Jumper Cables Question

You should worry about several things with jumper cables:

1. the dead battery, if its really dead, can explode when current is applied to it. This is why you make the last connection somewhere on the frame as far away from the battery as you can get. I have not experienced it first hand, but I pulled in to the local Honda dealer once as the ambulance was leaving with the blinded tech who had just had the experience. Sulfuric acid burns can be serious.

1. As long as you don't short anything, as you say, especially with newer computer managed cars. Accidentally touch the cables together and you could be looking at a buying a new engine computer. Accidentally connect + to - between cars, you can be looking at buying a new engine computer. Don't underestimate how difficult it can be to keep the helpful idiot belonging to the other car from just jumping right in to help and .... Oops.... Sorry about that (then he quickly drives off if he didn't also kill his own car).

2. Be careful the cars themselves don't touch. The ground circuit can be completed that way. See #1 & #2 above.

I think they try to put them on in an order that will limit the potential for damage as the steps progress.

The last frame hookup is for spark control. Most 'will' spark when the last connection is made and a freshly discharged or charged battery can have enough hydrogen gas in it to explode.

I had one explode in my face as I disconnected it after a highway drive. The little spark from the radio is enough to blow the top off the battery, let alone the big spark a boost usually makes. Chunks went through the hood, cut up my face and totaled my clothes. I was lucky, I was half turned away 'as normal' when doing batteries and there was a snowbank right there and running water 10 feet away. Got away with a couple scars.

Mike

Your goal is for the last connection to be made AWAY from the battery, so the spark does not occur right next to a battery that is outgassing hydrogen.

Same reason.

--scott

Go to a scrap metal recycling yard.They might have a few pallet loads of old batterys there.You might see at least one (or more) battery there that had blown up.Even accidently dropping a battery on a hard surface, concrete or whatever, can cause them to blow up.Not a pretty sight. cuhulin