What happens if you reverse jumper cables and other mistakes?
Although jumpstarting a vehicle may seem like a simple task, there are several ways it can go wrong. Here are the most common: As was covered above, reversing the polarity of the battery cables can cause a range of problems, from blown fuses to fried electronics.
What happens if you accidentally connect the jumper to the car?
In between, you might have blown fuses, burnt wiring and/or connectors, or have created intermittent fault conditions making it difficult or impossible to diagnose. The main danger is to the battery in either or both vehicles.
Where does the red jumper cable go on a car?
The other end of the red cable connects to the positive terminal of the good battery. One end of the black (negative) jumper cable connects to the negative battery terminal of the good battery. The other end of the black jumper cable connects to a good ground on the vehicle that won’t start.
What happens when you hook up a jumper cable to a battery?
When the jumper cables are hooked up to a battery, touching the cable ends together can create sparks. In some cases, the sparks can ignite the hydrogen gas escaping from the battery, causing an explosion.
Although jumpstarting a vehicle may seem like a simple task, there are several ways it can go wrong. Here are the most common: As was covered above, reversing the polarity of the battery cables can cause a range of problems, from blown fuses to fried electronics.
Why are the jumper cables on my car not working?
The battery cables themselves may be fried and require replacement in order to start the vehicle. The PCM or the main computer in your vehicle may also have been fried in the process but the battery cables are the most likely cause. Even more unlikely but still a possibility is that your starter is even damaged.
How did the jumper cable get its name?
The name “jumper cable” derives from the fact that the power in the charged battery ‘jumps’ over to the dead battery. They are a useful piece of kit to store in the trunk of your car. For this, you have to recognize the positive and negative battery cables and their particular uses.
The other end of the red cable connects to the positive terminal of the good battery. One end of the black (negative) jumper cable connects to the negative battery terminal of the good battery. The other end of the black jumper cable connects to a good ground on the vehicle that won’t start.