Jump starting question

[ncdogdoc]

I have been letting my baby rest after getting her nose repainted from the incident with the "bad" SUV. First sunny and warm day in the last 4 weeks and the car will not turn over. No problem, I think, I have two of those jump start portable batteries! Hook them both up (one after the other) to the special terminal on the fuse box, and nothing! In desperation, I hook one up to the battery itself. Cranks first try! Did I do something wrong, or am I better off just using the tried and true method. I know the portables are powerful enough, they will turn over my V-8 Lexus. Any thoughts?

[This message has been edited by ncdogdoc (edited 13 January 2002).]

 

[nsx4fun]

I haven't had to play with my fusebox, so what special terminal are you talking about. Unless there is a very large wire (battery cable size) going to the fusebox, the only thing I can think a special terminal on the fusebox would be good for is low amperage charging of the battery. For jump starting your car, you don't want to connect to anything except something the size of the battery cables. Like on the battery itself or on the battery side of the solenoid for the starter. Trying to start a car with current running through smaller wires is a guaranteed way to melt the insulation off a small wire, maybe start a fire, and possibly ruin a wiring harness. The voltage drop on a small wire would probably keep it from cranking the engine and if you didn't smell any smoke and only turned the key for a very short time, you might be lucky and not have caused any major damage.

Fritz

 

[NSXLNT]

page 190 of my '93 owner's manual describes the process for jump-starting the NSX using a terminal in the engine compartment fuse box

 

[Lud]

The proper way to jump the car is through the terminal in the engine compartment fusebox. No need for speculation, it's right in the owners manual. I have done it several times and it works as effectively as jumping to the battery, though I've only jumped from another battery.

If you got nothing at all when doing that, the first thing I'd do is double check your connections. What were you using as ground?

[This message has been edited by Lud (edited 14 January 2002).]

 

[bobyang]

So i've had some problems jumpstarting my NSX as well. (there is a thread in this forum somewhere...) but basically, you use the special terminal in the fuse box for + and something metal (e.g. the throttle body) for -.

If your battery is really drained, when you try to start the car at this point, you hear rapid clicking from the starter, but no turning over. You have to wait (up to 30 minutes) for the dead battery to build up some charge.

 

[ncdogdoc]

Thanks for replies. The rapid clicking I think is really from the voltage regulator, which means it is not getting enough juice to guess which is better, battery or alternator. Lud, I checked my connections, even tried to make sure the clamps were touching the bare copper from the BIG wires attaching to the jump start terminal, but still no luck. I connected ground to 5 or 6 different places. Always been a little nervous about attaching to throttle body or any thing else with a gas line due to occasional sparking.

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Gary Yates
1995 Red/Tan

 

[NSXLNT]

The instructions in the manual specify connecting the negative booster cable "to the boss on the intake manifold, as shown.DO NOT connect this jumper cable to any other part of the engine".

 

[bobyang]

Originally posted by NSXLNT:
The instructions in the manual specify connecting the negative booster cable "to the boss on the intake manifold, as shown.DO NOT connect this jumper cable to any other part of the engine".

okay, thats what I get for not having a manual. Thanks.

 

[nsx_in_lighthouse_pt]

what about bump starting an nsx...in 2nd gear or reverse? does that bother them at all?

 

[nsxtasy]

That could "bother" the finish on the bumper...

 

[ScienceofSpeed]

My race battery can only be drained by directly connecting the positive jump cable to the battery and the negative to a ground point when completely drained. The factory jump start location does not work if it is completely drained. Basch explained this to me before why this is, but it's been awhile, and I don't remember. I think it had something to do with the go-fast elves that inhabit my car ;-)

-- Chris

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http://www.NSXClassifieds.com - free NSX classifieds site!

 

[Larry Bastanza]

The clicking is the selinoid of the starter motor. If there is not enough current, the selinoid cannot fully engage, therefore the clicking, instead of the actual turning of the starter motor. The selinoid's job is the engage the "starter gear" within the starter motor to the flywheel.

I think that the lack of "jump start" is definately a grounding problem. Sometimes it is hard to get a good ground connection, especially with jumper cables. Usually if it is a "weak" connection, you will get a little sparking at the weak connection when you turn the key to "start".

HTH,
LarryB