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Jumping cars - jumper cable question....

The Stigenator

The Stigenator

Lifer
how do we do it, and which cable goes first.. on which side?

I think I have to jump my bike tommorow, I am dead in the water the battery looks like its dead. I want to make sure that is teh problem. I know for jumping a motorcycle I dont have to start up the car, the car battery has enough cranking amps to start the bike.

Anyway how do I do a jump start? Which cable do I remove first after the car / bike is started.

the reason I ask this is quite a few years back I have recollection of a spark jumping. I was young but I dont understand what caused it.
 
Red to Red and Black to Black. Don't cross them. You will blow the battery.

I always put the red on first then the black. You will see a spark. Don't let it scare you, that just means that your getting a connection from the possitive side. When you get it started, pull the cables off of the car/bike you just started by taking off the red first then the black, but don't let the two connectors touch (it will spark like a motha). After that take the red off of the car/bike you are jumping off from.

Maybe that will help.
 


<< how do we do it, and which cable goes first.. on which side?

I think I have to jump my bike tommorow, I am dead in the water the battery looks like its dead. I want to make sure that is teh problem. I know for jumping a motorcycle I dont have to start up the car, the car battery has enough cranking amps to start the bike.

Anyway how do I do a jump start? Which cable do I remove first after the car / bike is started.

the reason I ask this is quite a few years back I have recollection of a spark jumping. I was young but I dont understand what caused it. >>



The PROPER procedure:

installing;
1. black on dead car
2. black on alive car
3. red on disabled
4. red on alive


process: rev up the car with good battery to about cruising engine speed so that alternator will generate enough current to quickly replenish dead battery. Keep it up for a few min. With the good car still fast idling, start the dead car.

removal:

red from alive
red from dead
black from alive
black from dead

NEVER let red clamp come in contact with the chasis or the engine block while it is connected to either battery.


 
you can take the black from the dead car and clamp it on the chassis as opposed to the battery. It's just to ground it.

 
No, no, no....Color for polarity is correct, red=positive, black=negative.

But when you are connecting: Connect the dead bike first, clamps directly to the battery. Then connect the red to the good side batt. terminal, then connect black to an exposed part of the frame on good car. This prevents the good battery from over powering your motorcycle's smaller battery.

When removing: Disconnect the black (-) from the donor car and then the bike FIRST, this way if you should accidently touch something with either clamp while removing it won't be as likely to do damage as it is if you ground out the red (+) clamp while removing it.

Piece of valuable info: Electrons, (aka electricity) actually travel from negative terminal to positive terminal. Opposites attract, but can produce a lot of sparks when they get together😀
 
No, no, no....Color for polarity is correct, red=positive, black=negative.

But when you are connecting: Connect the dead bike first, clamps directly to the battery. Then connect the red to the good side batt. terminal, then connect black to an exposed part of the frame on good car. This prevents the good battery from over powering your motorcycle's smaller battery.

When removing: Disconnect the black (-) from the donor car and then the bike FIRST, this way if you should accidently touch something with either clamp while removing it won't be as likely to do damage as it is if you ground out the red (+) clamp while removing it.

Piece of valuable info: Electrons, (aka electricity) actually travel from negative terminal to positive terminal. Opposites attract, but can produce a lot of sparks when they get together😀
 


<< No, no, no....Color for polarity is correct, red=positive, black=negative.

But when you are connecting: Connect the dead bike first, clamps directly to the battery. Then connect the red to the good side batt. terminal, then connect black to an exposed part of the frame on good car. This prevents the good battery from over powering your motorcycle's smaller battery.
 >>




Connecting to metal exposed metal instead of battery does nothing to prevent "over powering" the small battery. The car chasis is not current limiter.
 
KT's got it right, and much easier.
And the proper procedure for cars is to connect the black (negative, well acutally it's ground, red is positive, but it's actually negatively charged, if that makes sense -electricity is neg. charged) from the car with the bad battery to the engine or chassis frame, but not to an electrically sensative part (ie fuel injection or computer module) and the red to the battery post on the bad battery, and the good battery get the red and black directly to the battery posts. I know this will probably only make sense to an electrical engineer...
Never mind.
 
Haven't bothered reading replies yet. Connect the black one to the live battery. Connect other end to your exposed foot. Hold red one by the metal and then attach other red to live battery. Rev car and wait the life to flow!

Please, do not try this at home and then sue me for giving advice only idiots who deserve to die would do.
 
Jerboy has it, gnd (negitive) first then hot (postive). Also unless you like popping diodes you should never jump cars with the engine running. If your battery is not good enough to start a car then you should to it the slow way, connect up the dead battery then run the good car for 15-20 min and charge up the dead battery, disconnect and start up normal.
 


<< . . . the black (negative, well acutally it's ground, red is positive, but it's actually negatively charged, if that makes sense -electricity is neg. charged) >>



That is why a lot of electrical engineers refer to them as "Common" and "Live". Especially because some applications want a negative voltage as their "Live" value. In that case, the + is grounded and - is hot. That would be misleading if they were just labeled +/-.

For your edification purposes only.
 
This has been my experience.

