On Nov 12, 9:59 pm, "Don Young" wrote:
"Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" wrote in message

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"Dick Adams" wrote in message
...
"Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" wrote:

I took my jumper cables, connected my car battery negative,
then positive, then tractor positive. As soon as I took
the last negative lead and placed on a ground source on the
tractor, it sparked and produced a puff of smoke. I
immediately removed the cables and believe it or not, I
then tried to start the tractor, and it started.

You are damn lucky the battery did not explode.

Why? Did I do something wrong? I followed basic jump start procedure.
Is there something in the steps above I did wrong? I'd like to know for
future reference. By the way, the car was already on and running for a
few minutes before I hooked up the cables. You're supposed to do that,
not connect cables then start the car with the good battery.

By the way, 24 hours later, the tractor started right up.

You probably need to clean the battery terminals and the leads after
disconnecting them. When you get them shiny then bolt back together. Be
careful not to get a metal tool touching both terminals at once.

You are suppossed to make your last jumper cable connection with the
negative cable at the running vehicle, preferably at some heavy metal part
of the car. This is so you will not be near either battery in case something
goes wrong and a battery explodes. That is rare, but it can and does
sometimes happen. The dead battery is more likely to explode than the good
charged one. Exploding acid is not something you want to be near.

Don Young- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

This is so you will not be near either battery in case something
goes wrong and a battery explodes

I guess that depends on your definition of "near".

Most instructions say something like "Connect the other end of the
negative cable to metal on the engine block on the car with the dead
battery."

You really can't get to far away from either battery when connecting
that last clip. I don't know how far an exploding battery spews acid
and shrapnel, but I'm guessing the difference from being right next to
the battery vs. a few feet away is minimal. Best case is that you
won't be directly facing the exploding battery, which will at least
prevent a direct hit to your mug. It's still gonna hurt like hell.

I believe the reason you don't connect the last clip to the battery is
to move the sparks away from the battery thus preventing the explosion
in the first place.