Jumper Cable Conundrum

[mso489]

It's been years since I've used jumper cables, several anyway. The latest instructions say don't clip the negative onto the negative battery pole of the dead-battery car. But when I got both hoods up, I discovered no accessible metal on the engine block, the supposed preferred place to clamp on with the negative cable end. So I just did as I've done in the past and put it on the negative battery pole. Vroom-vroom. Everything started as hoped. But there are seas of formed plastic under there. No nice metal ridges on the engine block in sight. As much as I hate to ignore the instructions. I have the big old heavy duty cables, but they now make wispy little ones for small cars. I like mine.

 

[Chasing Embers]

True now, as ever. "They don't make 'em like they used to."

 

[brewshooter]

Sometimes you will find new cars with a remote jump terminal or a specific ground point for the negative. One car I had a few years back had a remote jump point...under the rear seat. It was ridiculous!!

 

[gloucesterman]

In the end it's all grounded to the chassis so anything that is part of that assembly will do. And you're right, those new cables look like could be used for speaker wire.

 

[mso489]

Brewshooter, that under the seat jump terminal sounds like a James Bond zap the villain feature. How strange.

 

[brewshooter]

Brewshooter, that under the seat jump terminal sounds like a James Bond zap the villain feature. How strange.

It was really weird. It was a work vehicle. The battery died and I went to jump it. I was going to hook up to the battery, but, for some unknown reason, I decided to look in the manual before that and discovered it. You had to lift up the entire back seat cushion and there was a positive and a negative terminal post underneath. I remember looking at it and thinking, "I am supposed to jump the car from here?!?!?"

 

[jvnshr]

Yup, some vehicles have it under the back seat. Those new cables tend to melt very easily by the way.

 

[seacaptain]

Sometimes you will find new cars with a remote jump terminal or a specific ground point for the negative.

Yep, almost all newer cards have marked jumps points that are not on the battery, even for the positive terminal.

 

[mvmadore]

Years ago I bought a very nice set of jumper cables...heavy/flexible rubber casing and heavy duty clamps...I've had and used them for years. The cables stay flexible even in the coldest weather. They were well worth the money...though I've only used them once to start my car when the 7 year old battery, lost track of its' age, failed to start on a -30f morning after work...usually used to start other people's cars.
I too have wondered where to connect the negative jumper when I couldn't find anything suitable...used the negative post on the battery with no problems.

 

[radio807]

Conventional car batteries have vents where the hydrogen gas can escape. Hydrogen gas is flammable, and you don't want a spark anywhere near the top of the battery like you often get when making the final connection. Just a safety precaution so you don't have the top of the battery blow up in your face. A very rare occurrence nowadays, but the basic safety premise still applies.

 

[ssjones]

Just remember that the negative lead is on last and off first!

 

[jpmcwjr]

Very useful, timing wise! A junker car that was my son's is still here and something caused the battery go bye bye. There are cheapo cables in the trunk, but on my car, I can't even see the battery. If it is in the engine compartment, it's virtually unaccessible. I might have to look at the manual. Horrors!
The last time I jumped a car were the days when some cars had the opposite ground from the majority. Is that still a thing?

 

[prairiedruid]

Timely thread....I had to jump someone when I was in town. I bought a set of heavy duty jumper cables 10 years ago; 6 gauge if I remember right. They get used every year because my wife's family has a bad habit of leaving electronics on in their cars and destroying batteries. Just the occasional file on the clamps to keep the contacting surfaces clean and they'll last my lifetime. Son bought a new car that came with "jumper cables" looked like wires for headphones.

 

[tbradsim1]

Got a pair I made from Welding cable leads about 20 yrs ago, Best ones yet, made a set for 3 of my kids, don't know if they still have them, I still got mine.

 

[dmcmtk]

Timely thread. I used to live very close to the ocean. I've twice had to have the battery wires cut shorter because of corrosion, the last time just a couple of weeks ago. Car would not start, jump, nothing, nada, zip! My local guy got it sorted. Have always carried heavy duty cables since I lived in VT 30 years ago, as much for myself as for others who needed a jump!