Cable Boost

[Phil M.M.]

my 1996 ls 400 would not turn over yesterday after sitting for 2 weeks in Canadian winter weather It just made a rapidly repeating clicking noise when i engaged the key. interior accessories were dimly lit. I boosted it with our 2nd car and it started fine to i drove it for half hr. .would this boost do any damage to the alternator?

Tks .

[1990LS400]

Jump starting, properly done, usually does not damage an alternator -- got me wondering if current day car electronics have become more resistant since my perception is that alternator damaged used to be more common.

I was aware of so many cases of alternator damage back in the 1970s and 1980s that I made it a policy to never jump start other people cars unless I used my own jumper cables and the other car owner agreed to stay completely out of the way so I could do it properly. Even then I tried to avoid it. When I was in the Army forty years ago, injuries from battery explosions from improperly jump starting vehicles in the motor pool were so common that it was deemed a punishable offense.

My jumper cables hit the trash many years ago. Now when we have dead batteries, I either put the battery on my battery charger or, if pressed for time, call a motor club to jump start a car. My wife did just that a few months ago. Her car had set unused in the garage for a week with a door cracked and the dome light on so she called the motor club to jump start her car.

[steve2006]

I wouldn't worry,any potential damage would have occurred at the time and not later.

There have been cases where the 120A engine fuse has failed during jump/boost starting but normally this is due to the battery being connected the wrong way around.

[Phil M.M.]

Jump starting, properly done, usually does not damage an alternator -- got me wondering if current day car electronics have become more resistant since my perception is that alternator damaged used to be more common.

I was aware of so many cases of alternator damage back in the 1970s and 1980s that I made it a policy to never jump start other people cars unless I used my own jumper cables and the other car owner agreed to stay completely out of the way so I could do it properly. Even then I tried to avoid it. When I was in the Army forty years ago, injuries from battery explosions from improperly jump starting vehicles in the motor pool were so common that it was deemed a punishable offense.

My jumper cables hit the trash many years ago. Now when we have dead batteries, I either put the battery on my battery charger or, if pressed for time, call a motor club to jump start a car. My wife did just that a few months ago. Her car had set unused in the garage for a week with a door cracked and the dome light on so she called the motor club to jump start her car.

Thank you Jim

i considered calling CAA to jump start it for me but got a bit impatient -probably better practice to let them do it

[Phil M.M.]

I wouldn't worry,any potential damage would have occurred at the time and not later.

There have been cases where the 120A engine fuse has failed during jump/boost starting but normally this is due to the battery being connected the wrong way around.

Thanks Steve -it seems to be running o.k. now-i am considering replacing the battery and/or having the charging system checked as to why it was so low after sitting 2 weeks