Jumper cables and all

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Purchasing classics there

The editorial Audi from 1983 has - despite being Auto of the Year - no tell-tale that beeps, buzzes or crackles when the light is left on. Fortunately, I do have observant neighbors. But it still happened to me that I found the car with - as the Flemish say - a flat battery. For Dutch people: an empty battery!

Just a reminder so

Many people call the ANWB or in such a case use jumper cables to start over from another car. But they also sell jumper cables in every supermarket, hardware store or car parts store. However, it is important that you use the correct jumper cables and connect them correctly. For example, for heavier engines (diesels) with a high starting current, you need thicker starter cables. Cables used for this are 25 mm thick while the lighter cables are about 15 mm thick. The cables from the knakenbak or those of the unsurpassed Action are usually marginal in thickness. With some restart they almost start to glow. A car with a 12-volt battery can be over-started via another 12-volt battery with both thin and thick jumper cables. If you use the thinner petrol engine jumper cables for a diesel engine, they will become very hot due to the high current.

How should you connect jumper cables?

The red jump lead is the positive lead and the black lead is used for ground. First check where the batteries are located in both cars. Position the assistance car in such a way that you have sufficient length of jumper cables at your disposal. First connect the red cable to the plus of the battery. This can be recognized by the + sign on the battery or a red ring around the battery pole. The positive pole is also thicker than the negative pole of the battery. Then connect the black cable to the negative pole of both batteries. The minus cable can also be attached to the metal under the hood or to the engine. This way there is less chance of closure. The negative pole of the battery is connected to the mass of the car and motorcycle. Please note, that is not the case with all classics. With some classics, the plus is in the mass and the minus is not. If you were to connect the plus second, a short circuit will occur when earth is touched. When the cables are connected and you are sure that the cars are in the neutral and handbrake, let the auxiliary car run at a slightly higher speed for a few minutes. Then start the problem car.

Removing jumper cables - damage to the car's electronics

While removing the cables, we let the engines of both cars run. Before removing the cables, turn on major power consumers in both cars. Think of the rear window heating and lighting. This prevents - certainly in younger cars - electronic damage due to a peak voltage ... Cars - including young timers - are increasingly sensitive to this due to the addition of more specific electronics. The sequence in which the starter cables are removed is also important here. You first remove the black jump lead from the problem car. Then do that at the assistance car. First remove the red jump lead from the assistance car. Only then from the problem car. Then you will drive for a while to recharge the battery. Usually a ride of half an hour is sufficient. If the problem still occurs, the cause lies elsewhere. The battery may be broken or there is a problem with recharging somewhere.

Use jump starter - about starting a car with a quick starter:

If you find your car with an empty battery, it is also possible to use a jump starter as a starting aid instead of jumper cables. A jump starter has a small powerful battery that can deliver a high starting current in a short time. Jumpstarters can be found regularly for 'little' at Aldi and Action. But don't expect too much from that. Nowadays there are also very small solid state starter batteries. Those things are about the size of a serious box of cigarettes. They are built with the latest battery technology. We have not yet seen them at the Acton or Lidl. But they are well worth their money.

When connecting the jump starter, first connect the red plus cable to the plus of the battery. Then connect the black minus cable to the minus of the battery. The same as with jumper cables, the negative can also be attached to the metal under the hood or engine block, as long as the negative is at ground. The reason for installing the negative cable last is to prevent a possible short circuit.

Simply maintaining the battery by hanging it on the dripper (Ctek or something) in his spare time is of course the best. Prevention is better than cure. We advise to simply leave the very cheap drippers from the knakenbak.

Pay attention to the connection

Ah. As long as it is 12 V.
But prevention is better than cure. By the way, be careful when using a modern lithium battery. Such a thing needs a special charger.

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10 comments

  1. From all the misery I once bought sturdy clamps and attached 15mm squared cables with press shoes. As it should. Doesn't fail and overriding is a pleasure. Even with trucks! You would only have those good looking weak and sparking clamps. Not fresh with gassing batteries and explosive gas. If it doesn't pop, it will sound. Very unfortunate that such bad cables can still be sold

  2. Regarding the jumper cables, 3 more things.
    –The clamps: take steel clamps.
    I have already had jumper cables with plastic clamps (there was a steel spring in it to clamp)
    After a little restart the clamp became ward and deformed so that it came loose.
    - The cable thickness is of course important, but especially the core.
    Cheaper thick cables mainly have a lot of insulation, and then you are essentially left with a thin cable.
    - Finally, what about the clamp on the cable?
    With some cable sets, the cable is stripped, and the copper of the cable is clamped in the clamp.
    With other sets only a few dots are pressed through that jacket, so the current transfer to the clamp is less. . . ..

  3. Many thanks. When I was 45, to my amazement, I finally learned how to tie my shoes. And now I know in which order the charging cables must be connected and what the risks are if that happens the wrong way round. This is genuine and not cynical. A person is never too old to learn.

  4. If you live on the right side of the large Sloot (as we call it here south of the Hollands Diep) then the term “Flat Battery” is also very common.

  5. Empty battery, yes, but they are just as heavy as a full one ...
    Jump starter or booster, be careful with the electronics! Not good for the battery either.

  6. Dear Dolf, I really hope that you mean 15 and 25 squares instead of mm. fat.
    Connecting the minus to metal under the hood is also not that smart, the starting problems can sometimes be a grounding problem.

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