This guy shorted my car battery

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Cole

Common sense isn't too common I guess. Though, I do work with DC circuits between 40V and 300V regularly, and all the safety training must have gotten through to me.

That is why from the first time I screwed it up every single boost I have ever done was preceded by the words "go stand over there I will hook it all up myself".

[Cole]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

That is why from the first time I screwed it up every single boost I have ever done was preceded by the words "go stand over there I will hook it all up myself".

I've had to do it enough times with my old Camry that it almost became second nature. For whatever reason, whenever it would get wet, or the very humid feeling before a heavy summer rain, the car wouldn't want to start. Which was weird because the battery and the alternator were fine, and my mechanic couldn't figure it out either. But, I digress.

I guess once you've messed it up once, you figure it out for the rest of your life.

[WhiteFRS69]

Originally Posted by STV3

I once accidentally made contact with my positive battery terminal and a metal coolant line with a worm clamp while putting my intake back on. There was a shit load of sparking and the worm clamp turned glowing orange hot instantly. Scared the living hell out of me! There is still a little piece of melted worm clamp melted onto my coolant line too lol.

SRT4 problems

i did that all the time on the SRT

[twag4]

OP it'll be fine. You didn't short a component, so as long as it was just quick, it'll be ok.

[pushrod]

"Hey man did you connect the ground first?"

"Yeah!"

"Are you sure man?"

"I'm positive!"

[Packofcrows]

Did it too helping someone in school parking structure. Needless to say, no one came to my rescue when battery and terminals fried.

[8R6]

lol i did that once last year. helping someone jump their car in the parking lot and it was dark as hell. i thought i saw their + and - signs but i guess not. it sparked like crazy and smoked a little. scared the shit out of me. only did it for like 1 second before i pulled it off to look at wtf happened. car is still fine after but i was paranoid for a week lol

[Hotrodheart]

Originally Posted by Zhangy

I was giving a neighbor a jump start, + and - were connected to my car's battery and he was at the other end making his connection.

Car wasn't running, all I heard was "I don't think it's connected right" and he crossed his two ends and then spark spark with little smoke, he shorted my battery...........

No issue observed, checked fuse, lights and electronics everything is cool for now...

Get him back; bone his wife.

[Packofcrows]

So you're saying you didn't 'connect right,' with this guy? ...or were there sparks from the start?

[humfrz]

That's why the handles on most jumper cables are color coded, red and black .......... ON BOTH ENDS ......


humfrz

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by humfrz

That's why the handles on most jumper cables are color coded, red and black .......... ON BOTH ENDS ......


humfrz

So that means put the red on the black and the black to the red on battery to jumper cable connection right? Screw the ground right?

In all seriousness I wish jumper cables would come with some sort of laminated card attached to them for the uninitiated in the simplest terms like:

Good car:
Red to positive
black to negative

Bad car:
red to positive
black to an unpainted piece of metal

Do not:
Clamp to nipples
Clamp to people
Clamp to your penis
clamp to each other clamp


Some of my friends who are serious car nuts still don't get it and alot of people won't admit it

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by FRSBRZGT86FAN

So that means put the red on the black and the black to the red on battery to jumper cable connection right? Screw the ground right?

In all seriousness I wish jumper cables would come with some sort of laminated card attached to them for the uninitiated in the simplest terms like:

Good car:
Red to positive
black to negative

Bad car:
red to positive
black to an unpainted piece of metal

Do not:
Clamp to nipples
Clamp to people
Clamp to your penis
clamp to each other clamp


Some of my friends who are serious car nuts still don't get it and alot of people won't admit it

You're getting close. Actually the laminated card should also read "if you can't tell which post on on the battery is positive and which is negative ..... CALL YOUR AAA type roadside service". ........

NOTICE! ...... if you have an older car with POSITIVE GROUND ....... then RED doesn't always mean (+) and BLACK doesn't mean (-). SO, switch the plastic handles on the jumper cables ...... on both ends ....... and don't get them mixed up ....... especially if the person helping you doesn't understand ....... and insists on doing it the "other way" .......


humfrz

[Impureclient]

I know what goes where but admit a few times just got lazy and touched something to give a nice spark show.

Do not:
Clamp to nipples
Clamp to people
Clamp to your penis

Only a prude hasn't ever clamped their penis to a friends nipples, or vice versa, with jumper cables just to see what happens.