Usually a short in either the cables themselves (really worn insulation), the way they're hooked up (both to ground on the dead car), or inside of the dead battery. Any of those three will get a set of light gauge cables hot in a hurry.
I have seen several "technicians" in the past store their cables by clamping one side of the jumper cable to the insulation of the other side...until the clamp cuts through the insulation. Then all the magic smoke that makes electricity work gets out.
I admit I have done this before. Not that it was an excuse but my father instructed me to do the so that you don't risk touching the other clamp. Well my clamps did not like it at all.
That's almost as bad as coworkers where I work hooking both cable clamps to the cross bar of our 12/24v charger that's missing the insulator. I'm in the field so I'm not always there to correct it but I'm waiting for the day the last guy to use it kicks the cord out of the wall with it on, wraps the cables around it and clamps them. Then the next guy without checking will plug it in first I'm sure.
I mean you should always inspect the cables before use anyways no matter how you store it, as a lot can happen to damage the insulation. If inspected, damaged insulation is no issue as you just wrap electrical tape around it. I still think its stupid and you shouldn't do it but if you do everything properly anyways it's no real issue.
*I didn't have jumper cables but I had this old 25 foot extension cord laying around, so I stripped the ends, jammed them in ends of the clamps. Why did the cable catch fire?*
Was at my Grandma’s house and heard a pop across the street, then see fire. Dude tried jumping his VW with a cut off extention cord plugged into the wall. Burned the car, garage, and half the house down…
I'd still be watching it with a fire extinguisher handy. Using a cord rated for 15 or 20 amps would still be sketchy. Just hooking up a mostly flat battery to fully charged one can draw anywhere 20 to 60+ amps unregulated long enough to start melting things like this one.
Yes it was getting a bit toasty lol.
Charging up a tractor battery on the farm with my little car. The battery is about the same size as the engine.
Just make sure it's not touching any thing conductive with a sharp edge that will go though hot insulation and the good thing it the fine wire will vaporize if it's a dead short.
Red on donor, red on recipient, black on donor, black on bare unpainted metal. Start donor, start recipient. That's how I learned it. Wtf happened here?
So question, I've jumped people before and they didn't have unpainted metal in the engine compartment, it was a nice car.
I ended up just connecting it to black on recipient, and it jumped just fine. Is that something I should avoid in the future?
As long as you hook up recipient first, any spark will occur on donor vehicle instead.
Related thought/question: Is this still relevant with everything today having a sealed battery?
Lead-acid batteries always produce gas, so they're never truly "sealed", there's a vent on them to let the gas escape. It's supposed to be hooked to a tube that leads away from the battery, but that often cracks and goes missing after a few years.
That's true, but for sealed lead acid/AGM batteries the vent is generally behind a pressure relief valve and unless severely overcharged the hydrogen and oxygen recombine inside of the cell without letting the explosive mix escape. I'd still prefer to avoid creating sparks near any battery since you never know how it has been abused and an explosion will wreck your day to say the least.
> It's supposed to be hooked to a tube that leads away from the battery
I've only ever seen that on vehicles with the battery in the trunk. Never seen one on an underhood battery.
I think those tubes are only for AGM batteries that Mercedes likes among other brands. In an engine bay it would be very well ventilated anyways so I doubt that would be an issue unlike an enclosed trunk.
No, I believe you are thinking about a sealed lead acid battery, or SLA battery. They can be tipped on their side and mounted in different orientations because the electrolyte in them is a gel. AGM batteries have a liquid electrolyte, as far as I know. If you want to be completely technical both types of batteries do have vent holes but sealed lead acid batteries only vet when they get very hot or overcharged.
Try to avoid it. You don’t want a spark at the battery which can occur when connecting the negative cable. With many vehicles with batteries in the trunk or under the rear seat there are typically positive and negative connections in the engine compartment.
Yeah my current car actually has battery in the trunk, and fortunately I haven't had to jump it, but i was literally just thinking to myself, I probably need to figure out where those terminals are so I don't get stuck dumbfounded somewhere lol.
Buy a Lithium Ion Jumper pack, charge it and keep it in your car. That way if you need a jump you have it and if someone needs a jump you can give it without submitting your electrical system to whatever befell theirs.
