Stupid stupid stupid... mistake while trying to jump vette!

[Skant]

So I've been unemployed for a while... it's my first day of work. I've got everything ready... I head out to the garage to hop into the vette. It doesn't open as I approach it. Uh oh.

The battery is dead. I left the interior lights on the previous night, and it killed the battery. Never done that before. I can't believe it! I've never had this problem. So of course it'd happen on my first day of work!

So I'm completely wigging out. I'm gonna be very late for my first day of work. I call them and tell them I'll be late. I call a nearby relative and have him come over to jump the vette.

We hook up the wires, but it's unable to provide enough juice to start it. I've always seen this before... a vehicle with a smaller engine than a V8 (ie. all of them) can't jump a V8 immediately.

Anyway, he thinks my jump cables are no good. So he gets his own. They're yellow and black, so I say to him okay we're using yellow for positive and black for negative. And he confirms that even as I absently plug the yellow into the negative on the vette.

I'm completely freaking out, you see. Between my SO going to the hospital for emergency, unemployment, and everything in just the last while, I'm really at the end of my rope.

So when I see smoke coming from my battery while I try to start the vette... uhggghhhgghgghh...

Great. Lets set my electrical system on fire. What else could go wrong?!

Anyway, I get the cables on the right terminals... it takes a few minutes to develop a charge with a minivan jumping it. But it starts. And everything _seems_ to be okay.

I had the booster cables on backwards for maybe 5-10 seconds. And I had the ignition turned on in that condition for maybe one second (maybe less... I saw the smoke just as I turned the key).

Is my vette okay? What might I have done to it? It's got to shorten the battery life. But if everything is still working, hopefully I didn't actually hurt the rest of the car.


Lesson learned: I never thought I'd do something that stupid. Ever. I'm an engineer, and I'm a naturally careful person. But when you're world is completely turned upsidedown, you can be in a very emotional state and do stupid things. Be extra cautious. Take a deep breath. Don't ever rush trying to jump the car. You're working with too much power there, and it's really not easy to reach the vette's battery. So be very very careful.


*shakes head* I'm such an idiot. I hope I didn't just wreck this beautiful car.

- Skant

 

[82ColEd]

Been there, done that!
Thats why i try NOT to jump a car when i am flipping out. When i jumped my vette once i actually swapped the cables on the other car and fried it's battery and a sensor of some kind. It regulates battery power. Had to be replaced but the other car was fine. Go to a shop, and have them check the battery charge & flow. And see if they can check mdoules relating to power flow out. Shouldnt be too bad.. I'll keep the fingers crossed for ya.
Stefan

 

[Chas]

Your very lucky....

i have a friend who is now totally blind due to a battery exploding as he connected the cables to it....it was just a dead battery and it wasnt being connected wrong........

( a dead battery throws off a explosive gas)

....when he connected it, the clamp sparked as it made contact with the terminal....and boom...he is paying the ultimate price today....this is the reason that when you are jumping a dead battery you MUST hook the dead battery up FIRST..
( odds are, the dead battery dont have the power to make a spark occur at the time you connect it to the good one)..

...then if the spark occurs it is on the good battery,
that is not producing the fumes......

im glad you are ok, but this is a good time to learn for everyone that may not already know....HOOK UP THE DEAD BATTERY FIRST.

Chas

 

[UB2 SLOW]

Good advice Vettedude, I am going to remember that one.

 

[81LT4]

Good advice Vettedude, I am going to remember that one.

Yea really, I will remember that one to.

 

[Magmotor]

Wow...!!! that's one to put in the vault, for sure......maybe that's why the manual says never to hook both cables to a battery, no matter what, always hook the + first, then the - to the block or frame...if a spark jumps, it won't be around the battery.....also says hooking up the cables wrong can fry the EBC mod, and that starts at around $1,200.00 .....man that story freaked me out, dude...don't think i'll ever forget that one.....

 

[*89x2*]

...and here I thought I was going to read about a Corvette FLYING OVER a Creek :eek

 

[RoadReady]

I ran across this warning about jump starting a Vette: Always hook up the cables and let it sit a few minutes before turning on the key. This powers up all of the microprocessor boards and prevents damage. The owners manual has specific information on jump starting that's wise to follow (especially having seen an exploding battery throw acid all over a service station employee and the engine/front fenders of a car... Lots of damage to both!

