About jumping car - Connection Negative

About jumping car -
When attaching NEGATIVE to the target car - what is the difference btwn
attaching to battery negative pole and attaching to the metal part of the
car ?

Why "attaching to the metal part of the car" is the "default instruction"
than otherwise ?

Thanks

On Sat, 3 Feb 2007 12:13:45 -0500, "klabu" <klabu_at_gmail_dot_com>
wrote:

>About jumping car -
>When attaching NEGATIVE to the target car - what is the difference btwn
>attaching to battery negative pole and attaching to the metal part of the
>car ?
>
>Why "attaching to the metal part of the car" is the "default instruction"
>than otherwise ?

You can get a spark when the last of the four connections is made.
Its best if the spark is not close to the battery for safety reasons.

Don
www.donsautomotive.com

>Thanks
>

On Sat, 3 Feb 2007 12:13:45 -0500, "klabu" <klabu_at_gmail_dot_com>
wrote:

>About jumping car -
>When attaching NEGATIVE to the target car - what is the difference btwn
>attaching to battery negative pole and attaching to the metal part of the
>car ?
>
>Why "attaching to the metal part of the car" is the "default instruction"
>than otherwise ?
>
>Thanks
>

A battery can emit flammable gas. That last connection generally
gives you a spark when you make it so they recommend that you use some
other piece of metal to keep that spark away from any potential gas. I
once saw a battery explode from jump starting. Sent the person
hooking up the cables to the hospital. Possibly he hooked the cables
up backwards but ever since I have been a bit more careful jump
starting cars.

Steve B.

klabu <klabu_at_gmail_dot_com> wrote:
>About jumping car -
>When attaching NEGATIVE to the target car - what is the difference btwn
>attaching to battery negative pole and attaching to the metal part of the
>car ?

When you attach the LAST connection, there will be a spark as the circuit
is made.

You want that spark to be as far away from the battery as possible. Batteries
can produce explosive gas. You don't want a spark right near a source of
explosive gas.

>Why "attaching to the metal part of the car" is the "default instruction"
>than otherwise ?

Because, to paraphrase Repo Man, "sometimes batteries just explode."
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

"klabu" <klabu_at_gmail_dot_com> wrote in
:

> About jumping car -
> When attaching NEGATIVE to the target car - what is the difference btwn
> attaching to battery negative pole and attaching to the metal part of the
> car ?
>
> Why "attaching to the metal part of the car" is the "default instruction"
> than otherwise ?
>



Automotive lead-acid batteries DO (not "can") produce and emit hydrogen gas
as a normal part of their operation. Sparks ignite hydrogen, a *highly*
flammable gas.

As others have pointed out, the last connection you make with your jumper
cables usually makes a bit of a spark, so you want that spark to happen as
far away from the hydrogen as possible.

Ever heard of the Hindenburg?


--
Tegger

On Feb 3, 6:16 pm, Tegger > wrote:

> Ever heard of the Hindenburg?

Aww, come on. Only 36% of those aboard the Hindy died. Ford
engineers would do backflips with safety numbers like that.
OT? Yes. Flame magnet? Oh yeah.

Toyota MDT in MO

On Sat, 3 Feb 2007 12:13:45 -0500, "klabu" <klabu_at_gmail_dot_com>
wrote:

>About jumping car -
>When attaching NEGATIVE to the target car - what is the difference btwn
>attaching to battery negative pole and attaching to the metal part of the
>car ?
>
>Why "attaching to the metal part of the car" is the "default instruction"
>than otherwise ?
>
>Thanks
>
Usually when jumping a car you are outside with the wind blowing.
If so hook the negative to the battery. No gas will ever get the
opportunity to collect under these conditions.

Comboverfish > wrote:
>On Feb 3, 6:16 pm, Tegger > wrote:
>
>> Ever heard of the Hindenburg?
>
>Aww, come on. Only 36% of those aboard the Hindy died. Ford
>engineers would do backflips with safety numbers like that.
>OT? Yes. Flame magnet? Oh yeah.

Absolutely false. Since the disaster happened nearly seventy years ago,
I would be very surprised if anyone aboard the Hindenburg remains alive.
Even the Pinto has better statistics than that.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

i agree because i jump my brothers car when it was real cold and battery
popped..every since then i ground it to anything but neg cable..theres
my 2 cents worth on this suject...


--
Scrapper
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> wrote in message
...

> Usually when jumping a car you are outside with the wind blowing.
> If so hook the negative to the battery. No gas will ever get the
> opportunity to collect under these conditions.

It is a safety risk, but I agree...seldom do you have enough hydrogen
accumulated to
turn the hazard into an accident. But it CAN happen.

We are looking at statistical risk.

A proper risk assessment would point toward using the procedure whereby the
ground
or B- cable is hooked to the frame.

I have seen cases where hooking both cable terminals to the battery in tight
spots
might lead to them getting together. In a perfect world, it shouldnt
happen, but
the risk can be there.

"Risk", as in the Challenger explosion, the Hinderburg, and the Titanic,
can sometimes become catastrophic fact.