I haven't used my jump pack for car starting for probably 4 years, but i do keep the thing topped up now and again for powering my tyre pump, that sort of thing, i doubt if it would start a car engine again.
Its now about 10 years old, cost about £35 from argos and is i believe the same standard one as the 'clarke'.
Its the same as any normal car battery, if you dont use it frequently it will die prematurely, especially if you let it go flat for some period of time.
I used mine a lot when doing auction work, it would probably start 10 or so cars, even diesels before getting low, so whilst out and about, i would just let one of the cars tick over for 20 mins or so with the pack connected properly to the car battery as if jumping, and it would top the thing back up again.
So i suppose it lasted about 5 years of regular reasonably hard use.
I won't replace it, i would instead buy a decent quality sealed diesel car battery preferably with handles, and keep that charged, just as portable and far more capable of doing what you want, would keep a cover over it to prevent accidental shorting though.
Got a IIRC 70ah bosch for my MB for about £45 from GSF, could probably drive to work on the starter in a manual.
|
Decent jump leads are v important - we had some made from the cable used on arc welders.
Could someone post a few dos and donts about jump starting modern cars?
I've heard so many horror stories about burned out this or that, if someone asked me for a jump (ooo-er, missus) these days I'd be reluctant to agree.
|
Always connect the live first and the neg/earth last.
Wait 2 minutes. Start the donor car and let it idle for 5 minutes.
Now hold the revs at 2000 rpm for 2 minutes.
Return to idle for 1 minute.
TURN OFF the donor car and then start the recipient.
Once running disconnect the earth cleanly at both ends, then remove the positve cable.
Best practice in my book and I have seen everything from busted alternator diode packs to dead ECU's and even a blown radio in a pug.
Most of these type of problems come about when the doner engine is running when you start the recipient.
Regards Peter
|
Very helpful.
But just for clarity: does the neg/earth on the donee car go to the battery terminal or to the body of the car?
|
|
Battery to battery is the safest as that is the lowest resistance route access permitted. Some cars have a plastic wheel that is part of the terminal clamp method and restricts access to the metal part of the clamp/terminal. Common sense is required her and in same cases you have to disconnect the battery to access the terminal and then reconnect to start the recipient car. Some cars have a battery away from the engine but a large earthing point and main power feed terminals are often found under the bonnet. Some BMW's and Mercs. Regards Peter
|
Used to make a few bob to fund our skiing habit jump starting and pulling out stranded cars at Aviemore and Glenshee a gazillion years ago. Used either my mate's dad's old Range Rover or my old Land Rover. We had massive jump leads made from extra heavy duty cable and viciously strong croc clips. Don't know where they came from but generally no problem to get a tourist mobile. We were not terribly technical and simply connected + to + and - to - on the batteries, revved the nuts off the Land Rovers and turned the key on the dead car. Seemed to work.
That'll be a fiver sir/madam ........... Unless of course they were young, female and attractive in which case it was gratis.
;-)
|
I think there'll be a few howls of protest about connecting battery to battery, along the lines of batteries vent hydrogen and crop clips generate sparks = BANG!
Has anyone actually experienced such an explosion?
|
Some years ago I had an old Morris Marina 1.8 which actually drove quite nicely once you'd learned how to make it go where you pointed it.
Anyway, there was a problem with the alternator which, though I didn't know it, was sort of boiling the electrolyte in the battery.
I was disconnecting the battery to remove it when the spanner slipped and bridged the terminals. The house we then lived in had a door between the garage and the kitchen and when I actually realised what had happened I was in the kitchen, unaware that I'd moved, with my ears ringing and my clothes going into holes from the acid spray.
Hence my question above because it's not something I'd want to repeat.
|
Battery explosions - seen it once in a workshop - top of battery shot into the air, acid everywhere.
Very, very rare and I think the greatest risk is fast charging when you get the electrolyte 'boiling'.
As a bit of a precaution we were always told not to look directly onto a battery from above and if you were carrying one, do so with your arms outstretched, if you could.
Dunno about modern 'sealed' batteries.
Edited by ifithelps on 30/08/2008 at 14:14
|
|
I think there'll be a few howls of protest about connecting battery to battery along the lines of batteries vent hydrogen and crop clips generate sparks = BANG! Has anyone actually experienced such an explosion?
Unlikely, because batteries vent hydrogen when they are fully charged, and if you need to jump start the car the battery is more likely to be flat.
|
|
|
|
Just realised somewhat ashamedly, that my post further up might have inferred that my old bung it on method was safe. Not my intention at all. Just a tale of days of yore (when men were men and we liked to think women were grateful) and cars responded to three tools ! Hammers, screwdrivers and feeler guages. If they failed, jump leads and tow ropes were deployed.