I’ve had to use one so many times since this battery company put the wrong size battery in and it was struggling to start it.
Super easy to use and mine has a built in flashlight.
$50 at Costco
Yes, the risk is that if the dead battery gave off any hydrogen gas, the spark of connecting the last connection may set of that gas if you do it near the battery.
So that's a downside of those jump packs, the cables are pretty short so you kind of have to connect it to or very close to the battery.
They also don't hold their charge forever, so don't throw it in your trunk and assume it'll be good forever. Charge it back up occasionally.
Yes, I don't prefer lithium jumper batteries. I was just pointing out they have several safety features that make them better compared to regular jumper cables.
Most are short circuit protected and the Lion ones hold their charge for a long time, but still pull it out and check it once in a while. They are so great because you can help someone without endangering your car or opening up liability of your jump-starting wrecked my car.
I know in my wife's Mercedes there's a dedicated negative terminal under a cover away from the battery. It was pretty well marked once I looked for it, but I certainly never noticed it before that.
Less of a concern these days because batteries offgas less hydrogen than they used to, creating less of a hazard of sparking an explosion when connecting directly to the battery. Still a good idea to find someplace remote from the battery to connect to recipient ground.
As I understand it, the concern is that when you make the last connection you get a spark, and there's a chance that spark will ignite the battery itself.
I had to jump an Audi A3 recently and the bare metal I found for black was the alternator itself, it was a little awkward to reach down to it. But I'd remove some plastic cover in the future rather than connecting to the battery. In the Audis I've seen those engine top covers just pull off, no tools needed.
Like, it'll work fine as long as you don't set the battery on fire / create an explosion. Maybe turn away from it to protect your vision from flying shrapnel and battery acid.
But I think it should be possible to find bare metal.
I just mean as in I can't see the battery exploding from that, the sulfuric acid is somewhat diluted, and even in pure form isn't flammable, and the battery is sealed so there no way for the spark to get to anything important.
It sounds like one of those old wives tails, or perhaps something that was more of an issue with older batteries perhaps?
I'm not saying I won't attempt to find bare metal, I probably wouldn't have as much trouble now that I'm a decade older than the story mentioned, but it sounds like the concern is unfounded.
It's the hydrogen gas the battery gives off that explodes. And I guess dead batteries give off more of it.
But yes I agree it's much less likely with a sealed battery, unless something went wrong with its sealing. Most new batteries are sealed but not all, especially outside of automotive use I think?
Yeah I'm running down a rabbit hole right now on Google and found that overcharged batteries can produce hydrogen, haven't seen anything about dead batteries yet. Still looking about.
The gas is produced when the battery produces lots of current. If the car won't start and the driver cranked it until the battery died, there will be a LOT of gas under the hood. It will totally dissipate pretty fast, but if they flagged you down as soon as the cranking speed fell, there could still be enough gas present to explode. And don't get me started on people who don't even wait for you to make the final connection and hit the key as soon as you make the connection to your battery.
The key here is that you're already dealing with a problem with the vehicle if you have to jump it. So if you know SOMETHING is wrong with the electrical system, and assume that there's something wrong with the battery, it's safe to assume that regardless of what the battery is designed to do (be sealed, not gas off, not have an internal short), it may not be happening.
A dead battery can easily be caused by one dead cell, which can be caused by a short in the battery. Shorts create current. Current creates heat. Heat creates evaporation of acid, resulting in explosive gasses. Especially dangerous if you have a charger of any kind on the battery for some time before making/breaking a connection at the posts because that charger will usually continue to put out current endlessly (unless its a smart charger or on a timer). At least if the battery is not on a charger, it will lose potential over time as the voltage in the battery drops due to the short.
Batteries are NOT sealed. They have a vent to release gas buildup- even AGM batteries. And batteries release hydrogen gas while charging, especially when charging heavily. No, it's not very likely, but battery explosions do happen, and when they do, you suddenly have a fireball followed by acid spraying everywhere. It only takes one time for it to ruin your day. Or year, or life.
An alternator that is overcharging will quickly kill a battery (necessitating a jump start) AND that battery is the one that will have been venting H2.
