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Connecting directly to the negative terminal of the dead battery contradicts how I thought was safe. This is how I do it to avoid causing the dead battery to explode.
There is no technical reason that the underhood terminal shouldn't be used for a jump start, as a matter of fact it is a better place to jump start, as it is a lower resistance connection to the starter.
There is no technical reason that the underhood terminal shouldn't be used for a jump start, as a matter of fact it is a better place to jump start, as it is a lower resistance connection to the starter.
Actually there's a very good reason not to use the underhood terminal... The wire is not of sufficient gauge to carry the current necessary to spin the starter. That is why on my 16, the fuse panel on the battery explicitly says to jump start by connecting directly to the battery terminals.
There is no technical reason that the underhood terminal shouldn't be used for a jump start, as a matter of fact it is a better place to jump start, as it is a lower resistance connection to the starter.
Actually there's a very good reason not to use the underhood terminal... The wire is not of sufficient gauge to carry the current necessary to spin the starter. That is why on my 16, the fuse panel on the battery explicitly says to jump start by connecting directly to the battery terminals.
I agree. It wouldn't state that in the manual if there wasn't a good reason for that caution.
Actually there's a very good reason not to use the underhood terminal... The wire is not of sufficient gauge to carry the current necessary to spin the starter. That is why on my 16, the fuse panel on the battery explicitly says to jump start by connecting directly to the battery terminals.
That is NOT true, That terminal stud, at the back of the underhood fuse box, is where the long heavy wire from the battery pos terminal, connects to a short heavy wire that goes to the starter. The high current for the starter goes through that underhood terminal stud every time you start your engine. Take a look at the wiring diagram.
That underhood stud is where the battery +12V feeds the electric power steering, the electric radiator fan, the alternator, the underhood fuse box, and the starter.
Which ever method you use, be sure to completely charge the battery asap. The alternator is not intended to completely charge a dead battery. It can and probably will shorten the life of the alternator.
The Corvette owners manual specifically states that you should jump the battery directly, not under the hood. Chevrolet is well aware of the other terminal in the fuse box, but they don't want you jump starting from there. I'm assuming it could induce damage to all the circuits going through the fuse box.
My BMW and Lexus had batteries in the trunk. In those cars, the positive terminal under the hood was in it's own red box with a big + on it, and it was far away from any fuse box. Those owners manuals state that's where the cars should be jump started from.