[DML] Re: Proper way to jump start or charge battery

["David Teitelbaum" <jtrealty@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Most current practice for jumping a car is NOT TO!!!! On the newer
cars (approx 1990 on) you can destroy the computers with the spike.
The way to get a dead car going is to either remove and recharge the
battery or replace it with a charged one. You aren't even supposed to
recharge a battery in the car anymore. On older cars it is still safe
to jump them if you take the proper precautions. You should first
determine that both cars are 12 volt. Cars newer than 1955 and foreign
cars newer than 1965 will generally be 12 volt (and negative ground).
Next you should be aware of the gounding of both cars. If they are not
BOTH the same you can still jump them but you cannot allow them to
touch, ie, the bumpers can't touch and you should not touch both cars
at the same time. Now connect positive to positive. Finally connect
negative to negative but the final connection should not be near
either batery but to the frame or the engine. A battery pack is the
safest way to jump a car.
 On Deloreans we don't connect at the battery. Use the positive jumper
connection by the header bottle and ground the negative on the engine.
If you find you are always jumping a dead battery you should find and
fix the cause. Draining a battery flat significantly reduces it's
capacity and it's useful life. Batteries are not like sponges. Deep
cycling them wears them out faster. If you don't use your Delorean
regularly install a battery master switch and trickle charge the
battery for 1 day once a month. If you are storing the car remove the
battery and again trickle it once a month for 1 day. DO NOT use the
newer "float" chargers and do not leave it always connected. I have
seem them dry out batteries. You can use them as trickle chargers,
just don't leave them hooked up constantly. If your battery is over 5
years old it is half dead so get a new one.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757





--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "daviddlasvegas" <daviddlasvegas@...>
wrote:
>
> In a sort of continuing of the polatiry question I posed early, but 
> with regard to charging or jump starting the car...
> 
> Should you attach the cables to the battery leads *or* should you only 
> attach the positive cable to the positive battery lead and the 
> negative cable to the frame of the car?  A guy at Pep Boys told me 
> that if you attach cables to both battery leads, and the battery is 
> old/corroded and has fumes floating around, a spark may ignite the 
> fumes and you'll end up with acid exploding on your face. So basically 
> by keeping the cables away from each other you'll prevent the spark 
> and potential explosion.
> 
> I've never done it this way...I always attach cables to both leads and 
> nothing ever happened.
>




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