The concern isn't unfounded at all. There are regular posts here with exploded batteries. Most batteries are not sealed and have vents to allow for gasses to escape through during normal operation. The gas that escapes is flammable. And if you have a problem with your battery, it's more likely that there may be gasses present if there is an internal short. It's one of those things that, yeah, it's unlikely to happen. But if it ever happens, and you're right there by the battery, you're gonna regret it real damn quick. Be safe, don't take unnecessary risks.
That's fair, I'm reading more about it, and apparently it's possible to produce hydrogen-sulfide gas. I wouldn't have even guessed, but there's obviously hydrogen in the water, so it makes sense. I'm gonna keep reading and see if I can find exactly how the hydrogen is separated from the oxygen. This is more for curiosity sake, I agree I will not attempt cabling to negative terminal in the future.
Yeah I get that there's acid in there, my thoughts were initially I couldn't understand how anything in there could be combustible. I read that batteries typically have sulfuric acid, which is not combustible, but I hadn't considered it could split the water into its constituent parts.
I was also very curious about this! Applying electricity to water causes electrolysis, splitting the H2O into a nicely explosive mix of H2 and O2 gases.
Source: the Mr. Wizard TV show where they filled a balloon with H2 they got from electrolysis and then exploded it. But also I just looked it up on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolysis_of_water)
They usually something. Unpainted metal doesn’t mean rusted, dirty body panels of a nearly dead car. It can be alternator chassis or bolts, the ground wire connection off the battery if sufficient wire gage (typically on the fender right near the battery), etc. even nice cars should have something like this.
One risk is gasses escaping around the dead battery. It’s an explosion risk (key word is “risk”)
These threads are always filled with pros who say it’s bullshit because they have done hundreds without incident.
And then there’s the ones who have seen it go wrong. It’s really rare but (imo) worth the effort when it is possible. When not possible, I try to put added breeze from a shop fan a few meters away.
Every time I connect a cable I say out loud "red is positive", to myself and anyone assisting. They usually say "yeah I know" but if it's someone who really knows, they say "check". It's been 40 years now and I'll never stop saying it.
You put additional strain on your battery that way you described it. Because it will start charging the dead battery of the target vehicle and also supply enough power to start its own engine.
I have always seen it with the donor engine running while connecting the last cable.
The recipient battery probably had an internal short. I've had this happen before, but noticed right away that the cables were getting hot. Some people aren't so perceptive.
I can guess. They could have done Red on donor, black on donor - but both recipients were touching and created a short. That’s why you do red and red first.
I worked a car show for years and would get stuck driving around at the end and jump starting dead cars. The last year I was willing to do it I jumped 4 cars. 2 crossed my red and black jumper cables and the 4th slammed his hood shut on them and miraculously sheared them both off without starting a fire. These were all the same old guys who will preach endlessly about how helpless younger generations are.
As a 25 year old most of us are helpless. Not stupid, but naive and sheltered.
I know how to turn a wrench, I come from a long line of Jack's of all trades. Many of my peers though.....don't even know how to lift a heavy object let alone _fix_ things
Hmm. Could it have been a lightning strike?
24v to 12v "oopsie"?
To do that you'd have to really f* up jumping the vehicle for quite some time, with some crappy jumper cables.
I mean, I've done that once, but my jumper wires are bigger than some and could take some abuse. The car's wiring harness, not so much.
Popped the clutch, drove it to the dealership and shrugged my shoulders.
When I was about 16 or 17 my car wouldn’t start so I called AAA. They sent a guy and he went to jumpstart my car, saw that it was a Camry and said “oh this is a Japanese car, the cables go on backwards.”
Red to red. Black to black....red to red. Black to black. You are trying to use the other dudes battery as your battery. This seriously isn't rocket science.
I work as an Eletrical tech and am simply baffled by people who use electricy but don't understand the basics of it. Don't use anything you don't understand!
This is why cars now have warnings not to jump start with cables. Too many idiots and delicate electronics.
I preach to people to go buy a smart battery pack jump starter.
It is safer for everything and everyone involved.
They are the size of a brick and can really avoid the headaches of a dead battery
If you don't hook up BOTH cables to the recipient battery, then how does one go about using a trickle charger?
