Are you willing to jump start a stranger's vehicle?

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I know I sound like a D-bag, but no. I'm afraid of a possible explosion from hydrogen gas released by batteries. You also hear about some modern cars frying something after a jump start. The odds of these things happening are very low but I don't want the liability. Luckily, nobody's ever asked me for a jump and if I ever need one, I have AAA.
 
No. Cars have so much electronics nowadays, I'm not taking the chance. Will give them a ride though if that'll help. Been thinking of buying one of those stand alone jumper devices and keeping it in the car. I'd could use that with confidence, seems most work pretty well.
 
depends how young she is....
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I'd say "depends".

condition (1 ) if the vehicle is older/way older (early 2000s ODB-2 type and older), w/o too much bells and whistles to begin with, and granted that all they ever need is just a quick "boost" on their weak battery, then yeah, 15 mins and then try turning over the engine.

condition (2 ) if it's around 2008 or younger, or with lots of electronic gadgetry (fancy euro cars), then the answer is a blunt "no".

carb'ed engined cars ok.

I don't want any blame/liability on me.

Q.
 
I carry one of those little lithium jump packs in one of my cars, and a standard lead acid battery jump pack in another. I haven't carried cables for several years. As long as the person doesn't look too shady, I'll walk over with the jump pack and help out. That little lithium one is usually a good conversation piece as no one thinks it's big enough to start their car - it always does, much to their amusement (heck, even I'm impressed!)
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Back when cars had metal bumpers, I could bump bumpers, take my bumper jack, and use it from hot to hot to jump a car off. Had to do it a few times because I did not have jumper cables.

Yes, I have been known to lend a helping hand to a person that is stranded. Nowadays, I am a more wary about helping others because I don't like being cracked in the back of the head.
 
I rented a POS Jeep and was travelling down the forestry road south of Nordegg, Alberta. This was real wilderness. The battery crapped out and some good-ole yahoos boosted me with their side by side. Was very grateful. Of course we're not talking about outside the LA bus station here.

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Originally Posted by Squirrelee
I carry one of those little lithium jump packs in one of my cars, and a standard lead acid battery jump pack in another. I haven't carried cables for several years. As long as the person doesn't look too shady, I'll walk over with the jump pack and help out. That little lithium one is usually a good conversation piece as no one thinks it's big enough to start their car - it always does, much to their amusement (heck, even I'm impressed!)
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This
 
Originally Posted by BigD1
Back when cars had metal bumpers, I could bump bumpers, take my bumper jack, and use it from hot to hot to jump a car off. Had to do it a few times because I did not have jumper cables.


Wow, never heard if doing that.
 
Originally Posted by ZZman
Originally Posted by BigD1
Back when cars had metal bumpers, I could bump bumpers, take my bumper jack, and use it from hot to hot to jump a car off. Had to do it a few times because I did not have jumper cables.


Wow, never heard if doing that.


+1 - me either. (My Dad did use a bumper jack to break the bead of a tire a few times however).
 
Originally Posted by mclasser
I know I sound like a D-bag, but no. I'm afraid of a possible explosion from hydrogen gas released by batteries. You also hear about some modern cars frying something after a jump start. The odds of these things happening are very low but I don't want the liability. Luckily, nobody's ever asked me for a jump and if I ever need one, I have AAA.


Seriously a hydrogen explosion, would never happen in open air setting, you would have to be in a pretty small enclosed confined space for even enough hydrogen vapour to cause a explosion lol.
 
Originally Posted by double vanos
No. Cars have so much electronics nowadays, I'm not taking the chance........

Me neither. It's not worth the risk. I would do it with my older truck. But not with either of my newer vehicles.
 
Yes. If you're concerned about hydrogen gas make sure to follow the practice of connecting the negative jumper cable to part of the body or engine that isn't right next to the battery on their vehicle.
 
I have jumped started vehicles for complete strangers a few times. I always have the engine off on my vehicle when the other vehicle is cranked. Back in the 70's the alternator on the good vehicle would sometimes put out too much current if you ran the engine of the good vehicle while the bad vehicle cranked. That usually damaged one or more of the diodes in the good vehicles alternator. Often the diode would fail by becoming leaky. When this happened the good vehicle would have too large of a drain of the battery when the engine was not running, and if that vehicle sat unused for a couple of days the battery would completely discharge. I saw that happen a couple of times.

Now days many alternators use pulse with modulation that usually will not put out too much current, and therefore will not damage the diodes even if you do run the good vehicle while the bad vehicle cranks. But it is still not worth taking the chance.

If the bad vehicle has a completely dead battery and the good vehicle without the engine running will not turn over the bad one, I get all the sets of keys for the bad vehicle in my pocket before I will run my good vehicle with the bad vehicle connected. This charges the battery of the bad vehicle. I do that for 15 minutes to charge the bad vehicle enough. Then I turn off my good vehicle and give them back their keys so they can start it.

BTW, back in the 70's one day I was sick and stayed home from College and saw another Electrical Engineering student try to jump start his pickup truck with another vehicle. As soon as he connected the second lead to his battery the battery exploded and acid flew everywhere. This was in a community of houses all for college students. He ran into his house and got under the shower. I saw him a few days later and he said that he had connected the polarity correctly, but at the battery and the bad battery still blew up. That is why you always make the final connection to a frame ground as far from the battery as possible.
 
It depends. At the grocery store I usually will. Especially if it's someone's grandma. No if it's a couple of tweekers on the side of the road. Usually their alternator is bad and a quick jump won't get em going again.
 
Have many times, and other things - have always pulled folks out at the beach for free. Couple years ago I found two guys that had been fishing off the bank and managed to not just get stuck but have a flat tire too. (they had grabbed an old washed up pier board trying to get free, and did not see it had a nail).
Armed with a plugging kit, compressor, nylon snatch line, all done in a half hour.
The most difficult part was when one of the guys hugged me, LoL.
 
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