Rennteam 2.0 - EN - Forum - Rechargeable Jump Starter - Page1

Mar 1, 2005 3:04:37 AM

GG: Co-Pilot; Loc: NY/NJ; Posts: 180, Gallery; Registered on: Jun 16, 2004

Rechargeable Jump Starter

NOTE: This will not be used on my 997S...but on my beattle which i've had to jump 3 times in 6 weeks.

I purchased a mobile jump starter for my winter car and it has the following strange warning: "Connect red clamp to the positive (+) battery terminal. The black clamp should be attached to the engine block of the stalled car. Do not connect black clamp to the negative (-) battery terminal. Doing so could cause damage to the unit and/or create a sparking/explosion hazard."

Why is this? I thought standard procedure was to connect the black clamp to the negative terminal and the red clamp to the positive terminal on both car batteries. Are you not supposed to connect the black clamp because technically the portable jump starter is not a regular battery??

Thanks for your help...i've gotta keep the winter car running during this snowy season!!

p.s. i bought a new battery but i think i'm not driving my winter car enough so the battery runs down....boy do i love driving my 997S.:!

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Mar 1, 2005 3:32:35 PM

Dubliner: Junior; Loc: NY, USA; Posts: 122, Gallery; Registered on: Oct 9, 2004; Reply to: GG

Re: Rechargeable Jump Starter

I suspect it's just that by connecting to the engine block (away from the battery) reduces the risk of sparking near the battery.

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Mar 1, 2005 3:34:54 PM

W8MM: Rennteam Master; Loc: Cincinnati, OH , United States; Posts: 3930, Gallery; Registered on: Aug 8, 2003; Reply to: GG

Re: Rechargeable Jump Starter

Quote:
GG said:
"Connect red clamp to the positive (+) battery terminal. The black clamp should be attached to the engine block of the stalled car. Do not connect black clamp to the negative (-) battery terminal. Doing so could cause damage to the unit and/or create a sparking/explosion hazard."

Why is this?

OK, ... here goes:

1) Once you start to attach the SECOND clamp of either color, you will complete a high-current circuit and there is potential for sparking, should the connection be even slightly intermittant for an instant. If the battery in the vehicle has been "boiling" some hydrogen and oxygen in a quaintly stoichiometric ratio, you can have a really annoying battery explosion ignited by the previously mentioned sparks.

2) One always attaches the red clamp first to avoid the possibility that the red clamp would be the one (second) to accidentally complete a high-current circuit when bumping into any motor or chassis metal. This could cause sparks and possibly ignite some near-by fuel or electrically destroy some delicate component by passing an overload of current through it.

3) It can be less frustrating to connect the jumping device's negative terminal (black clamp) to the engine block in case the negative side of the battery has become disconnected from (or connected with a high resistance to) the engine block, which is also the negative side of the starter motor. Otherwise, there may not be enough current flow possible (low enough circuit resistance) to actually run the starter motor. This is a common condition with corroded or loose ground terminal clamps.

If the engine somehow manages to start with a high resistance connection, and the jumping device were connected to the negative battery post, the ensuing bad voltage regulation with the engine running can cause the alternator to "load dump" and put up to 40 volts into other electronic circuits in the car. The vehicle electronics and any vehicle light bulbs then connected will NOT be better off for the experience

Don't ask me how I know.

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Mar 1, 2005 3:40:36 PM

SoCalHoosier: Veteran; Loc: California , United States; Posts: 896, Gallery; Registered on: Jun 13, 2003; Reply to: W8MM

Re: Rechargeable Jump Starter

I'm voting for Mike when they have "Electrical Engineering Jeopardy".

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Mar 1, 2005 3:47:03 PM

MMD: Rennteam VIP; Loc: usa; Posts: 9652, Gallery; Registered on: Dec 16, 2004; Reply to: W8MM

Re: Rechargeable Jump Starter

Yeah Mike! My thoughts exactly.

If you think about your car as a living thing, the "dump load" possibility is most frightening.

Getting a better (lower resistence) contact by connecting the neg to the engine is very good point because getting the best possible contact on negative terminal is sometimes difficult with cheap clamps connected to crummy (small guage aluminum wire) cables.

The hydrogen explosion is least probable but even the smallest chance of getting potent acid sprayed on your face is worth doing it right.

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Mar 1, 2005 3:49:11 PM

Carrageous: Veteran; Loc: Austin, TX , United States; Posts: 1197, Gallery; Registered on: Sep 5, 2003; Reply to: W8MM

Re: Rechargeable Jump Starter

It's so great when someone posts and actually knows what they're talking about!