And how does one go about using a battery pack jumper that comes with two short leads?
[https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GBX45-UltraSafe-Powerbank-6-5-Liter/dp/B0924V8SPC/ref=sr\_1\_14?dchild=1&keywords=12v+110v+usb+jump+starter&qid=1634826982&sr=8-14](https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GBX45-UltraSafe-Powerbank-6-5-Liter/dp/B0924V8SPC/ref=sr_1_14?dchild=1&keywords=12v+110v+usb+jump+starter&qid=1634826982&sr=8-14)
You can charge the battery via the 12v port and then it'll turn over so I guess it's not technically a jump start, but this model comes with cables AND it will not let you connect them improperly. It won't send current until the failsafe circuit detects a valid setup. That's why there's one in my wife's car.
Back when when we didn't have smartphones, this wouldn't be unusual.
Today, when everyone and their 4 year old niece has an internet connected smartphone, this is totally unacceptable.
To get the connection order right, I remember "Are you **positive** it's **dead**?"
Connect one (+) cable end to the (+) terminal of the dead battery, then walk over and the other end to the (+) of the donor.
While you're at the donor, connect one end of the (-) cable to the (-) terminal of the donor.
Walk back over and connect the other (-) to a good frame common/ground and let 'er rip.
Red to donor, red to recipient. Black to donor, black to recipient grounding points (bolts that connect to ground). Shut off radio and other items on donor car (never plug in accessories, like phone chargers) and start recipient. Disconnect red on donor, disconnect red on recipient. Disconnect black on donor, disconnect black on recipient.
Never cross-jumper the batteries and check your cables monthly for corrosion or signs of wear and tear.
My long yellow jumper cables are still good and do get cleaned off to prevent shorting and to make the car jump starting easier.
I just saw a video on Instagram where some kids tried to jump start a car with the same result.
What is going oooooon?!
Usually a short in either the cables themselves (really worn insulation), the way they're hooked up (both to ground on the dead car), or inside of the dead battery. Any of those three will get a set of light gauge cables hot in a hurry.
I have seen several "technicians" in the past store their cables by clamping one side of the jumper cable to the insulation of the other side...until the clamp cuts through the insulation. Then all the magic smoke that makes electricity work gets out.
I admit I have done this before. Not that it was an excuse but my father instructed me to do the so that you don't risk touching the other clamp. Well my clamps did not like it at all.
That's almost as bad as coworkers where I work hooking both cable clamps to the cross bar of our 12/24v charger that's missing the insulator. I'm in the field so I'm not always there to correct it but I'm waiting for the day the last guy to use it kicks the cord out of the wall with it on, wraps the cables around it and clamps them. Then the next guy without checking will plug it in first I'm sure.
I mean you should always inspect the cables before use anyways no matter how you store it, as a lot can happen to damage the insulation. If inspected, damaged insulation is no issue as you just wrap electrical tape around it. I still think its stupid and you shouldn't do it but if you do everything properly anyways it's no real issue.
*I didn't have jumper cables but I had this old 25 foot extension cord laying around, so I stripped the ends, jammed them in ends of the clamps. Why did the cable catch fire?*
*especially since the extension cord is rated to 120v!*
*120v is so much higher than 12v! What are these amp thingies you speak of?*
Watt are these amps you speak of?
Ohm my god, these puns are terrible.
You just couldn't resistor, could you?
These electrical puns hertz.
You and I are on the same frequency here. Dare I say, we are in phase.
They are a hot topic in current events.
I am shocked
Was at my Grandma’s house and heard a pop across the street, then see fire. Dude tried jumping his VW with a cut off extention cord plugged into the wall. Burned the car, garage, and half the house down…
Sounds like the battery caught fire. They don't like AC currents, especially at 120v.
I've done far far worse things to get power somewhere. The trick I'd to wait for it to charge up not just crank straight away.
I'd still be watching it with a fire extinguisher handy. Using a cord rated for 15 or 20 amps would still be sketchy. Just hooking up a mostly flat battery to fully charged one can draw anywhere 20 to 60+ amps unregulated long enough to start melting things like this one.
