Having a sort out in the shed and seeing the jump leads, I pose the question.... In the unlikely circumstance that a modern car (my forthcoming Yeti, in particular) should get a flat battery, would you actually use the leads these days? In days of old when men were men and sheep were nervous you wouldn't have have given it a second thought, but now, with all those fancy electronics, I'd be afraid to connect them for fear of frying my pcbs. There are instructions on the pack regarding the correct order to connect and disconnect but they're pretty old and the instructions refer to older cars ('locate the solenoid'...etc).

They're proper heavy duty cables, and there are two sets too and I'm loathe to part with them but can't see them getting much use (only actually used them once or twice - mainly on other people's cars in all those years!).

These days you don't do things you used to...changing wheels is now a topic for debate and pulling others from bogs as well as jump starting all seemed to come naturally then but now with health and safety and EU regulations and all manner of complications, you're careful what you do......or is it I'm getting older and want someone else to do the things I used to do?

You can still use jump leads no problem.

I had to jump start my vRS a couple of weeks ago due to a dead battery. No problems whatsoever.

I've jumped started 2 different CAN-BUS equipped Octavias on numerous occasions and they have been fine every time.

I would think the electronics have been robustly designed to protect against fluctuations in the car electrical supply which happens all the time due to the low voltage and high power demands of such things as electric windows, heated screen, heated rear window, starter motor and most of all, electric power steering.

Well that's good to know. Thanks. And do you connect and disconnect the Pos and Neg in any particular order and to the donor vehicle first or last etc.... or whichever you happen to have in your hand?

pos and neg on donor battery, pos on dead battery, then neg on metal part of engine block etc.

As long as you don't get any sparks near the battery, due to the flammable hydrogen gas.

pos and neg on donor battery, pos on dead battery, then neg on metal part of engine block etc.

As long as you don't get any sparks near the battery, due to the flammable hydrogen gas.

I thank you.

What looks like a definitive guide to jump starting: http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/breakdown_advice/using-jumpleads.html

Interestingly they advise connection and disconnection with the engines off to avoid possible damage to the electronics. I've always run the engine of the donor car to prevent to dead car pulling it's battery voltage down.

Well that's good to know. Thanks. And do you connect and disconnect the Pos and Neg in any particular order and to the donor vehicle first or last etc.... or whichever you happen to have in your hand?

Good evening "Oldstan"

Download the Yeti Drivers Manual HERE

Check out pages 228 / 9 for all the information on Jump Starting a Yeti.

Hope this helps.............

THE GREAT YETI

Good evening "Oldstan"

Download the Yeti Drivers Manual HERE

Check out pages 228 / 9 for all the information on Jump Starting a Yeti.

Hope this helps.............

THE GREAT YETI

Indeed, quite straight forward - I was showing undue concern! Thanks.

Edited 5 February, 201115 yr by oldstan

Indeed, quite straight forward - I was showing undue concern! Thanks.

You are most welcome. Enjoy your 1.2 with DSG when it arrives...............

Oh, and if you DO jump start anybody, make sure your engine is running to avoid draining your own battery while they start yours.

Oh, and if you DO jump start anybody, make sure your engine is running to avoid draining your own battery while they start yours.

I've ALWAYS done that even though the guide suggests you leave the cars for a few minutes to stabilise the voltages. Stabilise them to what? sod all so neither car can start?

Also, my advice would be to switch off as many electrical items on both cars as possible to maximise the available power and give the healthy car some revs when trying to start the flat'un.

I've ALWAYS done that even though the guide suggests you leave the cars for a few minutes to stabilise the voltages. Stabilise them to what? sod all so neither car can start?

Also, my advice would be to switch off as many electrical items on both cars as possible to maximise the available power and give the healthy car some revs when trying to start the flat'un.

Well, a funy thing happened on the way to the...(well actually, on the way back from)... the pub....this very afternoon.

Bearing in mind I only, a day or so, posted what I did about jump leads, I left the car for about two hours with the headlights on!

Got back - battery completely drained. First time I'd blundered thus for years and years - literally!

Called the AA and he got it started within a minute or so of arriving.

Two points however. Firstly he told me to remove the ignition key before connecting the leads otherwise a good chance of "spiking" something or other. And secondly, as was mentioned in a previous reply here, leave the donor battery on the recipient for a minute or so to allow it to charge otherwise the car's charging system will go into overdrive in trying to charge up a completely flat battery and will, again, upset the applecart. He said there was a good chance that if you didn't do both of the aforegoing some sort of code would need to be re-set at a Honda dealer (it's a Jazz)...he said Honda's were especially sensitive??. Bit of a coincidence that I should enquire about it and find a need for jump leads so soon - and a lesson or two learned along the way.

Very handy having 3 years AA cover, which came with the car when new. And they didn't take too long to arrive and all sorted without fuss.

Looking at it in a slightly different way, I carry a battery booster pack in the car. If needs be, I can jump start my own or anyone else's car with it and let the pack trickle charge back up from the 12v socket or the mains when I get home. It also has a 230V socket, a light and an air compressor built in too. At least this way you reduce the risk of voltage spikes between two cars.

I learned an expensive lesson working in the middle of nowhere with my car radio on all day plus a tired battery.

Looking at it in a slightly different way, I carry a battery booster pack in the car. If needs be, I can jump start my own or anyone else's car with it and let the pack trickle charge back up from the 12v socket or the mains when I get home. It also has a 230V socket, a light and an air compressor built in too. At least this way you reduce the risk of voltage spikes between two cars.

I learned an expensive lesson working in the middle of nowhere with my car radio on all day plus a tired battery.

I'll look at the boosters in a minute, wasn't really aware of them in connection with keeping one in the car. When you say "At least this way you reduce the risk of voltage spikes between two cars"...... the AA man did use a booster pack whilst taking the two precautions mentioned in the last post ie key out of ignition and a minute or so to charge. Not sure how you feel about that? If you accept the advice of tha AA man it would seem to apply to booster packs as well as jump leads?

I'll look at the boosters in a minute, wasn't really aware of them in connection with keeping one in the car. When you say "At least this way you reduce the risk of voltage spikes between two cars"...... the AA man did use a booster pack whilst taking the two precautions mentioned in the last post ie key out of ignition and a minute or so to charge. Not sure how you feel about that? If you accept the advice of tha AA man it would seem to apply to booster packs as well as jump leads?

Hi

would agree with the AA on procedure for jump starting having had to jump start a very large and expensive (£250,000) agricultural machine, with abut £5000 worth of management systems + a 24v start system and 12v for the rest.

just follow all instructions one wrong move can be very expensive.

I have just bought a booster pack from ebay for £40 manly for the compressor. but it is very handy to have with you for that odd mishap