Jumping a car

Zola.

Girlfriend's car battery has died (she hasn't driven it in about 2 or 3 weeks).

I plan to jump it when I get back.

She has a peugeot 206, 1.2/1.4 (1.4 I think). I have a 1.9 tdi VW Bora....

I was once told when jumping a car to try and pair up the engine size / type as the batterys could be vastly different.

Do you think this will cause an issue to use my car as the provider?

DUTR

You should be fine giving the car a jump start with appropriate leads.

jbainbridge

It'll be fine ... just don't get the colours wrong!

Zola.

I've never done this before but please point out anything thats not quite right

- connect red (positive) to dead battery positive terminal
- connect red to good car battery positive terminal
- connect black (negative) to good battery negative terminal
- connect black to grounded metal on the bad car, like a thick bolt

Let the cars sit for 5 mins to 'equalise' the volts. Start the good car and wait 10 mins for it to charge the bad car.

Try to start the bad car... if successful let it run idle for 10 mins, revving occasionally.

- disconnect the negative from the bad car
- disconnect negative from good car battery
- disconnect positive from bad car
- disconnect positive from good car

- take the bad car for a drive for 10-15 mins

?

DUTR

Zola. wrote: »

I've never done this before but please point out anything thats not quite right

- connect red (positive) to dead battery positive terminal
- connect red to good car battery positive terminal
- connect black (negative) to good battery negative terminal
- connect black to grounded metal on the bad car, like a thick bolt

Let the cars sit for 5 mins to 'equalise' the volts. Start the good car and wait 10 mins for it to charge the bad car.

Try to start the bad car... if successful let it run idle for 10 mins, revving occasionally.

- disconnect the negative from the bad car
- disconnect negative from good car battery
- disconnect positive from bad car
- disconnect positive from good car

- take the bad car for a drive for 10-15 mins

?

Within 10 mins both cars should be on their way, connect the leads with the correct polarity as you describe, make sure the leads have a good connection (so that the current can flow at best) start the VW, after a few seconds attempt to start the other car. Disconnect the leads after a minute or so.

Zola.

Thanks mate :beer:

[Deleted User]

Jumping a car.

benje302

Before you start the "dead" car you can put your foot down on the good one to "up" the revs slightly as you will see a dip in engine revs as the other trys cranking over.

Strider590

My GFs car battery gave up last month, the recovery service jumped it after a 4 hour wait, she drove home, tried to start it 5 mins later and it was dead again.

She wanted me to jump it in the morning for her, until I pointed out that if I did she'd be stranded again after work.
Instead, we both called work, said we'd be an hour late, went down to the local motor factors at 8am, got a new battery for £45 and got the car started/running by 8:30am.

Jumping a knackered battery is a false economy, it's potentially dangerous and at this time of year it risks leaving you stranded for half a day at the side of the road.

People do it because they've seen recovery firms do it as a "get you home" measure at the roadside and a whole industry has sprung up around jump packs, but from my experience it just prolongs the agony and risks higher costs later on, whether that's an overpriced battery OR a £150 tow home.

If a battery dies in just 2-3 weeks with just the quiescent current from the alarm/etc, then the battery has already lost a significant portion of it's design capacity in AH (voltage means nothing).

C_Mababejive

make sure you connect the negative on the recipient car to its engine block or similar and not to the battery neg terminal

EssexExile

C_Mababejive wrote: »

make sure you connect the negative on the recipient car to its engine block or similar and not to the battery neg terminal

Never heard that one, why?