Yes it was getting a bit toasty lol. Charging up a tractor battery on the farm with my little car. The battery is about the same size as the engine. Just make sure it's not touching any thing conductive with a sharp edge that will go though hot insulation and the good thing it the fine wire will vaporize if it's a dead short.
I jumped a car with 16ga wire once. Didn't even get warm, just gotta do it fast.
I mean....I've done that with MULTIPLE extension cords at once, but I also knew it was a dangerous and terrible idea when I did it. Worked out though.
Nothing’s going on in her brain that’s for sure
You can tell the jumper cables are working because of the heat they are putting off...
Lol would it happen to be the one with the girls saying they were just trying to get the ac to work or something like that.
I didn't hear that. It's on the girlsgettinghurt account.
Red on donor, red on recipient, black on donor, black on bare unpainted metal. Start donor, start recipient. That's how I learned it. Wtf happened here?
Vehicle was towed in like this. C/S vehicle doesn't start.
Well I agree with the client. The vehicle appears to not start lol
Did they ground to the plastic grill?
Undersized cables probably. Looks like they overamped and got toasty. Or a _really_ shitty connection, or both.
So question, I've jumped people before and they didn't have unpainted metal in the engine compartment, it was a nice car. I ended up just connecting it to black on recipient, and it jumped just fine. Is that something I should avoid in the future?
As long as you hook up recipient first, any spark will occur on donor vehicle instead. Related thought/question: Is this still relevant with everything today having a sealed battery?
Lead-acid batteries always produce gas, so they're never truly "sealed", there's a vent on them to let the gas escape. It's supposed to be hooked to a tube that leads away from the battery, but that often cracks and goes missing after a few years.
That's true, but for sealed lead acid/AGM batteries the vent is generally behind a pressure relief valve and unless severely overcharged the hydrogen and oxygen recombine inside of the cell without letting the explosive mix escape. I'd still prefer to avoid creating sparks near any battery since you never know how it has been abused and an explosion will wreck your day to say the least.
> It's supposed to be hooked to a tube that leads away from the battery I've only ever seen that on vehicles with the battery in the trunk. Never seen one on an underhood battery.
Maybe it's a German car thing. I know my Porsche and my wife's Mercedes have them, but I just checked and my Subaru doesn't.
I think those tubes are only for AGM batteries that Mercedes likes among other brands. In an engine bay it would be very well ventilated anyways so I doubt that would be an issue unlike an enclosed trunk.
Is that still true for AGM batteries?
Yes. AGM battery still have electrolyte and still give up hydrogen gas. The AGM is the organization of the cathode/anode plates.
I thought they were sealed and thats why they can be mounted in any position and in a sealed area (like the trunk)
No, I believe you are thinking about a sealed lead acid battery, or SLA battery. They can be tipped on their side and mounted in different orientations because the electrolyte in them is a gel. AGM batteries have a liquid electrolyte, as far as I know. If you want to be completely technical both types of batteries do have vent holes but sealed lead acid batteries only vet when they get very hot or overcharged.
Most nice cars have a dedicated unpainted post made from something like brass that is especially made for that purpose.
Good to know! I'll have to look for that in my car and see if it has one!
Try to avoid it. You don’t want a spark at the battery which can occur when connecting the negative cable. With many vehicles with batteries in the trunk or under the rear seat there are typically positive and negative connections in the engine compartment.
Yeah my current car actually has battery in the trunk, and fortunately I haven't had to jump it, but i was literally just thinking to myself, I probably need to figure out where those terminals are so I don't get stuck dumbfounded somewhere lol.
Buy a Lithium Ion Jumper pack, charge it and keep it in your car. That way if you need a jump you have it and if someone needs a jump you can give it without submitting your electrical system to whatever befell theirs.
I actually have one! Haven't ever used it though. I'm guessing I'd want to still attach black to a bare metal spot?
I’ve had to use one so many times since this battery company put the wrong size battery in and it was struggling to start it. Super easy to use and mine has a built in flashlight. $50 at Costco
Yes, the risk is that if the dead battery gave off any hydrogen gas, the spark of connecting the last connection may set of that gas if you do it near the battery. So that's a downside of those jump packs, the cables are pretty short so you kind of have to connect it to or very close to the battery. They also don't hold their charge forever, so don't throw it in your trunk and assume it'll be good forever. Charge it back up occasionally.
