Jump starting issues

[DieselFan]

Hi guys,

So yesterday this chick asked me to help her with her car as the battery had died, she had left it for 3 days standing still. So i went to help her, and have jump started many cars before.

I also am 99% sure they were connected correctly, i didnt check the actualy + - sign on the terminal but they were clearly marked with black and red tape. Also my electronics are fine so I dont think i hooked them up the wrong way.

So I popped open the hoods, and followed this pattern.

+ my car
+ her car
- my car
- her car

She has a probably '03 polo tdi.
I have a 320d E90

It sparked like shit when I attached the last cable. And within 5 seconds had started to smoke at the terminal and the cable got ridiculously hot.

Now I've been reading up online and this is what I've found, A it could be cheap cables, but i bought them for R300. But I have jumped many cars, including my old polo, a 2012 subaru impreza wrx, bakkies and the list continues...
And B i found that it could be that the negative terminal wasn't in contact with the battery.

Can anyone give me some help on this, also it seemed this had happened to her car before as she pointed out where an ex-bf had tried to jump the car and it melted the headlight O_O .

One last thing, kind of off topic. I was reading that one shouldnt hook it up battery - battery, as it can cause the battery to explode when it sparks on the last connection. So where do you attach it, I have heard the top of the engines cylinder head or the chasis? but normally the cylinder head is under a engine cover surely?

 

[KSINGH]

Pics of chick?

 

[mo_s]

Pics of chick?

:roflol:

 

[MikeR]

:fencelook: where her Batteries terminals not the wrong way round, if it died so quick there also might be an issue with her cars wiring.

 

[Dippies]

Pics of chick?

:biglol::roflol:


Not Good Hope your computer box did not get hurt for your sake

 

[Gizmo]

You connected the jumper cables the wrong way round, I once did this to an opel years ago because the opel's terminals were colour coded wrong! As soon as I felt heat in the cables I knew it was wrong and pulled them off, I checked the battery +- and sure enough the opel cable colours were wrong!
Since then I have always checked for +- on the battery.

 

[netercol]

You connected the jumper cables the wrong way round, I once did this to an opel years ago because the opel's terminals were colour coded wrong! As soon as I felt heat in the cables I knew it was wrong and pulled them off, I checked the battery +- and sure enough the opel cable colours were wrong!
Since then I have always checked for +- on the battery.

+1

for that much current to flow, it could only have been positive to negative, or there is a dead short on the car..

 

[ambroseg1]

You connected the jumper cables the wrong way round, I once did this to an opel years ago because the opel's terminals were colour coded wrong! As soon as I felt heat in the cables I knew it was wrong and pulled them off, I checked the battery +- and sure enough the opel cable colours were wrong!
Since then I have always checked for +- on the battery.

If they were the wrong way around, shouldnt he have seen sparks and crap when connecting his positive to what he thought was her positive? Then it would have been positive to earth which should have already caused some interesting fireworks?

 

[netercol]

You connected the jumper cables the wrong way round, I once did this to an opel years ago because the opel's terminals were colour coded wrong! As soon as I felt heat in the cables I knew it was wrong and pulled them off, I checked the battery +- and sure enough the opel cable colours were wrong!
Since then I have always checked for +- on the battery.

If they were the wrong way around, shouldnt he have seen sparks and crap when connecting his positive to what he thought was her positive? Then it would have been positive to earth which should have already caused some interesting fireworks?

two cars have unconected earths.. both standing on rubber wheels. once you complete the circuit you will have your sparks.. and cables melting ect..

 

[ambroseg1]

two cars have unconected earths.. both standing on rubber wheels. once you complete the circuit you will have your sparks.. and cables melting ect..

what do you mean unconnected earths? He was jump starting a car, hence I assume both cars earths were connected (battery to chassis/engine).

 

[netercol]

two cars have unconected earths.. both standing on rubber wheels. once you complete the circuit you will have your sparks.. and cables melting ect..

what do you mean unconnected earths? He was jump starting a car, hence I assume both cars earths were connected (battery to chassis/engine).

something must complete the circuit.. both cars negatives are connected to chassis yes, but the two car's chassis are not connected to each other.. so no complete circuit.

 

[ambroseg1]

something must complete the circuit.. both cars negatives are connected to chassis yes, but the two car's chassis are not connected to each other.. so no complete circuit.

not trying to be smart @ss, seriously curious and trying to understand your thinking.
both cars negative and positive are connected. then you connect the postive of one to the negative of the other. that is like connecting the positive to the negative of the same car. will that not cause sparks?

 

[netercol]

something must complete the circuit.. both cars negatives are connected to chassis yes, but the two car's chassis are not connected to each other.. so no complete circuit.

not trying to be smart @ss, seriously curious and trying to understand your thinking.
both cars negative and positive are connected. then you connect the postive of one to the negative of the other. that is like connecting the positive to the negative of the same car. will that not cause sparks?

ok look at it this way. if you put two car bateries next to each other on the ground, and connect the positive of one to the negative of the other, will sparks fly?
now take the two bateries and install them in two cars.. its still exactly the same as two batteries standing on the ground..

 

[ambroseg1]

ok look at it this way. if you put two car bateries next to each other on the ground, and connect the positive of one to the negative of the other, will sparks fly?
now take the two bateries and install them in two cars.. its still exactly the same as two batteries standing on the ground..

no idea to be honest. Will have to take your word for it (you clearly have more knowledge on the subject than I do as I am basing my statements on assumptions which seem to be baseless/groundless LOL) as I am to scared to try this experiment on my own cars.

 

[Dippies]

You connected the jumper cables the wrong way round, I once did this to an opel years ago because the opel's terminals were colour coded wrong! As soon as I felt heat in the cables I knew it was wrong and pulled them off, I checked the battery +- and sure enough the opel cable colours were wrong!
Since then I have always checked for +- on the battery.

+1

for that much current to flow, it could only have been positive to negative, or there is a dead short on the car..

+1

 

[netercol]

lol, dont worry about it.. the fact is sparks wont fly when only ONE lead is connected between two cars, both are needed to complete a circuit. so in the above scenario, when you connect the second lead, and make a path for current to flow, you will have sparks, also enough current flowing to melt the leads and other stuff

both leads are needed since both cars are completely unconnected circuits on their own..

this is ofc if you connect positive to negative, positive to negative.. if you jump a car, you connect positive to positive, negative to negative, wich is called connecting bateries in parrallel..

 

[ambroseg1]

lol, dont worry about it.. the fact is sparks wont fly when only ONE lead is connected between two cars, both are needed to complete a circuit. so in the above scenario, when you connect the second lead, and make a path for current to flow, you will have sparks, also enough current flowing to melt the leads and other stuff

both leads are needed since both cars are completely unconnected circuits on their own..

this is ofc if you connect positive to negative, positive to negative.. if you jump a car, you connect positive to positive, negative to negative, wich is called connecting bateries in parrallel..

Learn something new every day. :thumbs:

 

[DieselFan]

Pics of chick?

She's quite good looking but I'm definitely not going to post a photo, A i dont have one and B that would make me a total creep .

So now should i throw the cables away and buy new ones? or would these cables still be alright after their intense heat?

 

[Dippies]

yes

 

[DieselFan]

Dippies i take that as buy new ones. :fencelook: ? Dammit they're so expensive -.-