In the
world of automotive emergencies, motorists
need to learn certain procedures for "safety's
sake." Two of the most valuable lessons,
changing a tire and hooking up jumper cables
are best learned before an emergency arises.
The process of boosting a battery is especially
important in cold weather. Jumper cables or
cables on a portable battery booster should
be connected properly to avoid sparks, which
can cause an explosion of the hydrogen gas
emitting from a battery. Beyond this, an incorrect
hook up can damage critical, and expensive,
electronic components.
The procedure is simple:
Connect the positive (+) clamp to the positive
terminal of the healthy battery and the other
positive clamp to the corresponding terminal
of the dead battery.
Next, the negative (-), or ground, terminal
on the good battery and, finally, the negative
clamp to the engine block, frame or other
grounded metal as far as possible from the
battery. You want to avoid sparks in the vicinity
of the explosive hydrogen gas that emits from
the battery. Do not connect it to the ground
terminal (negative).
When using a portable battery booster, the
process is much the same.
Connect the positive clamp of the booster
cable to the positive clamp of the dead battery.
Then connect the negative cable to the engine
block or other grounded metal away from the
battery.
The Car Junction offers an additional suggestion:
if you are buying jumper cables or a portable
battery booster, buy the best quality you
can afford. Look for well-insulated clamps
and 8-gauge wire. (Note: the lower the wire
gauge number, the heavier the gauge.) Under
the heavy electrical load of boost starting,
lightweight cables may not be able to deliver
enough current to start some engines. In fact,
they have been known to melt in the user's
hand.
If your battery is three-years old or older
and you haven't had it checked, it's a good
preventive measure to do so, suggests the
Car Junction. A battery's power is reduced
as the temperature drops. And that's when
the engine's starting demands are greatest.
