Proper procedure for jumping a battery?
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,301
Likes: 1
From: Dededo, Guam
Originally Posted by DJ_FX
i believe the correst procedure is
1. turn off stereos, amps, and anything else you have on
2. +on dead battery
3. +on good battery
4. -on good battery
5. -as far as possible from dead battery on frame/engine etc away from moving parts.
6. rev the donor vehicle to provide a good charge
7. start the dead vehicle
*if it wont start, turn off key, wait a miniute and try again
8. turn on heaters, defrost, etc to protect the computer against a power spike etc.
9. remove jumper cables in opposite order of putting them on (step 5, 4, 3, 2)
10. turn off the everything you can to minimize the current draw and keep the vehicle running for awile
1. turn off stereos, amps, and anything else you have on
2. +on dead battery
3. +on good battery
4. -on good battery
5. -as far as possible from dead battery on frame/engine etc away from moving parts.
6. rev the donor vehicle to provide a good charge
7. start the dead vehicle
*if it wont start, turn off key, wait a miniute and try again
8. turn on heaters, defrost, etc to protect the computer against a power spike etc.
9. remove jumper cables in opposite order of putting them on (step 5, 4, 3, 2)
10. turn off the everything you can to minimize the current draw and keep the vehicle running for awile
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta GA
> Maybe I've just been lucky so far.
Yes.
> No need to rev the motor.
Most alternators will not put out their maximum AMPs until the host vehicle is at about 1500 rpms. This is especially true for vehicles with 80+ amp alternators. At idle, with or without a drain, they only put out about 30-40 amps.
re:jump at air port
If they used a quick charger I would not be surprised since the commercial ones (generator in the back of the truck) can actually blow a battery up from its charge rate. Many of them can hit well over 18v.
Yes.
> No need to rev the motor.
Most alternators will not put out their maximum AMPs until the host vehicle is at about 1500 rpms. This is especially true for vehicles with 80+ amp alternators. At idle, with or without a drain, they only put out about 30-40 amps.
re:jump at air port
If they used a quick charger I would not be surprised since the commercial ones (generator in the back of the truck) can actually blow a battery up from its charge rate. Many of them can hit well over 18v.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,301
Likes: 1
From: Dededo, Guam
Rebocardo, you may be right on about the output but that output still has to go through the regulator before getting distributed to the battery and accessories. Charging a battery by jumping does not pull a big load.
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: Mississauga, Ontario
revving the motor is more of a safty precaution. the donor vehicle could have a weak/old battery, the altinator may not be functioning properly etc... it is better to be safe than sorry. if there is something wrong, there is less power available and you can actually kill the battery in the donor vehicle thus having 2vehicles on the side of the road dead calling CAA looking like total morons...
also, if a little Civic etc tried to jump say a V10, the V10 needs a lot more power then a Civic would to start and also has a larger battery, the Civic would need to rev to stand a chance.
(it is highly recomended that you do not try to boost a V10 with a V4 or anything like that, the donor vehicle should be of similer or larger size)
also, if we look at my Bronco, it idles at 600-800 RPM, it cant decide what it wants, but it dosen't put out much power at this speed, the lights etc are actually a bit dim and the lights on the stereo flash a little to the beat, but as soon as i get it up to about 1000, there is a big difference, and if i go higher, everything is perfect (and yes, the battery is fine, it was recently replaced due to age)
also, if a little Civic etc tried to jump say a V10, the V10 needs a lot more power then a Civic would to start and also has a larger battery, the Civic would need to rev to stand a chance.