6 or 9 volt batteries is what they typically put on ATV's and bikes.

12 volts is cars and 18 volts on heavy equipment.

In either case watch it. You may end up killing your battery on the bike or see an explosion.

But yes, red first then black.
 
So - what do I do??? My cables are yellow/black, not red/black....

Ya know -- the color has nothing to do with it. The color just helps you know both ends of the same cable... Heck, I even have a pair of individual cables - both black. Just to freak people out, I'll often put the red to negative and black to positive. Color doesn't matter as long as you're consistent on both batteries! Alot of people don't understand that.

Connect the same polarities with the same cable - that's all that's important. + to + , - to -. You will see a spark. If the spark is big, you've got 'em reversed.

And make sure both batteries are the same voltage! If they're not --- BOOM!

My motorcycle is 12V, so I can use the car to jump start it. But some small bikes, atv's, etc. are 6V - can't jump them with the car. Use a battery charger.
 


<< So - what do I do??? My cables are yellow/black, not red/black....

Ya know -- the color has nothing to do with it. The color just helps you know both ends of the same cable... Heck, I even have a pair of individual cables - both black. Just to freak people out, I'll often put the red to negative and black to positive. Color doesn't matter as long as you're consistent on both batteries! Alot of people don't understand that.

Connect the same polarities with the same cable - that's all that's important. + to + , - to -. You will see a spark. If the spark is big, you've got 'em reversed.

And make sure both batteries are the same voltage! If they're not --- BOOM!

My motorcycle is 12V, so I can use the car to jump start it. But some small bikes, atv's, etc. are 6V - can't jump them with the car. Use a battery charger. >>



Exactly what he said.
 


<< You will see a spark. If the spark is big, you've got 'em reversed. >>



If there is question at ALL, you should NOT be jumping another car!

First, check the owners manual for instructions for any car made after about 1992. Many state do not jump the battery under ANY circumstances.

If at all possible, remove the battery from the car and charge it first. A slow charge preferably. Quick chargeing a dead battery can damage it permanently.

Using cables is an emergency procedure to be used only if there is no other option.

All batteries have the positive and negative terminals marked. It might be hard to see the battery surface, but you MUST determine which is which.

I recommend cables with a built in circuit breaker and switch. They have a light that alerts you if you make a mistake and will not let current flow if you get them on backasswards.

On cars with metal bumprs make sure they are not touching.

With the ignition switch in the off position on both cars. Attach the red cable to the positive terminal and the black to negative terminal on the good battery.

Now, look evrerything over and make sure it will be clear of the fanbelt and pulleys.

On the car with the weak battery, make sure the battery cables are clean and tight. Carefully attach the positice/red cable end to the positive terminal.

Now, there is no current flowing yet. Any time a lead-acid battery has current going through it it produces an explosive gas. You will make the final connection of the negative end of the jumper cable to the motor on an exposed bracket away from the battery. You will see a small spark if the circuit completes but by moving the connection away from the battery the chance of a battery explosion is much less. That exposed connection should be on the motor somewhere btw. Don't forget to check that the cables are clear of moving parts.

Now, start the car with the good battery. Keep it running slightly above idle for about 20 minutes. This charges the weak battery and makes starting the car with the weak one easier.

After starting, remove the cables in reverse order.

I would NEVER jump a motorcycle with a battery or car. Bike electronics are completely integrated and even a slight spark might do damage. Take the battery out and slow charge it. If it will not start the bike after being charged and you are sure everything else works, replace the battery with a new one.
 
thanks guys, evven though there were tonnes of conflicting messages.. I think I got it.

I am first going to get my neighbour to push so I can get it started.. lets hope that works.. if not I am going to jump her and give it a shot.. last resort go buy a charger from autozone or pepboys.

If that dont work I will have it towed to the dealer to have it checked.. its a 2001 model.. it shouldnt have problems.
 
Easy rule of thumb is, the black (negative) is the last to be connected, and first to be disconnected. No repair manual will tell you to remove the positive first.
 


<< Easy rule of thumb is, the black (negative) is the last to be connected, and first to be disconnected. No repair manual will tell you to remove the positive first. >>




Thats indeed true for removing and installing the battery from the chasis. The reason is that if you accidentally jumper positive and chasis while undoing/doing positive, you'll short it out.


It doesn't work the same for jumper cable though.
 


<< ok you guys are scarying me now..

I am totally confused..
looks like everyone does it different ways, there is no hard written rule. >>



Listen to Tominator to be safe. You DONT want to fry anything.
 
my basic understanding was connect the reds on both cars to the positive terminals, then black to the negative on the live car, then black on the live car to the negative terminal and finally black on some part of unpainted chassis. I never do it alone, it's alot safer if you have a person on each set of clamps to make sure they don't touch. Oh, and if you hook them backwards you MAY not blow the battery, I did once and it just set the cords on fire, lots of smoke, it was pretty scary.
 


<< << Easy rule of thumb is, the black (negative) is the last to be connected, and first to be disconnected. No repair manual will tell you to remove the positive first. >> >>



That's not rule of thumb, that's gospel!
 
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