OK, just got back from Rome and my car battery's flat. What's the correct method for starting her up using jump leads?

Stefan

 

Red to red, black to black. Start up the other car and then start the car that requires the jump..

 

Put both leads on the flat battery, then the positive (red) onto the charging car, then the negative (black), waggle them about a bit to get a good contact

Good luck!

 

When you attach the black lead to the second car, ie the last of the four connections, some people recommend attaching it to a big earth point rather than the batery negative. Makes sense because this is the connection that will spark as you attach it (as it's the last one that makes the circuit) if any do. If you can make this sparking connection away from the potential source of hydrogen, ie the battery, than that can only be a good thing. Big earth could be engine mount, or any other bare metal big lump of earth.

Personally I never bother I just attach the four leads to the two batteries in any old order and never had a problem.... touch wood...

 

only a problem when the battery is quite old and has been on trickle charge,must turn the charger off first.In 20 years of engine related engineering only seen 1 battery blow up on an old fork truck!plastic,acid,flames not very nice.