Found DEAD on HWY...

[Ol'TrailDog]

Today between Dubois and Crowheart I came across a Ferd PS, hood up with a horse trailer, DOA along the roadside.



Since, it is custom, and besides he was pulling a horse trailer, I pulled over (ching, ching... puff out my scrawny chest... ching, ching) to see if I could possibly be of some assistance (I DID NOT SMIRK). He and his young son needed a jump because he had fried a fuse and ran the batteries down. Sure thing, podner.



First off I had to explain why you want to hook jumpers post to post - post to ground instead of post to post - post to post. Then he wanted to know why there were two batteries - 24 volt? Turns out he had borrowed the truck from a "friend" (friends don't lend friends PS POSs ) to pick up a horse from the hinter lands of WY. So I got to pour on some of the ol' diesel knowledge, gleaned from hanging around here too much , just like an old salt.



This is the second PS I've had the honor of jumping since spring.



PS: It was a ghastly site under the hood of that Ferd. Too small aftermarket batteries ATTACHED BY A ZIP TIE from a frame member to a molded handle on the battery top. Dirty oily rocker covers. Obviously new turbo on the rust-colored piping which crossed over the rear deck of the engine. Nooo room, not even for a mouse to fart.



Have you hugged your Cummins today?

 

[n5ifi]

I'm confused Ol Dog.

Are you saying that your are running your batteries in series?

Just a dumb ol x Ford guy that's trying to learn something.

 

[NIsaacs]

n5ifi,



I think what Ol'TrailDog was saying, was that the Ford driver didn't understand the 2-batteries still making 12 volts. It sounded like he was not familar with the Ford or Dodge diesel, and the two batteries. He also didn't understand the reason for not hooking all the jumper cable ends direct to the batteries, but to hook one of the negative clamps to the vehicle. If you hook the vehicle clamp last, and you create a spark, you don't blow the batteries up .





"IF IT AIN'T CUMMINS POWERED, IT AIN'T A TRUCK"





"NICK"

 

[rbattelle]

Originally posted by NIsaacs

If you hook the vehicle clamp last, and you create a spark, you don't blow the batteries up .

I never knew (until today) that was the reason you hook one end to the block. Thanks for the education!



(Now if I could just remember which vehicle gets the ground attached to the block!).



-Ryan

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Thanks NIssac for deciphering my ramblings.

Its a common problem I have (Say what?... what'd he say?). Fortunately my wife is originally from Korea, so she just thinks I'm perspicuously loquacious he, he, someday she going to figure it out.



rbattelle, I don't think it is all that critical. Just as long as the last connection is on the block or frame ground. If I think about it I would guess the battery in need of the jump may have the higher probability of having excess hydrogen gas in it. Therefore, in theory it probably should be connected first to the battery posts. Followed by the good battery vehicle, first to the positive post and then last of all to the ground away from the battery.



What say the learned ones? If I'm wrong I can take a beating.

 

[merryman]

Believe it about hooking up the last ground to a point away from the battery!!

Way back in high school, a friend made the last connection to the ground post on the battery and it produced a spark and blew the battery up in his face. He lost an eye and carried some nasty scars the rest of his life.



Vaughn

 

[GerryDrake]

I've always subscribed to the practice of the last connected and first disconnected is the negative on the 'charging' vehicle, at the alternator bracket or other place away from the battery. I also want to do ALL the connections myself, so I know nothing is crossed.

 

[Dieselnut59]

I like my "fleet" jumper cables. I have a plug with indicator lights (that are red for improper connection and green for proper connection) on the cable end and a plug wired to my truck battery on the other end. The plugs are the type we use on electric forklifts and pallet jacks. To use, pop hood of "dead" vehicle and connect clamps to posts of "dead" battery, then plug cables together at the above mentioned plugs. Any "spark" that may occur is at the plug and well away from the batteries. I have this setup on my 1996 and on two of my work trucks. It also works just as well for "reverse" jumping when your own truck is dead. The system is the safest available because you always have a superior connection on your own batteries, you eliminate the spark/explosion risk, you have the fool proof indicator lights (optional) and you don't have to raise the hood to make the final connection... . A nice feature if your truck happens to be the "dead" one and you are (God forbid) having to be jumped off by a ferd... it looks like his/her truck is the "dead" one to people passing by because of the raised hood!

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Dieselnut59 I like the connector idea.



I use the male and female ends for welding cable to hook up my winch which is at the rear end of the truck. The connectors would work for jumper cables too.

 

[tbrudder]

Thought I'd bring this up again--how do you guys jump people off?



--Connect while engine running?



--Connect, start engine, start dead vehicle?



--Connect, start dead vehicle with your engine off, disconnect?



I've wondered about this since I heard of people blowing out ECMs/PCMs (not necessarily on our CTDs) jumping people off. I believe it was due to the massive load placed on the charging system overloading the voltage regulation and letting the smoke out (the magic electrical smoke that all those little parts have inside, not smoke smoke). The owner's manual doesn't help--it just tells how to jump your vehicle from a booster battery.



Seems to me that the safest way would be to do it with your engine off (then maybe start your engine), and crank the other guy. This is just a guess, though, and contrary to how I always did it in the past (leave my engine running). Only bad part I can think of is if the other guy's battery(-ies) is really dead, it might kill yours before you can get it started again. Then you have three or four dead batteries, and that's not good at all...



--Ty