Please do as your manual says. Cars just aren't as tolerant of ignorance and brute force nowadays.
;-)
Edit - well maybe five, add on a plug spanner and a wheelbrace.
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 30/08/2008 at 17:28
|
If you go to any auction site you see these things in use almost constantly to start recalcitrant cars. From what I've seen time pressures and numbers mean no special care is used when connecting them.
|
|
|
|
|
Peter D,
Thanks for that - I only knew about one tenth of what you posted so would have been a good candidate for a blown something or other.
|
|
Yes I have seen a battery go bang it blow one cap off and spilt a little acid. However connecting the battery is not risky bit as I always connect the donor end negative first and the then the flat battery. As it is flat there is very little or no vapour around and disconnect is not a problem as the engine is running so normally lots of airflow. However you bring up a good point older cars with batteries in the boot can present a risk, newer cars with battereis under the rear seat like the 5 series or in the boot on some mercs the battery is not vented into the space and are fitted with a vent pipe to the outside world. Regards Peter
|
RTFM RTFM RTFM
Forget what grandad and many others in the pub say.
I understand. Connect negative cable to engine.
I think it is about ensuring the best spark on a petrol engine.
Why RTFM? Because they world has changed and modern electronics need treating carefully. My Ford instructions could not be easily guessed. IIRC switch on HRW - Not lights, before disconnecting leads.
So using the old methods may work and you may get away with it but why risk it.
I cannot believe Ford spell it out if it is rubbish.
I assume jump start packs should be treated the same way.
|
As well as whats mentioned in some of the posts above, the following is from my Vectra handbook:-
Do not connect leads to negative terminal of discharged battery!
The negative connection point should be as far away from the discharged battery as
possible.
Route the leads so that they cannot catch on rotating parts in the engine compartment.
Start the engine of the vehicle providing the jump start.
After 5 minutes, start the other engine. Start attempts should be made at intervals of 1 minute not last longer than 15 seconds.
After starting, allow both engines to idle for approx. 3 minutes with the leads connected.
In order to avoid excess voltage in the electrical system, before removing a lead, switch on an electrical consumer (e.g. light, heated rear window) in the vehicle receiving the jump start.
Reverse above sequence exactly when removing leads.
|
As well as whats mentioned in some of the posts above the following is from my Vectra handbook:-
blah blah blahReverse above sequence exactly when removing leads.
Might I suggest to all readers that they make an ENLARGED X 4 photocopy of the relevant page on jumpstarting from ther handbook, laminate it, and shove it in the plastic bag with the jump leads?
The reverse side, also in HUGE print, could contain tyre pressures, wheel changing instructions (especially jacking points) , emergency numbers etc etc etc.
Cos guaranteed when you need them, it will be on a dark country lane, with the rain lashing down!
|
Ian
A very good idea that I will adopt.
Next problem is when I am back in SA i will be hiring a car in CPT for Oct. Will it be lashing down or just The Cape Doctor blowing? I will certainly consider a photo copy for that period of hire.
|
When doing motorway breakdowns in the 1970s, we used to keep a fully charged battery in the back of the pick-up.
It was a decent size battery, say from a Granada or a Jag.
We reckoned jump starting from a battery connected to nothing other than the conked out vehicle was pretty safe.
But that was when few cars had electronic ignition or fuel injection, let alone ECUs, and if your car had an alternator back then, well, dead posh.
r
Edited by Pugugly on 30/08/2008 at 19:45
|
Next problem is when I am back in SA i will be hiring a car in CPT for Oct. Will it be lashing down or just The Cape Doctor blowing?
You never know here in the cape!
It is lashing it down at present.
email me - if you wish to catch up for a beer or two while you are here, with some likem inded motoring folk.
with the mod's permission ian dot williams at inl dot co dot za
|
|
In the current Transit Van therer is a dedicated point to attach the jump leads to; both the +ve and -ve are away from the battery... something to be said on using technology designed to be used everyday at all times!
|
Why are we worried about jump starting sequences, i delivered some new motors to a compound today, the chaps that came out collected a brand new large European saloon which was absolutely flat, jump leads out, bonnet up, one chap holds both terminals on and immediate start, leads off, leave to tick over whilst checking the delivered motors.
To be honest this is normal practice at most compounds.
We don't get involved in any of that, think my company is probably wise too, if new car don't start on the key, and they can't/won't fit a new battery, it doesn't go.
If that was my car one week out of warranty and i did that it would probably be an uneconomic to repair write off.
|
|
|
|
