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You mean avoid connecting another car to yours, via jumper cables, and instead, loan another party your jump pack, right? That’s smart.
Am I the only one paranoid about giving people a jump start?
- Thread starter The motor guy
- Start date
In my lifetime I've only see 1 battery explode while being jumped. It was one taxicab trying to jump another cab. Not paying attention to simple details caused that to happen. Jumper cables have been around since they started making cars, so you know they are a tried and true method of getting a vehicle started. Jump paks haven't been around that long, and I would be more leary of them causing damage to my vehicle over using cables. That is if they worked at all. I can see them being a item that gets put in your car and forgotten about. Then the one day when you need to be the hero of the day, they won't work because they're dead as a doornail. My jumper cables have never failed me, and they are cheap and don't require power just to do what they are intended to do. The current group of car owners will buy anything if the sales pitch is good enough. Mostly they're selling fear of what could happen if you don't buy their product. It's like like when the electric clothes drier companies started selling them. Why hang your clothes out on a line to dry for free, when you can buy a dryer, run venting, then run a 220 volt electric line. and have to pay for the electricity every time you use it?.,,
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When I didn’t want to jump a car in 2007, this is what I was thinking of, and potential damage.
The battery in my car is now 12.5 years old. This in conjunction with the DME is imho why.
https://www.bosch-mobility.com/en/solutions/sensors/electronic-battery-sensor/
Edit ps. I did attempt to jump another car on a 2011 Enclave. It too has a battery under the right rear pass footwell.
Using the terminals under the hood, it didn’t work. Someone out there knows why, but that to me said stop. Pretty sure if I opened the footwell and connected directly to the battery it may have worked. Imagine frying the connection under the hood/
I have zero problem helping people. I refuse to live my life in fear.
Years ago I was a good samaritan and tried to jump a car that was occupied by a couple young guys. Jumping didn't help maybe something with the starter. When I went to pull off the cables one of the guys freaked out and grabbed me by the shoulder in an attempt to stop me. I was younger then and looked him square in the eye and he released me. After that...never again. No way of knowing what is going through a persons head.
Years ago I jumped another person's car with my 2001 BMW 330Ci. Jump worked fine. But, I lost most of the sound from my audio system!!!?!!!! I pulled the amp and checked for bad solder joints (I spent 25 years in the US Navy's advanced electronix program). Looked fine. I resolved it by doing a BMW-approved electrical reset:
- remove the battery cables
- short the cables together for at east 10 minutes
- reconnect the battery cables.
- remove the battery cables
- short the cables together for at east 10 minutes
- reconnect the battery cables.
I help all the time. Cash. Jump. Lunch. Given away all three this month.
But I am not gonna risk the electrical system on my car to help somebody.
I will help them with my jump box.
Once, I even called AAA. It goes with the person, not the car, so I can use one of my free roadside assistance visits for somebody else if I so choose.
Happy to help.
Foolish to risk my rare car to do so.
In fact, in the jump box I keep in the Tundra, I upgraded the SLA battery to a much larger one. I’ve never needed it for me. It’s there, along with tow strap, and jumper cables, if need be, for me to help other people.
I’ve spent my own money to be in a better position to help others.
But I’m not willing to damage my car to do so.
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I posted this story before. Late after work in the parking lot, my boss was trying to jump the Secretary in her old Taurus wagon. He appeared to have enough and asked if I could step in as he had to run. Well I had a brand newish Suzuki Aerio wagon and her battery looked pretty growdy. The whole car was pretty much put a fork in it well done.
But I shut my car off connected all the cables and lastly I was chomping at hard metal bits around her engine trying to get a good ground bite. I started my car and the alternator kicked in hard and the idle fell, but then the ECU jacked up my idle real high. Left that connected for a bit but she still had a weak interior dome. The cables were not warm. Tried to start just a faint click. I wiggled the last ground to scratch under the oxidized aluminum. Finally good bite heard my car alternator load up real hard. Left that for a few seconds and tried stater - it almost moved Try again - almost turning; then I smell it - the cables are smoking! Quickly try one last time and the thing turns over and Starts. Pheew! Yank the Hot off mine fast. Then disco the rest. She says thanks and heads out and I head out.
Well let me tell you I had some licorice warm wires for who knows what reason and that insulation stink.
Drive home, the car ran bad. I said well tomorrow is another day. Nope. Car ran bad. Next day - Bad. I think that week I tried a hard reboot; I lifted both Hot and GND overnight - and it got a little better through the re-learn that week but never like day 2.
After that experience I am not Jumping anybody anymore in my modern cars. Example. My Wife left the lights on her New Subaru one night and it was dead. I said I'm not going to jump her new car - I don't even have cables. I thought for a while and grabbed a Bench 10A 12V supply and hooked that up with some house Romex. That box was getting too hot to touch when charging so I had to bring out a house fan and extension cord to the driveway and blow right on that thing. Romex got hot but didn't smoke. I think I tripled up on it by twisting all three 14/2 leads together to make one "cable". after a bit, miracle of miracles the car started. I told her - go do her errands and DO NOT shut it off. She was good.
So I Learned my lesson hard - Read my lips, Not gonna do It!
But I shut my car off connected all the cables and lastly I was chomping at hard metal bits around her engine trying to get a good ground bite. I started my car and the alternator kicked in hard and the idle fell, but then the ECU jacked up my idle real high. Left that connected for a bit but she still had a weak interior dome. The cables were not warm. Tried to start just a faint click. I wiggled the last ground to scratch under the oxidized aluminum. Finally good bite heard my car alternator load up real hard. Left that for a few seconds and tried stater - it almost moved Try again - almost turning; then I smell it - the cables are smoking! Quickly try one last time and the thing turns over and Starts. Pheew! Yank the Hot off mine fast. Then disco the rest. She says thanks and heads out and I head out.
