12
votes
Accepted
Jump-starting a car: connecting black to the engine block
The question says
mechanical connections and grounding wires are rarely designed for the high amperage
The ground cable goes directly (and only) to the frame in this picture
Image from Quora
So ...
- 1,848
11
votes
Is it harmful to keep 12V accessory on ignition start?
The reason for this warning is, when you start the engine of the vehicle, there is a large power draw. This drops the voltage which the Ecoflow battery will see from the charging port. When you shut ...
- 153k
9
votes
I have a distribution block buried under my center console. Would getting 12v from that line vs directly from the battery present any fire hazard?
The fuses are there to protect the wiring, the fuse needs to blow before the wiring gets hot. You say that you have a fuse at the battery end of the 4 gauge wire, so that wire is protected against ...
- 24.9k
9
votes
Accepted
2005 Chevrolet Express 3500: Help Identifying this part
That should be the coolant temperature sensor and wires. I can't tell exactly where it is in relationship to the head/exhaust, but if it is the temp sensor, it will be located to the upper left ...
- 153k
9
votes
Jump-starting a car: connecting black to the engine block
Compare the circuits formed by the two alternatives:
positive jumper cable - positive recipient battery terminal - starter relay - starter windings - engine block - chassis - battery ground cable - ...
- 541
6
votes
Car loses all electrical on start up and then returns
This sounds like a bad ignition switch. Has your ignition key ever felt hot after you turn off the car? This was an early sign of failure.
Start your car and remain parked. Now with the engine running,...
- 5,510
6
votes
Jump-starting a car: connecting black to the engine block
If you examine your car or any other vehicle, try tracing battery ground cables. Most, if not all, battery ground connects to the chassis nearby, Chassis has a ground cable to engine block. From your ...
- 956
4
votes
Can short-circuit during jump-start damage the vehicle?
Whenever you short jumpers like that, there's always a chance something can be damaged. In this case, however, since the car was still running and drove away, I'd suggest there's no worries. If there ...
- 153k
4
votes
Does the kilowatt rating of a starter indicate anything about the torque or quality of the starter?
Torque? Probably.
Quality? Anybody's guess.
Power demand? Definitely.
I think you'll want to stay close to 0.9KW when you choose a new starter, and 1KW is close. Manufacturers don't spend money on ...
- 5,510
4
votes
Accepted
How do I fix a broken connector inside the transaxle?
Here's what I did. Since both the connector and the port on the solenoid are plastic, I sort of plastic welded the two pieces together. Here's how I did it:
I took an allen wrench I didn't care ...
4
votes
Jump-starting a car: connecting black to the engine block
The question was "Do automotive manufacturers plan for this sort of jump start as part of their requirements?"
And the answer is: yes. Every car I've ever owned has a section about jump ...
- 141
3
votes
Accepted
2015 Kia Forte Intermittent Low Voltage Occurrences - P0562
This very much sounds like your battery has an internal short which is intermittent. It could be the plates are coming in contact with each other some how and causing the short. Then when you jump the ...
- 153k
3
votes
Prevent inline "waterproof" fuses from corroding
First of all, you need to clean them out. Use some vinegar to do this by soaking them in it. If you can't soak them in it, put as much as you can in the cavity of the fuse holder. Once the reactions ...
- 153k
3
votes
Accepted
Does the negative ground amperage rating matter?
The negative ground bit just tells you that you will be able to install it in your vehicle without having to do anything clever to isolate it. Most cars are negative ground, meaning the chassis (...
- 18.6k
3
votes
2007 Dodge Charger 3.5L V6 won't turn over, but starter and relay appear to be working
Remove the starter relay from its socket and connect a 12v bulb (something like 5w) across what would be the relay coil contacts in the socket. You should be able to just push some wires into the ...
- 24.9k
3
votes
Reconnecting "starter" battery sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid
A sloppy fit is a sloppy connection!!!
I'm aware of Battery Post Shims, but for now I'm using duct tape to hold it down because it's convenient for disconnecting/reconnecting.
No, no, no! You can't ...
3
votes
1980 Oldsmobile 98 electrical system went totally off after attempting to start it
First thing to do is to check the connections at the battery. Most likely one side has lost connection. If the connection point was a thin point (very small point of contact), when you tried to start ...
- 153k
3
votes
1980 Oldsmobile 98 electrical system went totally off after attempting to start it
Paulster's probably correct, but another possibility is you may have blown a fusible link. That could happen if the starter couldn't turn the motor over for some reason and overloaded the circuit. ...
- 1,587
2
votes
Reconnecting "starter" battery sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid
Sounds to me like you have a minimal connection somewhere. This would allow a low amount of amperage to flow. Once you try to get into a high amperage flow, like using the starter, that connection ...
- 153k
2
votes
What is the typical battery power consumption of a parked car?
The direct question about leakage
The parasitic battery draw should be VERY low - just keep-alive for clock, radio stations and powertrain computer. A few milliamps. You should be able to park a ...
2
votes
Max power consumption of chargers in an average car
Don't care about the alternator; it won't be overloaded.
Instead, care about the fuse. Most cigarette lighter sockets can't supply more than 10 amperes which at 13.5 volts is 135 watts. If you run the ...
- 14.5k
2
votes
2002 VW New Beetle battery discharges only while driving?
Agree with what MTA stated in comments. This is most likely a bad alternator. You state the voltage at the battery while running is ~12.9vdc. This isn't much more from what I'd expect to see a good ...
- 153k
2
votes
Door unlocking with signal sent over a phone call
I'm not sure how that'd work, because a phone only transmits/transfers sound, not electromagnetic radio waves which you'd find being sent out by a remote. Mythbusters even did a piece on this calling ...
- 153k
2
votes
Adding 12v anderson connector
Don't plug jumper cables to an Anderson connector.
Anderson connectors are usually rated for rather low amperage. The standard PowerPole connectors go up to 45 amperes, although they are intended for ...
- 14.5k
2
votes
Prevent inline "waterproof" fuses from corroding
You could also try silicone plumber's grease.
- 1,882
2
votes
Can I replace a broken power antenna with a generic one?
A search on UK ebay for "electric aerial" lists lots of replacement telescopic parts for electric aerials. There are plenty of different looking ones, so I doubt you will find a generic one....
- 24.9k
2
votes
Removing the cigar lighter socket in the Outback load area
The K tab may be a mechanical release when the solenoid release fails to unlock the fuel access cover. Your owner's manual should have info or try Subaru's website. As to power socket removal, try ...
- 956
2
votes
Door unlocking with signal sent over a phone call
You said:
After hearing this I have tried with my coworkers and manage to unlock
some of the cars via phone, but not every car on the parking.
Let me guess how you did this: Your co-worker gives you ...
- 5,510
2
votes
How does a scanner control electrical components?
If by a "scanner" you mean something on the lines of OBD2 or what have you, the answer is, they don't control the electrical components directly. They tell the ECU (or other controller) to &...
- 153k
2
votes
Engine swap & ecu
There are a few different ways to go with what you are trying to do.
Piggyback the original ECU and use a VW ECU to run the engine. If you want the rest of the vehicle to work, you'll need the ...
- 153k
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