John: I let my car sit last winter and now the battery is dead. I recharged the battery but the car still won’t start. Alice: Turn the headlights on. Do they work? John: No. Alice: Then the battery is still dead or the connections are bad. John: Then what should I do? Alice: Use a voltmeter to check the battery voltage directly at the battery terminal, not at the cable clamp. John: I see. What’s next? Alice: If the lights work, leave them on and try to start the engine. If the engine won’t turn over, check if the headlights dim. If they do, this still indicates a bad battery or bad connections.