause injuries. Also, always connect red-to-red and black-to-black. If connected improperly, an explosion could occur.

5. Next, connect the black cable to the negative post labeled “NEG” or “-” on the “live” car. Now, connect the other end of the black cable to a bolt or unpainted metal part of the “dead” car’s frame. This will be the grounding point on the car. There is multiple information on whether or not this actually makes a difference in safety, however, according to AAA this is the best way to attach the negative cables.

6. Remember to keep the cables away from any belts so that when starting the car back up, they do not get tangled or caught up into the engine.

7. Start the live car and rev the engine slightly to charge the dead battery. After about 5 minutes, try starting the ignition on the dead car. If you have problems starting it, turn off the live car and readjust the red clamps on both batteries.

8. When the dead car finally starts up, don’t turn it off right away. Keep the car’s engine running for at least a half hour for the battery to fully charge before turning it off. As you keep the engine going, carefully remove the cables. Always remove the black grounding cables first before the red cables.

If you still have trouble starting your car, there may be a serious problem with the engine. Call a tow truck, have a mechanic look at it, and hope that the bill won’t break the bank.