The same article warned about starting a C4 with a 50 amp battery charger hooked up. The charger sees a low battery condition and kicks in, sending a voltage spike that can smoke the ECM.....

 

[RedRagTop]

I won't go near a battery without eye protection for any reason. Even then I make sure I have a water supply handy and a rag or something between me and as much of my frontal area as I can and still see what I'm doing.

 

[96lt4conv]

Wow...!!! that's one to put in the vault, for sure......maybe that's why the manual says never to hook both cables to a battery, no matter what, always hook the + first, then the - to the block or frame...if a spark jumps, it won't be around the battery.....also says hooking up the cables wrong can fry the EBC mod, and that starts at around $1,200.00 .....man that story freaked me out, dude...don't think i'll ever forget that one.....

That's absolutely right! The proper way to hook up cables is to hook both cables to the "dead" battery, then the positive cable to the "good" battery "+" post and then hook the negative cable to the block or frame of the vehicle with the "good" battery. This keeps the spark (if it makes one) from coming in contact with explosive and deadly acid gases. I have seen this mistake several times, it is all too common, the most ordinary problem afterwards is the regulator inside the alternator. They seem to fry fairly easily. Watch your voltmeter to make sure it is charging and make sure the battery is powering the starter sufficiently and you should be Okay.. Check with your neighbor as well to be sure his was'nt fryed either..... From one 'vette lover to another - glad that you didn't lose life, limb or the pursuit of happiness in this mis-adventure.

Scott

 

[tomls1]

this is a very good post!!!


vettedude73,

that's a scary story. it's good that you posted it, so people will think twice and be very careful when jump starting.

 

[rrubel]

Um, all my car books (and cables) say to:

1. + on dead battery
2. + on live battery
3. - on live battery
4. ground on dead car

Look it up in your Haynes or owner's manual, or look at the tag on the cables.

And make sure the good car isn't started when you hook up the cables, and stand well back when they do start it.

[RICHR]

 

[tomls1]

i second rrubel. all my manuals say the same thing.

1. + on dead battery
2. + on live battery
3. - on live battery
4. ground on dead car

 

[RonJ]

Good policy. make your last cable connection to the grounded engine, not the battery ...

AND

Be sure the ignition key is OFF when you make the last connection. The voltage spikes that can take place when you make the last connection are pretty hard on the ECM etc.

My two cents!!

 

[Stuart]

I'm totally against jump starting any car with modern electronics. I've seen time and time again where modules get blown by the power spike.

Best solution for a truely dead battery is to take it out and replace it with a good one.

If the battery is just run down, then trickle charge it.

S

p.s. I know this doesn't help you get to work on time for your first day. I'm glad that you are OK

 

[atmmac]

Well i have got a story. When i got my vette it hadnt been driven for a year. So we jumped the battery. Months later i got steering column lock the dealer accused that when i jumped the battery i fried something i forget what so you may want to have it checked out but i would assume its fine and its better to have a job to pay for this work =)!

 

[Eagle85C4]

Optima=dry cell battery

 

[lobes290]

ha. i have a story,

when i was younger me and my buddy thought that we would make his golf cart go faster by hooking another battery up to it, i went in my garage got a good 12v and a pair of jumper cables. Golf carts have 6 6v batteries in a series + to -, when we put the + of the 12v to the - 6v. BOOM it sounded like a bunch of m-80's going off right in front of you. Two of the 6v exploded and the cables melted. Thankfully we didnt get any acid in our eyes. where were our parents?

 

[Skant]

Thanks for the info!

Well, everything seems to be working correctly as far as I can tell. The gauges are all normal. Voltages are normal. Been running a couple of days like nothing happened. Unless there's some way for it to fail that's very subtle, it looks like I lucked out.

- Skant

 

[livinez]

for charging side posts

You can get new battery "bolts"for side post cables at any auto parts store. Unhook (-) first then (+). Then put (+) side bolt in first, followed by (-).
Then hook up charger. Now you wont have to worry about ruining anything in car because its not inline. Yes, you will lose preset and clock on stereos and also stored codes, but its a small price compared to the cost of ECM's etc.!
I store the bolts with my charger along with a 5/16ths boxend with one end that has been rubber coated(you can just use black tape) to prevent accidental arcing. To many GM's in my past I guess!
Of course recharging batteries at lowest possible amperage as time allows will make them last longer. Fast hard charging boils lead off plates on "wet" batteries and WILL BlOW jellcells right up!
Glad it went well Skant, Later TC