Jumper Cables
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 11,537
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From: Long Beach, Ms.
The starter grounds to the block NOT the battery!
So if your jumper is positive to positive and the negative is grounded to the block then you have the best path.
ALWAYS CONNECT THE POSITIVE PATH FIRST.
THEN YOUR SUPPLY GROUND.
THEN GROUND TO THE DEAD VEHICLE BLOCK.
That way if there is a spark upon completion of the circuit it will occur away from the dead battery reducing the possibility of an explosion.
The most often corroded connection is the Positive to battery connection.
That is how I do things.
And as I do that kind of thing for a living I'll stick to my method.
So if your jumper is positive to positive and the negative is grounded to the block then you have the best path.
ALWAYS CONNECT THE POSITIVE PATH FIRST.
THEN YOUR SUPPLY GROUND.
THEN GROUND TO THE DEAD VEHICLE BLOCK.
That way if there is a spark upon completion of the circuit it will occur away from the dead battery reducing the possibility of an explosion.
The most often corroded connection is the Positive to battery connection.
That is how I do things.
And as I do that kind of thing for a living I'll stick to my method.
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Senior User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 473
Likes: 0
All wire has some amount of resistance per unit of length (inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area of the conductor). The longer the wire, the greater the resistance--and the greater the voltage drop. More voltage drop across the wire means that the current through the wire goes up. More current means more heat, more heat means less energy transferred from the good vehicle to the one with the dead battery.
I get this. I'm just pointing out that welding cable has very little resistance compared to most wire/cable.
Just recently I sold a truck with a dead battery in it, so every time it was test driven, it had to be jumped. I had it parked at a friend's house (more traffic--more visibility). He couldn't jump it with his cables, because they were small diameter and just didn't allow enough current to flow. I had no problems jumping it with my much larger cables, even with a smaller vehicle and battery on the good end.
My welding cable is heavier than any jumpers I've ever seen.
The alternator means very little when it comes to jumping a vehicle--the vast majority of the power comes from the good vehicle's battery itself.
Yes, but I've jumped people before and their car wouldn't start unless I revved up to 1500-2000rpm, then it fired right up. That tells me that the alt can make a difference.
The shorter and thicker the cables are, the better.
Not arguing that point, but shorter ones always cause problem with reaching. Also, I'm not going out and buying the cable, I already have it (got it for free), so I'm using what I've got.
Jason
P.S. (on edit): I also only hook up the cables battery-to-battery. This takes any loose ground or corrosion in the pathway through the frame(s) out of the equation.
I get this. I'm just pointing out that welding cable has very little resistance compared to most wire/cable.
Just recently I sold a truck with a dead battery in it, so every time it was test driven, it had to be jumped. I had it parked at a friend's house (more traffic--more visibility). He couldn't jump it with his cables, because they were small diameter and just didn't allow enough current to flow. I had no problems jumping it with my much larger cables, even with a smaller vehicle and battery on the good end.
My welding cable is heavier than any jumpers I've ever seen.
The alternator means very little when it comes to jumping a vehicle--the vast majority of the power comes from the good vehicle's battery itself.
Yes, but I've jumped people before and their car wouldn't start unless I revved up to 1500-2000rpm, then it fired right up. That tells me that the alt can make a difference.
The shorter and thicker the cables are, the better.
Not arguing that point, but shorter ones always cause problem with reaching. Also, I'm not going out and buying the cable, I already have it (got it for free), so I'm using what I've got.
Jason
P.S. (on edit): I also only hook up the cables battery-to-battery. This takes any loose ground or corrosion in the pathway through the frame(s) out of the equation.
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