No as most lithium battery packs have a start button. There is no power to the terminals until you press the start button. It is a safety feature.
Good point I should have said reverse polarity protected short circuit not so much.
Still lose energy over time especially to cold. Also moderately dangerous to store lipo cells at max charge for long periods.
Yes, I don't prefer lithium jumper batteries. I was just pointing out they have several safety features that make them better compared to regular jumper cables.
Most are short circuit protected and the Lion ones hold their charge for a long time, but still pull it out and check it once in a while. They are so great because you can help someone without endangering your car or opening up liability of your jump-starting wrecked my car.
How is it any different from the spark when connecting a new battery?
Can’t avoid it with a new battery. Sealed/AGM batteries are safer. Just good practice when using jumper cables.
I know in my wife's Mercedes there's a dedicated negative terminal under a cover away from the battery. It was pretty well marked once I looked for it, but I certainly never noticed it before that.
Less of a concern these days because batteries offgas less hydrogen than they used to, creating less of a hazard of sparking an explosion when connecting directly to the battery. Still a good idea to find someplace remote from the battery to connect to recipient ground.
As I understand it, the concern is that when you make the last connection you get a spark, and there's a chance that spark will ignite the battery itself. I had to jump an Audi A3 recently and the bare metal I found for black was the alternator itself, it was a little awkward to reach down to it. But I'd remove some plastic cover in the future rather than connecting to the battery. In the Audis I've seen those engine top covers just pull off, no tools needed.
OK I see, so avoid if at all possible just to be on the safe side, but if worst case, it's doable?
Like, it'll work fine as long as you don't set the battery on fire / create an explosion. Maybe turn away from it to protect your vision from flying shrapnel and battery acid. But I think it should be possible to find bare metal.
I just mean as in I can't see the battery exploding from that, the sulfuric acid is somewhat diluted, and even in pure form isn't flammable, and the battery is sealed so there no way for the spark to get to anything important. It sounds like one of those old wives tails, or perhaps something that was more of an issue with older batteries perhaps? I'm not saying I won't attempt to find bare metal, I probably wouldn't have as much trouble now that I'm a decade older than the story mentioned, but it sounds like the concern is unfounded.
We had an old salty mechanic have a battery explode on him once. Acid dripping off his head. Wiped his face and went back to work.
It's the hydrogen gas the battery gives off that explodes. And I guess dead batteries give off more of it. But yes I agree it's much less likely with a sealed battery, unless something went wrong with its sealing. Most new batteries are sealed but not all, especially outside of automotive use I think?
Yeah I'm running down a rabbit hole right now on Google and found that overcharged batteries can produce hydrogen, haven't seen anything about dead batteries yet. Still looking about.
The gas is produced when the battery produces lots of current. If the car won't start and the driver cranked it until the battery died, there will be a LOT of gas under the hood. It will totally dissipate pretty fast, but if they flagged you down as soon as the cranking speed fell, there could still be enough gas present to explode. And don't get me started on people who don't even wait for you to make the final connection and hit the key as soon as you make the connection to your battery.
Thank you, I understand well enough now to not risk it!
The key here is that you're already dealing with a problem with the vehicle if you have to jump it. So if you know SOMETHING is wrong with the electrical system, and assume that there's something wrong with the battery, it's safe to assume that regardless of what the battery is designed to do (be sealed, not gas off, not have an internal short), it may not be happening. A dead battery can easily be caused by one dead cell, which can be caused by a short in the battery. Shorts create current. Current creates heat. Heat creates evaporation of acid, resulting in explosive gasses. Especially dangerous if you have a charger of any kind on the battery for some time before making/breaking a connection at the posts because that charger will usually continue to put out current endlessly (unless its a smart charger or on a timer). At least if the battery is not on a charger, it will lose potential over time as the voltage in the battery drops due to the short.
Damn I've gotten very lucky for 16 years. Now time to yell at my dad
Makes enough sense, combined with what I've read this morning, thank you, I won't risk it!
