Jumper Cables

[Tala]

If I ask you for a jump, and hand you your end of the cables please put them on YOUR OWN truck coz YOU know it better than I do!!!!
That is all.

Tomorrow's shopping list: at least one truck battery and a new set of cables, plus anything else that might have fried. Ugh!!

Now I'll go smoke a cigarette and celebrate that any real disaster was averted.

 

[justbugged]

It sounds like tomorrow should be a better day.

 

[katheria]

Ps. Dont feel bad....hubby is color blind.........you know the rest....

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Yeah it was dark and his truck didn't seem to have colors to boot. (I know mine by memory) I handed them to him and he said "why do I have to do it" and I said "coz it's your truck" but he wasn't close enough to reach, so when he pulled up again I just put them on myself, and well.....the cables started smoking and I started yelling so he yanked them off and as far as I can tell the worst was just that the cables melted. We just called it a night and he gave me a ride home. I felt stupid, but really, I feel like he should have put them on HIS truck and we probably would have been fine.

Last Christmas they had some fancier "idiot proof" cables on sale at WalMart, that I wanted to buy, but I already had a perfectly good set of plain ones so I didn't see spending money on something that I didn't "need" . . . . har har har well now I *need* a new pair so I'm definitely going to look into one of the newer, smarter styles.

 

[twentynine]

Flash lights are wonderous instruments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ought to hook up the cables to the good battery first--- then the + RED POS positive to the dead battery and the - black NEG negative to the engine ground last. DO NOT HOOK TO BATTERY NEGATIVE.


They stayed hooked up reverse long enough to melt the wire? or just the insulation on the ends?

You can replace just the ends.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
The ends are still servicable actually, but the wires not at all. The red wire especially melted completely out of the insulation in a couple of places.

I invested in one of those "jump yourself" thingamadeals, with spark-proof technology and it won't charge if you hook it up backwards - not that I think I would make that mistake on MY OWN truck.....but a nice feature nonetheless. I figured it was worth it since I frequently travel off the beaten path alone, a long way from a jump.
I also bought myself a 20' long set of regular cables, just coz I think you should always have a pair.
And a new battery, since my old one was going on 5 years old. I hadn't driven my truck in about 2 weeks, cranked it and drove across town, and while it wasn't truly "dead" it wouldn't crank back up. Mind you this was at 1am and I was lucky that my buddy was still awake to resuce me, even if it didn't go quite like I hoped.

Cost me about $200 today. So much for taking DH's truck in to the shop this payday (coz the brake light is on)

 

[theoldchick]

Nothing like a dead battery to ruin your day.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! Nothing like letting someone with a dead battery get a jump and it all going bad...

I hope tomorrow is better.

Lisa

 

[twentynine]

Quote:
Yeah it was dark and his truck didn't seem to have colors to boot. (I know mine by memory) I handed them to him and he said "why do I have to do it" and I said "coz it's your truck" but he wasn't close enough to reach, so when he pulled up again I just put them on myself, and well.....the cables started smoking and I started yelling so he yanked them off and as far as I can tell the worst was just that the cables melted. We just called it a night and he gave me a ride home. I felt stupid, but really, I feel like he should have put them on HIS truck and we probably would have been fine.

Last Christmas they had some fancier "idiot proof" cables on sale at WalMart, that I wanted to buy, but I already had a perfectly good set of plain ones so I didn't see spending money on something that I didn't "need" . . . . har har har well now I *need* a new pair so I'm definitely going to look into one of the newer, smarter styles.

With the computer electronics in these new vehicles the battery doesn't give you a "warning" like it used to do.

You know, get in the truck, turn the key and it turns over slowly--- but starts. You have time to think-- AHAH! Battery going dead, better get myself on down to the battery store.

Today, it takes X amount of voltage for the computer controlled ignition to energize. You don't get that voltage, ain't nothing going to happen. It won't click, it won't turn, it won't grind. Nothing zip- nada. For instance the battery can have a good 12volts sitting with no load, but when you turn the key to start voltage drops bellow 9volts, nothing happens.

Hooking cables up backwards--- what can I say ---- happens.