I need to know if I can boost a dead battery with jumper cables if the dead battery is not in a car. The dead car is in my backyard in such a way that the cables won't reach my truck, so the car is land locked.

So can I just take the dead battery out and carry it over to the truck and then boost it there with the dead battery on the ground? If so, what do I attach the negative cable for the dead battery to? Normally you would attach it to bare metal on the dead car, but if the car isnt there I cant do that.

thanks. this is no doubt a dumb question but i dont want to blow myself up.

 

hmmm...im sure there are multiple solutions. the negative cable goes to the negative terminal ("-", or black post) on the battery. what you are proposing should work, but if the battery is having trouble holding a charge you might need to "boost" it for a while before you put enough juice in it to start another car.
you could just buy/borrow a battery charger, run an extension cord to the dead truck and charge it.

 

can you take the good battery out and put it in place of the dead one?i have been told a battery is only good for starting and when running you can take the battery out.

 

i tried taking the good one out and putting it in car. then turning car on (it did turn on). then while car was running, removed the battery. then i tried to put the dead battery in to let the running motor recharge it, but I saw sparks which scared me. I wasnt sure which post to connect first etc. But either way im famous for doing dangerous stuff with cars so I didnt want to hurt myself so I stopped.

The theory is good I just dont know how safe it is to be removing electrical things with a motor that is turned on.

 

my dad once placed a wrench across the terminals. he jumped pretty good.

 

As long as you are out in the open with good ventilation starting a vehicle with a good battery and then replacing it with a low battery to charge it will work if correct polarity is maintained (positive to positive and negative to negative). A little spark as you connect the cables is to be expected. A battery charger is the safest and best way. What you are doing is charging not jumping. Jumping is using a vehicles good battery and good alternator to start a second vehicle that has a low or dead battery.

 

you should see about having the battery tested. ussually when they test it they give it a quick charge. plus you will find out if the battery is dead. having the battery tested is ussually free. i know at canadian tire it was free but am not sure if it still is.

 

Useing a wrench to short the battery will give a low battery a jolt to warm the battery enough to raise the low voltage in some cases, if the battery is dead, it will do no good. Putting the good battery in the truck should start the vehicle, if nothing else is wrong with it. When the truck starts replace the good battery with the other one and the truck will stay running. ( provided the altenator is good ). Remember the altenator is not a charger so trying to charge a dead battery with the altenator can ruin it.