enrie Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Hello Could someone please advise me on the correct use of the black jumper leads for a jump start. If my car is being started I understand the black lead is connected to the negative terminal of the donor car and then to the earth terminal on my car which is just to the right of the battery. However if I am to assist someone else do I connect my black lead to the same earth terminal and then to an engine part of the car being assisted as I can't fix a crocodile clip on my earth battery terminal as there isn't enough room above it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamweb Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Red is positive,black is negative,earth is engine or body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamweb Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 So when using another car to jump start,it's red on red black on black or black on earth(the car being charged to start) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaunytee1600 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 You can get an eArth pint even from the brake calipers . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enrie Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Thank you for your emails. I am still unsure about the black lead connections when my battery is good and I am wanting to jump start another car with a dead battery. The difficulty, if it is a difficulty, is that I cannot connect my black lead clamp to my battery terminal. So what are the connections for the black lead from my good battery to the dead battery. Can it be earth to earth or something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turvey Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/faq/ElectricalStarting.html#JumpstartProcedures Does this help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamweb Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 You need to be able to clamp a jump lead to your negative terminal and then to the negative terminal or car engine car body which acts as a earth to your dead battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goodkat Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 It states in the owners manual of the MK2.5 Focus that the negative SHOULD NOT be connected to the negative terminal on the battery. It should be connected to a bolt which has the Earth on suspension turret. Sent from my Gen 1 WAP phone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamweb Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artscot79 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 The focus can pump out 18v on a suspected dead battery you can fry a cars ecu by doing It hence why you're told to connect to an earth point even then its not advised but not to the battery 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretfloozy Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 myself .i prefer to use a boosterpack if it does'nt start easily it's more than just a battery problem i use engine for earthing and always turn on lights and heater before disconnecting booster. what you choose to do is at your own risk .here's what proffessor haynes has to say 1. Position another car near yours so that the batteries areclose, but do not let the vehicles touch. Switch off theignition and all electrical equipment on both vehicles, applythe handbrakes, and ensure that the gears are in neutral(manual transmission vehicles) or ‘P’ for automatics. Openthe bonnets.2 Connect one end of the red jump lead to the positive (+)terminal of the flat battery – do not let the other end of thered lead touch any vehicle metal – and connect the otherend of the red lead to the positive (+) terminal of theboosting battery.3 Connect one end of the black jump lead to the negative(-) terminal of the boosting battery and connect the otherend of the black lead to a bolt or metal bracket, well awayfrom the battery, on the engine block of the vehicle to bestarted.4 Ensure that the jump leads cannot come into contactwith any moving parts of either engine. Start the engine ofthe boosting vehicle and run it at a fast idle speed. Nowstart the engine of your vehicle and check that it is runningproperly.5 Stop the engine of the boosting vehicle only. Switch onthe lights, the heated rear window and the heater blowermotor on your vehicle - this is to prevent any voltagesurges. Disconnect the jump leads in the reverse order ofconnection, then switch off the lights etc. Close thebonnets.6 Now you can drive off. It will take a little time for thealternator to charge the battery fully, so don’t stop theengine again too soon and try not to stall it while driving 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enrie Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 Thank you all for your emails and suggestions. The way to do it is clear if it is my battery which is dead the problem is if I want to help someone else. In this case I cannot connect my jump lead clamp to my negative terminal due to the bulkhead. So how should the connections be made? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamweb Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Buy a boaster jumpstart.Job done 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmole Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Connect both cars to the Earth point. The Earth and negative battery terminal are one and the same, they are connected, you can use either, there should be absolutely minimal resistance between them The reason you don't connect directly to the earth -ve terminal on a modern car is the electrics that measure all charge in and out are between the neg terminal and the earth point. if you connect directly you bypass this and the ECU cant track what your battery has done 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Halfords are currently selling a booster pack for less than £40. A worthy investment in my view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artscot79 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 If you have a b and m store they do them at £29.99 with built in air compressor and wall plug rechargeable going to get one myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmole Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Be aware that most of the cheaper booster packs are only 12-15 Ah, are they really going to make a gig difference on a 75 ah main battery, especially the ones with air compressors, lights dials etc fitted Your better off just buying a full spare battery and keeping it charged and some jump leads. I have a big Heavy duty 22ah booster and it struggled to start my wife's little 950cc Figaro when her battery was totally dead (which has a 45ah battery normally). Compared to my 75ah focus and 120 ah Landrover batteries its pathetic 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretfloozy Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 .if it won't start on a booster/ jump then its its more than just a low battery ..if the charge is that flat then i would'nt want to boost it ..an alternator is not designed to charge a flat battery but replace what is lost through normall use ..the boosters are meant to aid the battery not start a car, the only problems with the cheaper ones is the battery inside is poor quality and has a short life span - since i upgraded to a 75ah i've not had a problem with starting (45ah goes flat if not used regularly) if your going to spend £100+ 0n a booster to sit in the garage just incase you need it ..surely it would be better to spend half that on a decent battery with jump leads then swop old battery charge it up and use it in the same manner as a booster. In answer to the original question,myself i use any point on the engine of both cars as the earth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enrie Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 Thank you for all your emails and, in particular, madmole, as his explained how I could help someone to jump start their flat battery even though I cannot get a jump lead clamp on my negative terminal. I think this solves this unusual problem. Incidentally my daughter has a series one Ford Focus and the battery in that is quite accessible, including both terminals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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