If your car battery is dead, you can jump start it with jumper cables and a second working vehicle. First, correctly identify the battery terminals and then, connect jumper cables in the right order.

️ Editor's note: This product category requires new testing about once a year. We'll update this article with the most recent information when it's available. This article was updated in December 2025 ...

Consumer Reports no longer updates this product category and maintains it for archival purposes only. It used to be that a set of jumper cables (and an obliging fellow motorist) or a call for roadside ...