Go Mike!

And thanks for reminding me. I once knew these facts and had long since forgotten. So there I was the other day, holding jumper cables to jump start a car with a dead battery, going "Red or black first? Hmmm."

I could never have been a demolitions expert.

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Mar 1, 2005 4:15:13 PM

GG: Co-Pilot; Loc: NY/NJ; Posts: 180, Gallery; Registered on: Jun 16, 2004; Reply to: W8MM

Re: Rechargeable Jump Starter

Quote:
W8MM said:
Quote:
GG said:
"Connect red clamp to the positive (+) battery terminal. The black clamp should be attached to the engine block of the stalled car. Do not connect black clamp to the negative (-) battery terminal. Doing so could cause damage to the unit and/or create a sparking/explosion hazard."

Why is this?

OK, ... here goes:

1) Once you start to attach the SECOND clamp of either color, you will complete a high-current circuit and there is potential for sparking, should the connection be even slightly intermittant for an instant. If the battery in the vehicle has been "boiling" some hydrogen and oxygen in a quaintly stoichiometric ratio, you can have a really annoying battery explosion ignited by the previously mentioned sparks.

2) One always attaches the red clamp first to avoid the possibility that the red clamp would be the one (second) to accidentally complete a high-current circuit when bumping into any motor or chassis metal. This could cause sparks and possibly ignite some near-by fuel or electrically destroy some delicate component by passing an overload of current through it.

3) It can be less frustrating to connect the jumping device's negative terminal (black clamp) to the engine block in case the negative side of the battery has become disconnected from (or connected with a high resistance to) the engine block, which is also the negative side of the starter motor. Otherwise, there may not be enough current flow possible (low enough circuit resistance) to actually run the starter motor. This is a common condition with corroded or loose ground terminal clamps.

If the engine somehow manages to start with a high resistance connection, and the jumping device were connected to the negative battery post, the ensuing bad voltage regulation with the engine running can cause the alternator to "load dump" and put up to 40 volts into other electronic circuits in the car. The vehicle electronics and any vehicle light bulbs then connected will NOT be better off for the experience Don't ask me how I know.

Mike, do i just look for a metal piece anywhere on the engine to which i attach the black clamp? Is this something that I should do whether i'm using a rechargeable jump starter or just regular jumper cables going from battery to battery?

Sorry, i feel so clueless. I guess i've spent years improperly 'jumping' cars.

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Mar 1, 2005 4:44:51 PM

MMD: Rennteam VIP; Loc: usa; Posts: 9652, Gallery; Registered on: Dec 16, 2004; Reply to: GG

Re: Rechargeable Jump Starter

If the car and battery cables are new and in good condition, making good contact (no corrosion, look new) just do it from the terminals. If the battery has been sitting unused and car off, the spark-to-hydrogen threat is miniscule.

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Mar 1, 2005 5:34:25 PM

GG: Co-Pilot; Loc: NY/NJ; Posts: 180, Gallery; Registered on: Jun 16, 2004; Reply to: MMD

Re: Rechargeable Jump Starter

Thanks!

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Mar 1, 2005 8:14:25 PM

MMD: Rennteam VIP; Loc: usa; Posts: 9652, Gallery; Registered on: Dec 16, 2004; Reply to: GG

Re: Rechargeable Jump Starter

Quote:
GG said:
NOTE: This will not be used on my 997S...but on my beattle which i've had to jump 3 times in 6 weeks.

I purchased a mobile jump starter for my winter car and it has the following strange warning: "Connect red clamp to the positive (+) battery terminal. The black clamp should be attached to the engine block of the stalled car. Do not connect black clamp to the negative (-) battery terminal. Doing so could cause damage to the unit and/or create a sparking/explosion hazard."

Why is this? I thought standard procedure was to connect the black clamp to the negative terminal and the red clamp to the positive terminal on both car batteries. Are you not supposed to connect the black clamp because technically the portable jump starter is not a regular battery??

Thanks for your help...i've gotta keep the winter car running during this snowy season!!

p.s. i bought a new battery but i think i'm not driving my winter car enough so the battery runs down....boy do i love driving my 997S.:!

You should get a Porsche battery maintainer for the car that's just siting there. You have a nice new battery and there's no better faster way to ruin it than by draining it completely. No kidding: very bad for a starter battery to be fully discharged. Deep cycle batteries in RVs and boats are designed withstand a full discharge; not starter batteries!

good luck!!!

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