jUMP START!!

[0151]

I was out in the wifes car yesterday a peugeot 308 and a guy needed a jump start so i obliged...popped the bonnet(first time for everything) and the battery is right at the back halfway under the bulkhead and I could only access the + terminal as the - term is right underneath and barely visable never mind get a clamp on it. unfortunatly i explained this to the guy and we flagged another do gooder down and all was well.

my Question is and in case i evrer need a jump start :-

would it still boost the battery if the + lead was connected to + terminal and can I connect the - lead to a ground point of the bodywork???

thanks

carl

 

[NozSpark]

As most cars have a -ve earth chassis then any point of the chassis/bodywork/engine is a good place..

Engine mounts & hoist brackets are great as they are clean (ish) and pretty heavy duty, if you put it on your cars wing then it will burn through the paint.

Always connect +ve first and remove +ve last.. also for safety reasons it is better to not use the battery -ve terminal as a spark could ignite any fumes given off by a un-sealed battery.

 

[Lurch]

my Question is and in case i evrer need a jump start :-would it still boost the battery if the + lead was connected to + terminal and can I connect the - lead to a ground point of the bodywork???

That is the recommended way of doing it anyway.

 

[Andy™]

^ whats they say. the metalwork is the negative terminal

 

[Dane]

I normally stick the negative to the engine some where as above, a mounting point is normally the best place, but not usually the best.

The body work doesn't get a brilliant connection and can damage paint work

 

[revjames]

I have a Focus |Cmax and the battery layout is exactly as you describe. Toi the right of the battery is a -ve terminal post which is provided for that purpose.

 

[Blue Fox]

Most cars with a difficult to get to battery have a post for putting the neg onto. Look for a little post about an inch long sticking out in the engine bay somewhere if not just the engine mount or many have a loop on the top for lifting the engine in and out so thats always a good place. You can also put the pos onto the starter motor as well if thats any easier to reach. As said above make sure you connect the neg last and remove it last.

 

[Apache]

That is the recommended way of doing it anyway.

^^what Lurch said

 

[spinlondon]

You can connect to any where on the car, that provides a good connection. This can be a lifting bracket on the engine, or perhaps a piont where the suspension is attached to the chassis such as the top of a suspension leg.

However, you should consider that some electronic ignitions and other componnents can be damaged through jump starting (and even welding), so the current path should be as short at possible.

It usually states in the hand book whether jump starting is advised, and often informs you where to attach cables.

There are protection devices that can be attached to the car to prevent damage occuring to electrical components when jump starting or welding.

If your hand book advises against jump starting, then it may be that use of one of these protection devices will be enough to protect any vulnerable componnents.

The other option is to attach the leads as if you were to jump start, and allow the working vehicle to charge your vehicle's battery.

Remember that there is no need to rev the vehicle that is providing the jump, you are using the power stored in the battery, not the power from the alternator. In most cases it is not even necessary for the vehicle providing the jump to be running as long as both batteries are in good condition. Although it might be advisable if the battery on the vehicle requiring a jump is too flat.

 

[Lurch]

Google FTW!

 

[Apache]

Oh I just remembered, we used to jump start other tractors from a little scraper tractor and we connected the positive lead to the starter motor and the negative to the chassis - the starter motor was accessible on the side of the engine block, the battery required two bolts to be removed!

 

[spinlondon]

Google FTW!

Por Que?

 

[spinlondon]

Oh I just remembered, we used to jump start other tractors from a little scraper tractor and we connected the positive lead to the starter motor and the negative to the chassis - the starter motor was accessible on the side of the engine block, the battery required two bolts to be removed!

Would work on a lot of starter motors, but not on Pre-engaged ones.

On Pre-engaged ones, you would have to find the solenoid, and connect the + cable to the battery side.

 

[Apache]

Would work on a lot of starter motors, but not on Pre-engaged ones.On Pre-engaged ones, you would have to find the solenoid, and connect the + cable to the battery side.

Tractor was very old, ~25 years!

like this

 

[spinlondon]

Nice colour.