First of all, do not tap the power of the battery any more than is necessary because you urgently need the last bit of power that is left in the cells.

Don’t keep on trying to start it if the self-starter stopped turning and only produces that horrible clicking sound. Switch off all the electrical equipment in the vehicle.

If a second vehicle is available but cannot get close:

• Take the flat battery out of your vehicle and carry it over to the other vehicle.

• Exchange the live battery of that vehicle with the flat battery, but only connect the negative earth cable onto the flat battery and leave the positive cable disconnected.

• Connect the negative terminals of the two batteries with a jumper lead and then also with the other.

• Jumper lead the positive terminal of the fully loaded battery with the loose positive cable of the vehicle. Clamp it in such a position so that the clamping nut can still be pressed over the positive terminal of the flat battery.

• Now, switch on the vehicle and let it idle for a few minutes. Carefully take the loose positive cable, without disturbing the jumper lead connection, and shift it over posi- tive terminal of the flat battery and fasten it. Let the vehicle idle at a higher speed to charge the battery.

• Disconnect the jumper leads one at a time, when the flat battery is fairly charged.

• Let the vehicle idle at a higher rate to charge the flat battery further. The fully loaded battery can now be taken to your vehicle. And see you have battery power.

The process sounds cumbersome but this way ensures that you are not stuck with two vehicles with flat batteries.