[mattz280]

Well, the one thing all we Z'ers hate happened to me today. I go into my garage and get into the Z, asking nothing more than a pleasant joyride on a cool Friday afternoon. I turn the key....Nothing. Well actually, the key didn't turn because my moronic uncle left the ignition on and pulled the key out when he drove it last weekend. The Voltage meter said 0. I was like "oh great". I didn't know if the ignition was #$cked or not. So I hook jumper cables up to my dads A6 VERY CAREFULLY. If I fried his Audi I would have more to worry about then a Z with a dead battery. I hook everything up, the voltage meter says 12 and when I turn the key: "wrr wrr click wrr wrr click"........."S&^T!!!"

So I sand off the jumper cables and hook it up....."wrr wrr click wrr wrr click" As a final desparate act, I turn on the Audi (I wasn't sure if I wanted it running in case I fry something due to sudden drop in the voltage")..."wrr wrrwrrwrrrumbarumba brum brum brum brum VROOM prrrrrrrrrrrr...." YES VICTORY!!

Anyway, I know that this is nothing to you guys who do everything on your own car (I wish I had the knowledge/experience), but it made me really happy that my baby was OK. So I took it around the block a few times to charge the battery with the new high amp alternator. Some chicks stopped on the side of the road to look at the Z and I could see them watching until I went around the corner in my rearview. Nothing looks like a Z with dark, shiny paint at night. Ahhh, I love the Z.

Anyway, I think "fixing" the car gave me an endorphin rush as I feel so good. Its Friday night, I'm happy, my Z's happy.....what more could a man want?

 

[yo2001]

been there. one time I left the key on position over night. next day. nothing. So stupidly I pushed the car out of the garage and try to jump the car with a dead battery. I live on top the hil, so I coast the car and slowly pop the clutch in 2nd. the engine turned but no fire. Whhen I got bottom of the hill, I called my G/F to come and jump my car.

 

[ConorP]

Why an alternator is not a generator:

An alternator uses power from the battery to energize the field coils thus creating a magnetic field which the rotor spins inside of and creates lots of power. Without the field coils energized then nothing happens.

With a generator there are permenent magnets that create the magnet field that the rotor spins inside of. These are not as effecient and have the same load on the engine weather you use the generated power or not. Most "generators" in the automotive sense are actually a combination and have a small PM generator that then feeds an alternator all in one unit (usually quite long).

...enough rambling for now.

ConorP

When using jumper cables you should allow several minutes for the good battery to charge the dead battery. The cables and clips can't handle the 200-300 amps required to start the dead car, so instead allow time for the battery to recharge before attempting to re-start. This also places less stress on donors car.

 

[PauliZ]

Be careful when jump starting a car. Voltage spikes can damage your electrical system. I was watching the Z therapy fuel ingection video again last night and this was mentioned as a precaution especially for FI engines. If you must do it, connect your negative jumper cable to a metal chassis ground and not the negative battery post. It will be safer on the electronics.
just passing on some info.

 

[yo2001]

always positive terminal first too. DC flows backward.

 

[ian240z]

Good points all round, but further to PauliZ post, the battery can harbour explosive gasses which could ignite if you connect your negative to the battery. As yo2001 says, always connect your positive first, then as PaliZ says connect the negative to the engine/chassis.

Start safe & drive safe!

Ian