Connect Jumper Cables the Right Way (Chevy Malibu 2016–25)

Steps

1. 1

   Open the hood.

2. 2

   Under the cover on the driver's side, locate the battery.

3. 3

   Find the positive terminal there and the negative under the adjacent panel — the battery itself shows the negative sign.

4. 4

   Check the terminals for corrosion and make sure everything is tight.

5. 5

   Connect positive from the jump box or other vehicle directly to the bare metal of the positive terminal.

6. 6

   Connect negative to the metal at the negative point.

7. 7

   On the vehicle you're jumping from, positive goes to positive and negative to negative — crossing them even briefly can damage computers and fuses.

8. 8

   Be patient starting it — an old battery can take a few minutes to accept a charge. (His tip: make sure both vehicles are off before connecting.)