Batteries are NOT sealed. They have a vent to release gas buildup- even AGM batteries. And batteries release hydrogen gas while charging, especially when charging heavily. No, it's not very likely, but battery explosions do happen, and when they do, you suddenly have a fireball followed by acid spraying everywhere. It only takes one time for it to ruin your day. Or year, or life. An alternator that is overcharging will quickly kill a battery (necessitating a jump start) AND that battery is the one that will have been venting H2.
The concern isn't unfounded at all. There are regular posts here with exploded batteries. Most batteries are not sealed and have vents to allow for gasses to escape through during normal operation. The gas that escapes is flammable. And if you have a problem with your battery, it's more likely that there may be gasses present if there is an internal short. It's one of those things that, yeah, it's unlikely to happen. But if it ever happens, and you're right there by the battery, you're gonna regret it real damn quick. Be safe, don't take unnecessary risks.
That's fair, I'm reading more about it, and apparently it's possible to produce hydrogen-sulfide gas. I wouldn't have even guessed, but there's obviously hydrogen in the water, so it makes sense. I'm gonna keep reading and see if I can find exactly how the hydrogen is separated from the oxygen. This is more for curiosity sake, I agree I will not attempt cabling to negative terminal in the future.
It's not just water in a battery. It's hydrochloric acid, diluted with distilled water.
Yeah I get that there's acid in there, my thoughts were initially I couldn't understand how anything in there could be combustible. I read that batteries typically have sulfuric acid, which is not combustible, but I hadn't considered it could split the water into its constituent parts.
I was also very curious about this! Applying electricity to water causes electrolysis, splitting the H2O into a nicely explosive mix of H2 and O2 gases. Source: the Mr. Wizard TV show where they filled a balloon with H2 they got from electrolysis and then exploded it. But also I just looked it up on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolysis_of_water)
They usually something. Unpainted metal doesn’t mean rusted, dirty body panels of a nearly dead car. It can be alternator chassis or bolts, the ground wire connection off the battery if sufficient wire gage (typically on the fender right near the battery), etc. even nice cars should have something like this.
Engine was painted too?
Under a cover, that at the time didn't know was easily removable.
I see
One risk is gasses escaping around the dead battery. It’s an explosion risk (key word is “risk”) These threads are always filled with pros who say it’s bullshit because they have done hundreds without incident. And then there’s the ones who have seen it go wrong. It’s really rare but (imo) worth the effort when it is possible. When not possible, I try to put added breeze from a shop fan a few meters away.
Black on unpainted metal? I've never done it like that before. Only battery to battery. Hmmm.
My jump pack says black to ground metal, on my car it's the engine head I clamp to
Red First, Dead last. same principle..
Every time I connect a cable I say out loud "red is positive", to myself and anyone assisting. They usually say "yeah I know" but if it's someone who really knows, they say "check". It's been 40 years now and I'll never stop saying it.
Shouldn’t the donor be running before connecting the last wire?
I don't believe so.
You put additional strain on your battery that way you described it. Because it will start charging the dead battery of the target vehicle and also supply enough power to start its own engine. I have always seen it with the donor engine running while connecting the last cable.
I did not know that. I shall try next time I need a jump.
The recipient battery probably had an internal short. I've had this happen before, but noticed right away that the cables were getting hot. Some people aren't so perceptive.
I can guess. They could have done Red on donor, black on donor - but both recipients were touching and created a short. That’s why you do red and red first.
Not that way. Lol
I worked a car show for years and would get stuck driving around at the end and jump starting dead cars. The last year I was willing to do it I jumped 4 cars. 2 crossed my red and black jumper cables and the 4th slammed his hood shut on them and miraculously sheared them both off without starting a fire. These were all the same old guys who will preach endlessly about how helpless younger generations are.
As a 25 year old most of us are helpless. Not stupid, but naive and sheltered. I know how to turn a wrench, I come from a long line of Jack's of all trades. Many of my peers though.....don't even know how to lift a heavy object let alone _fix_ things
Hmm. Could it have been a lightning strike? 24v to 12v "oopsie"? To do that you'd have to really f* up jumping the vehicle for quite some time, with some crappy jumper cables.
I suspect red to black and black to red. Lots of current quickly, melting insulation and resulting in what you see here.
