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Where should I attach the black cable when jump starting a car?

The instructions for my jump starter state that the black cable should be connected to an unpainted part of the chassis. Can it be connected to the battery's black terminal? I seem to recall that you usually do this with car-to-car jump leads.

Asked on 3 February 2025 by Peter McKenzie

Answered by Alan Ross
It is always recommended that the earth lead (black cable) going to the dead battery should always be connected to an earth point somewhere on the chassis /earth point and not the battery terminal. This is to avoid any spark that may occur (if you connected to the terminal) which could in certain circumstances could cause an explosion from the battery gases.

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