> From: "Jarrid Gross (Yorba Linda, CA)" <GROSS(at)UNIT.COM>, on 5/9/97 10:09 AM:
> Scott and other beamers,
>
> Allways connect Positive to Positive (Red), Neagtive to Negative(Black).
>
One safety guideline is that the last of the 4 jumper cable clamps to be
connected should be attached to ground somewhere other than the battery
terminal. The hazard this avoids is having Hydrogen in and around the battery
ignited by the sparks that often occur when the jumper circuit is completed.
Battery explosions result in a major mess in the least and serious injury if
case fragments or acid happen to hit someone.
I think the hard-core safety folks even have a preference as to which car
should be connected last - but I can never remember this. The key point is to
keep sparks away from either battery.
So, a safer way to jump-start a positive ground car from a negative ground one
is to connect black to black and red (positive) on the negative ground car to
some well grounded (is this possible on an LBC?) engine or body part of the
positive ground car. The body or engine connection should be the last of the 4
(and, duh, should not be right next to the battery).
Regards, Bob Douglas
PS Allowing the car bodies to touch will still result in the big fire that
Jarrid mentioned
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