2008feb15. More than a few people have told me over the years that jumper cables are supposed to be hooked up a certain way which is wrong. Because I care, I am including this section of text from [Dare to Repair Your Car|?????/ref=ase_cardhouse06_20] by Julie Sussman and Stephanie Glakas-Tenet. Please stop trying to kill me thank you.
Take one of the red cables (positive / +) – it doesn’t matter which one – and connect it onto the positive terminal of the bad car. Now take the other red cable (positive / +) and connect it onto the positive terminal of the good car.
Next, take one of the black cables (negative / -) and connect it onto the negative terminal of the good car. Now here’s the part you may not understand at first. Take the other black cable and clamp it onto an unpainted metal part of the bad car, such as the engine block on the side away from the battery. Some cars have a designated place to attach the last negative cable and will have the word GROUND and an arrow imprinted on it.
Whatever you do, do not connect the last cable to the battery. If you connect every cable to a terminal, the circuit of electricity will be complete. If that happens, a spark may occur near the battery and ignite the vapor coming from the battery, which may cause the battery to explode.
Yours in Motoring,
Squirrely Joe the Safety Woodchuck.
