I've been driving in the city for years, and that time after work, I found my car wouldn't start, and the lights didn't even turn on, so I figured the battery was dead. First, don't panic—shift the car into P, engage the handbrake, and turn on the hazard lights to warn traffic behind you. Then, try a simple activation—like pressing the start button repeatedly a few times; sometimes a temporary poor connection might resolve itself. If that doesn’t work, check if there’s any backup equipment in the car, like a portable jump starter (also called an emergency power supply), plug it in for 10 minutes, and try starting again. If you don’t have one, call a friend or roadside assistance for a jump-start: park the two cars close, turn off both engines, connect the red jumper cable to the positive terminals (marked with a +) of both batteries, and the black cable to the negative terminal of your car and a metal chassis on my car. Start the rescue car and let it run for 5 minutes, then try starting mine. Once it works, let the engine run for 15 minutes to recharge. If the battery is aging and nearing two years, replace it. Normally, check the voltmeter reading monthly—above 12V is fine—and avoid long-term parking in winter to prevent battery drain. Handling a dead battery in an automatic is straightforward; the key is to stay calm and avoid pushing the car recklessly, which could damage the transmission.
