Thanks iboats forum!

[Wind dog]

Not sure where this should go?

I was reading old threads on here on Friday & had read in one of about jump starting a vehicle & in particular to connect the ground cable to the engine somewhere. Well I left my headlights on Saturday at the ramp, when we came back in my battery was dead. I pulled the boat battery out and attempted to jump start my truck with the cables connected at the battery. The truck would barely turn over. That's when the thread crossed my mind, moved the ground to the engine & off I went!
I must say I'm kind of embarrassed at the fact I was a mechanic for many years & this little "trick" had never occurred to me.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Thanks iboats forum!

The reason for not connecting the the ground/last cable to the battery is because the good battery is going to cause a spark when you connect to the bad battery.
This poses a small but real danger of igniting any hydrogen in the battery.

Attaching to the battery should have started the engine just fine.
You may want to investigate further; You may have a poor connection on one or more battery cables.

 

[rbh]

Re: Thanks iboats forum!

Not only will the battery be drawing a load trying to charge but you have the starter as well.
If a starter does not have a minimum amount of volts (lets say 9.6vdc) you fry the bendix.

But if you do not have enough volts, you can also cook the alternator.

So if you need a jump again, let the jumper vehicle charge up the battery first before attempting to start it.

 

[boat1010]

Re: Thanks iboats forum!

IMHO the first time you tried to start your vehicle the ground jumper cable was not making a good connection, so when you moved it to the frame of the truck you had a better ground. If any other of the battery connections were lose or corroded it would not have started the second time either. But like said before. You connect the jumper cables to the vehicle so not to cause a spark and have the battery explode, always a good practice.

 

[Wind dog]

Re: Thanks iboats forum!

So, connecting the ground to the block does not supply an easier route for the current to flow, basically removing the dead battery from the circuit?
Not that it matters much, truck started so it's all good.

 

[boat1010]

Re: Thanks iboats forum!

It doesn't do any thing different than hooking it up to the negative side of the battery. The reason for doing that is to get the spark that it makes when the circuit is completed away from the fumes of the battery that are very explosive fumes. Electrically they are the same point.

 

[Wind dog]

Re: Thanks iboats forum!

OK thanks.

 

[Fed]

Re: Thanks iboats forum!

It removes the negative lead and it's end connections from the circuit but as said that's not the reason for doing it.