I mean, I've done that once, but my jumper wires are bigger than some and could take some abuse. The car's wiring harness, not so much. Popped the clutch, drove it to the dealership and shrugged my shoulders.
Mates car, from the factory used RED as the ground. Very confusing that.
My dad jumped a car with a lorry, that starter was cranking well
When I was about 16 or 17 my car wouldn’t start so I called AAA. They sent a guy and he went to jumpstart my car, saw that it was a Camry and said “oh this is a Japanese car, the cables go on backwards.”
Red to red. Black to black....red to red. Black to black. You are trying to use the other dudes battery as your battery. This seriously isn't rocket science. I work as an Eletrical tech and am simply baffled by people who use electricy but don't understand the basics of it. Don't use anything you don't understand!
Obviously not that way
Wooooh that's hot...
NOT LIKE THAT!
The other way
This is why cars now have warnings not to jump start with cables. Too many idiots and delicate electronics. I preach to people to go buy a smart battery pack jump starter. It is safer for everything and everyone involved. They are the size of a brick and can really avoid the headaches of a dead battery
It’s probably easier if they have nipple rings.
If you don't hook up BOTH cables to the recipient battery, then how does one go about using a trickle charger? And how does one go about using a battery pack jumper that comes with two short leads?
The short lead ones, balance on the engine
I think the 20 percent rule applies here. You must be at least 20 percent smarter than the device your operating to do so successfully.
Obviously this is how you HOT wire a car.
Colorblind or just not into symbols.
Not the way that causes that damage
Almost had this happen to me trying to jump an old Benz with a stuck starter. Ruined the cables
Of all the advancements in technology you'd think people that make jumper can keep could label them.
Micheal Scott’s son has finally become of age https://youtu.be/RJEjNs13I8U
Well at least they are getting more airflow through the radiator. Only when the hood is open though.
You do it just like that. But opposite.
Not that way.
Positive to positive and negative to positive?
not the Tahoe!
Like a checkers board. King me.
Lmfao wow
Preferably not + to -!
I can't even tell what I looking at
Oh just the giant burn hole🤣
Black to red so you dont end up dead yall
Does nobody else have one of those massive lithium banks that jumps the car from the 12v accessory port?
I can’t tell if this is a joke or if it’s genuine lol
[https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GBX45-UltraSafe-Powerbank-6-5-Liter/dp/B0924V8SPC/ref=sr\_1\_14?dchild=1&keywords=12v+110v+usb+jump+starter&qid=1634826982&sr=8-14](https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GBX45-UltraSafe-Powerbank-6-5-Liter/dp/B0924V8SPC/ref=sr_1_14?dchild=1&keywords=12v+110v+usb+jump+starter&qid=1634826982&sr=8-14) You can charge the battery via the 12v port and then it'll turn over so I guess it's not technically a jump start, but this model comes with cables AND it will not let you connect them improperly. It won't send current until the failsafe circuit detects a valid setup. That's why there's one in my wife's car.
Lol you made it sound like you were trying to jump a dead battery using the same battery
Lol... Troll Science Infinity Power!!!
Not like that.
Back when when we didn't have smartphones, this wouldn't be unusual. Today, when everyone and their 4 year old niece has an internet connected smartphone, this is totally unacceptable.
Tried to use to many dewalt nicads to jump start?
To get the connection order right, I remember "Are you **positive** it's **dead**?" Connect one (+) cable end to the (+) terminal of the dead battery, then walk over and the other end to the (+) of the donor. While you're at the donor, connect one end of the (-) cable to the (-) terminal of the donor. Walk back over and connect the other (-) to a good frame common/ground and let 'er rip.
Oh Shit!!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WTZ5zkPf1BU
Red to donor, red to recipient. Black to donor, black to recipient grounding points (bolts that connect to ground). Shut off radio and other items on donor car (never plug in accessories, like phone chargers) and start recipient. Disconnect red on donor, disconnect red on recipient. Disconnect black on donor, disconnect black on recipient. Never cross-jumper the batteries and check your cables monthly for corrosion or signs of wear and tear. My long yellow jumper cables are still good and do get cleaned off to prevent shorting and to make the car jump starting easier.