Well let me tell you I had some licorice warm wires for who knows what reason and that insulation stink.
Drive home, the car ran bad. I said well tomorrow is another day. Nope. Car ran bad. Next day - Bad. I think that week I tried a hard reboot; I lifted both Hot and GND overnight - and it got a little better through the re-learn that week but never like day 2.
After that experience I am not Jumping anybody anymore in my modern cars. Example. My Wife left the lights on her New Subaru one night and it was dead. I said I'm not going to jump her new car - I don't even have cables. I thought for a while and grabbed a Bench 10A 12V supply and hooked that up with some house Romex. That box was getting too hot to touch when charging so I had to bring out a house fan and extension cord to the driveway and blow right on that thing. Romex got hot but didn't smoke. I think I tripled up on it by twisting all three 14/2 leads together to make one "cable". after a bit, miracle of miracles the car started. I told her - go do her errands and DO NOT shut it off. She was good.
So I Learned my lesson hard - Read my lips, Not gonna do It!
Yeah a new Mexico state trooper got killed a few months ago on I40 when he stopped to help someone with a flat. The guy had killed a nurse the day prior in north Carolina and stole her car. The guy had wrongly assumed they found her body and we're out for him.
Jumper cables are the most reliable and don't require you to have a new part-time job of tracking the charge level of jumper packs.
I've helped a few people jump their car over the last few years. I can understand and respect people who arent comfortable with it, I get it. But if I'm in a nice area, the car looks recent, the people look ok, we are in a public area, sure I'll do it. I always carry cables. I can think of one time where I didnt, the whole situation seemed shady, and I simply said "No cables, anyway I wouldnt know what I'm doing and I have to be somewhere in 10 minutes so I really wouldnt have time anyway" and quickly scooted out of there.
The times where I did jump start, I used a 10 mm wrench (I almost always carry tools) and disconnected the negative cable from my battery so that there was zero risk to my car. Resets the radio presets but I rarely listen to anything other than satellite or streaming anyway so thats a minor inconvenience.
I've had five new cars since 2012 and every one of them has instructions for jump starting and none of them have warnings about it screwing up my car or their's, so I think this issue, if there even is one, is a bit of paranoia (myself included, to a point), but I do get why someone would simply decline.
I cant think of a single time where someone said they gave a jump start and it damaged their car, and the only time I have read about it on forums is when they hooked up the cables backwards.
The times where I did jump start, I used a 10 mm wrench (I almost always carry tools) and disconnected the negative cable from my battery so that there was zero risk to my car. Resets the radio presets but I rarely listen to anything other than satellite or streaming anyway so thats a minor inconvenience.
I've had five new cars since 2012 and every one of them has instructions for jump starting and none of them have warnings about it screwing up my car or their's, so I think this issue, if there even is one, is a bit of paranoia (myself included, to a point), but I do get why someone would simply decline.
I cant think of a single time where someone said they gave a jump start and it damaged their car, and the only time I have read about it on forums is when they hooked up the cables backwards.
Jumper power packs are cheap enough today that it's kind of silly not to have one. Just be careful which one you buy. Many look alike, but can vary greatly in power output.
The better ones are amazing at how much power they can actually provide. (NOCO and Gooloo). And most all of them provide foolproof hookup protection, that prevents accidentally reversing polarity.
The better ones are amazing at how much power they can actually provide. (NOCO and Gooloo). And most all of them provide foolproof hookup protection, that prevents accidentally reversing polarity.
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This comment from a total stranger with assumptions and fake salutations makes my point precisely.
I’ve jumped two people in recent memory, one with the Scion and one with the Mazda. Since the last jump with the Mazda I’ve gotten paranoid about risking the electronics so I bought a jump box to keep in the trunk. I’ll use it if asked.
This reminds me: I think it’s probably due for a recharge.
This reminds me: I think it’s probably due for a recharge.
"Safer" just minding your own business and letting them figure it out.
Some of you will laugh... but my Dad (retired electrician) has a pair of jumper cables that he made out of some old 1/0 welding cable.
He found the wire laying in a dumpster, and as an electrican, there's no way that he was going to let that wire go off to a landfill.
Four clamps later and he has a set of jumper cables for a lifetime. I think they are as old as me.
He found the wire laying in a dumpster, and as an electrican, there's no way that he was going to let that wire go off to a landfill.
Four clamps later and he has a set of jumper cables for a lifetime. I think they are as old as me.
I haven’t jumped anyone in decades because I’ve never been asked to. But would I? Probably not.
That said, in the last 4 or 5 years I’ve given two total strangers a ride from where they were stranded out in the middle of nowhere and out of cell phone range. One a younger guy with a flat tire and no spare on an older, well cared for truck; the other a middle aged woman with an overheated, steaming POS. FWIW both were Mexicans and both were extremely grateful and, I think, incredulous that a white haired, white guy was willing to do it.
Would I do it again? Highly doubtful.
Scott
That said, in the last 4 or 5 years I’ve given two total strangers a ride from where they were stranded out in the middle of nowhere and out of cell phone range. One a younger guy with a flat tire and no spare on an older, well cared for truck; the other a middle aged woman with an overheated, steaming POS. FWIW both were Mexicans and both were extremely grateful and, I think, incredulous that a white haired, white guy was willing to do it.
Would I do it again? Highly doubtful.
Scott
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