# Jump starting a car with jump starting kit

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/jump-starting-a-car-with-jump-starting-kit/24873>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [January 13, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jump-starting-a-car-with-jump-starting-kit/24873 "2009-01-13T20:32:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![scigeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@scigeek](https://community.cartalk.com/u/scigeek)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jump-starting-a-car-with-jump-starting-kit/24873/1 "2009-01-13T20:32:03Z")

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I have never used Jump starting kit before and am not very familiar with cars either. My friend’s car, which is a Honda Accord, was sitting in the Garage for 3 weeks when I decided to take it out for a while. But it didn’t start. So my friend asked me to use his Jump starting kit (he is now out of the country). But on kit, it says the black cable should be attached to the engine block. I am not sure about that. The red cable should be attached to the + end of the battery.  
  
 Can you help me with the procedure ?  
  
 Thanks

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**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jump-starting-a-car-with-jump-starting-kit/24873/2 "2009-01-13T20:40:51Z")

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Connect the positive cable to the positive post on the battery first. Then clamp the negative cable to any exposed metal bracket, bolt or lug on the engine. This is a safety measure to prevent a spark near the battery when the cable is attached. If you simply can’t find anything metal on the engine to connect to, you can just connect the negative cable to the negative post of the battery…If the “kit” has a self-contained battery, it might be dead too and in need of charging before it will work…

Be SURE you have correctly identified the POSITIVE battery post BEFORE you connect the cables…

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**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 11:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jump-starting-a-car-with-jump-starting-kit/24873/3 "2009-01-14T11:39:02Z")

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If you have safety glasses around, wear them. Batteries do blow up occasionally, as someone recently posted to this message board.

The owner’s manual for the car might suggest a connection point on the engine block.