2004 Pontiac Aztek Owner's Manual - Page 338

Jump Starting If your battery has run down, you may want to use another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your vehicle. Be sure to follow the steps below to do it safely. Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it won't work, and it could damage your vehicle. 1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt battery with a negative ground system. Notice: If the other vehicle's system is not a 12-volt system with a negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt systems with negative grounds to jump start your vehicle. 2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren't touching each other. If they are, it could cause a ground connection you don't want. You wouldn't be able to start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could damage the electrical systems. To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in the jump starting procedure. Put an automatic transaxle in PARK (P) or a manual transaxle in NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake. {CAUTION: Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous because: • They contain acid that can burn you. • They contain gas that can explode or ignite. • They contain enough electricity to burn you. If you do not follow these steps exactly, some or all of these things can hurt you. Notice: Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage to your vehicle that wouldn't be covered by your warranty. 5-42