(it is highly recomended that you do not try to boost a V10 with a V4 or anything like that, the donor vehicle should be of similer or larger size)
also, if we look at my Bronco, it idles at 600-800 RPM, it cant decide what it wants, but it dosen't put out much power at this speed, the lights etc are actually a bit dim and the lights on the stereo flash a little to the beat, but as soon as i get it up to about 1000, there is a big difference, and if i go higher, everything is perfect (and yes, the battery is fine, it was recently replaced due to age)
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: Mississauga, Ontario
it runs fine, thats all that matters to me. its an 86 so i dont expect the altinator to due much. i plan on getting a much more powerful 1 for all the accessories that im goin to put in...
but i didnt post it for help, it was only an example
but i didnt post it for help, it was only an example
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,113
Likes: 0
From: Remsen, NY
Originally Posted by jrs_big_ford_f150
Rebocardo, you may be right on about the output but that output still has to go through the regulator before getting distributed to the battery and accessories. Charging a battery by jumping does not pull a big load.
And alternator regulators do nothing but regulate the current going to the field coils. The alternator output, voltage and amperage, is a function of the strength of the field put up by these coils. Most alternators are rated at a much higher rpm than they'd be driven at idle. If the regulator boosts the field up as far as it can and you're still running at idle, you're still not going to make peak amperage. And a dead but otherwise healthy battery will pull all the amperage it can.
Last edited by gatesj; Feb 8, 2005 at 11:02 AM.
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: Mississauga, Ontario
perfect proof that it draws a lot of power to boost a dead battery, i killed my dads battery once in the driveway, i had two charged batteries in the garage, i took one and a pair of jumpers and connected it, the dead battery suked everything it could from the charged battery and no start. I then attached the other battery and this time the dead battery had a bit of power from the first... still no start...
next time im in that situation, im disconnecting the positive from the dead battery, attaching the charged battery with jumper cables (neg to neg, pos to pos clamp kept away from dead battery), starting it, then re-attaching the pos clamp to the dead battery
next time im in that situation, im disconnecting the positive from the dead battery, attaching the charged battery with jumper cables (neg to neg, pos to pos clamp kept away from dead battery), starting it, then re-attaching the pos clamp to the dead battery
Last edited by DJ_FX; Feb 8, 2005 at 04:04 PM.
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New User
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Estes Park, Colorado
Always unhook the - side first than the +. Than when putting it back together, do it in revese order. Unhooking the + first can arc and do electric component damage on late model cars. You will still arc on the - side but it lessens the danger. When jump starting a car I go right to the posts on the host car, and + post and a good ground on the engine. If it cranks slow I move it to the - post. Seems to work well and I havev't had a problem yet. Jesse
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: Mississauga, Ontario
Jesse, if your refering to my last post.... it cant arc when there is no juice lol, a dead battery is a dead battery, it dosent matter how you look at it.
if your refering to jumping in general, then yea, what you said will apply
also, when the vehicle is off, there should be no current draw on the battery, just your clock on the stereo if it has a clock, maybe the computer... not enough to cause a spark.
if your refering to jumping in general, then yea, what you said will apply
also, when the vehicle is off, there should be no current draw on the battery, just your clock on the stereo if it has a clock, maybe the computer... not enough to cause a spark.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 589
Likes: 3
From: Villa Rica, GA
i agree with the procedure listed here by most of the people. but i normally just hook it right to the battery because its such a pain in the a$$ on the new cars to find a good engine ground, like the others have said i guess im just lucky nothing bad has happened.
as a side note ... i see a ton of people especially at college that have no clue how to jump a car, i have seen so many people that do not have the host car running and they cant figure out why the dead car wont start, that always gives me a good laugh.
Jason
as a side note ... i see a ton of people especially at college that have no clue how to jump a car, i have seen so many people that do not have the host car running and they cant figure out why the dead car wont start, that always gives me a good laugh.
Jason
New User
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Estes Park, Colorado
Hey DJ_FX, I was talking about a charged batt. Your right about a dead batt. it wouldn't do anything. But a charged one will arc on the + side if disconected first, and could zap the computer even with the key off. A freind of mine who works at a Chevy place did this and smoked the PCM on a new Vette, not a cheap unit. So now I'm very carefull with this, I'm not going to buy any computers. I can't afford it. Jesse
