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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Tried to jump start, burnt something
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Message started by Hammy211 on 12/15/05 at 00:05:40

Title: Tried to jump start, burnt something
Post by Hammy211 on 12/15/05 at 00:05:40

Any idea what damage I may have done here. I decided I might run the Savage for a bit today since I had not go around to winterizing and all I got was clicking from the starter. I had no problems with it before, so I assumed it was the battery. I'd always thought not to jump start a bike with a car, but people I know say they have done it, and a post here said it was OK so long as the car was off. So I tried to jump start the bike. I had a large pop as I attached the neg to the frame. Quickly tried to start the bike with no results. Went to unhook the cables within 5 sec and it was smoking. Smoked for about a minute after removal. Lights still worked and everything. Did I hook up the cables wrong? I just assumed that the exposed terminal was my positive, but I guess it is black cable in which case I would have hooked it to that and the frame. Was that the problem, or jumping from the car the problem? That smoke didn't look good. Is there something I need to look at to replace?

Title: Re: Tried to jump start, burnt something
Post by SavagePielk on 12/15/05 at 00:56:32

check your ignition, but it's not likely you killed any components. The + wire is the wire on the right side of your bike, when sitting (the correct way round ;)) on your Savage. Good luck!

Title: Re: Tried to jump start, burnt something
Post by jimbrough on 12/15/05 at 01:40:14

SavageP is right on and good luck, Hammy! I've mixed em up on skidoos before in the dark and they were always okay.

Remember when TV's used to catch fire all the time? Maybe it was just our old electrohome but i can still remember lying in front of it, watching a war movie, in 1966. The Americans dropped a bomb in the movie and some real smoke came up the back out of the TV! Maybe that was a precursor to Hollywood special fx?? ;)

Title: Re: Tried to jump start, burnt something
Post by Hammy211 on 12/15/05 at 02:57:51

jimbrough wrote:

Now your showing your age :) I was watching He-man on a 27" when I was a kid.

Thanks for the tips. The positive doesn't seem obviously accesable from the quick peek I just took. I have the seat off. Do I need to take something else apart to get to it? I will try again tomorrow with the car.

Title: Re: Tried to jump start, burnt something
Post by Reelthing on 12/15/05 at 05:02:47

makes it a little easier to reach if you pull off the toolbox cover - but still not an easy thing to do with full size jumper cables - i use a small clamp and wire as a pigtail
the clamp is a bit under 1/2" wide and the positive here and neg to the frame/engine - after you hook this up correctly just let it sit that way with the car turned off for a few minutes, say like 20 , to wake up the bike battery - odds are you smoked the ground cable - maybe more serious but I doubt it.

Title: Re: Tried to jump start, burnt something
Post by Digger on 12/15/05 at 08:20:38

For future reference:

For negatively ground electrical systems, the positive terminal is the "hot" terminal. It will GENERALLY be covered, since it will throw a spark if it contacts the frame. The negative terminal can contact the frame with impunity.

Title: Re: Tried to jump start, burnt something
Post by slavy on 12/15/05 at 08:29:00

It is hard to give You a definite answer, but I think You hooked the cables wrong. The positive terminal is in the right side. I think, You fried the insulation ofthe negative cable, that attaches the battery to the engine /not such a big deal/.
You will have to replace it eventually.
Now the most important part - make Your future life easier.
When You get to the "+" terminal of the battery, attach 1' piece of 8 or 10 gauge red wire to the terminal, route it , so the free end is easily accessIble and put a cap on it. This end will be used for future charging or jump-starting of the bike. There is nothing wrong in using a car to jump-start a bike if you hook the cables correctly.

Title: Re: Tried to jump start, burnt something
Post by Max_Morley on 12/15/05 at 08:52:25

When I have had occasion to jump mine, I use a long phillips screwdriver that I have slid a piece of plastic hose over to insulate the shank. I can then attach the + booster pac clamp to the shank under the handle and press the tip of the SD onto the + terminal after pushing aside the insulating boot. The negative clamps anywhere so if it sparks it won't burn the chrome. It help to have someone extra there to hold the clutch handle in so you can push the start button and hold the SD on the + terminal. Best way would be to have a hard wired extension on the battery with a insulated cover or at least insulated + terminal, Wires would have to be larger in diameter (smaller # in gage size) to prevent them being a resistance to a good jump. Max

Title: Re: Tried to jump start, burnt something
Post by Dragon King on 12/15/05 at 11:55:38

for just a couple bucks you could pick up a small battery charger and charge the battery that way, it has the perfect size clamps to fit the battery. works great 8)

Title: Re: Tried to jump start, burnt something
Post by Ed_L. on 12/15/05 at 15:26:10

Suzuki didn't make it easy to get to the positive terminal on the battery, a lot of people hook up a insulated pigtail to it. To really confuse people they also have a black wire running to the positive terminal on the starter motor, at least on my '02 they did. ???

Title: Re: Tried to jump start, burnt something
Post by diesel on 12/15/05 at 21:30:02

the loud pop when you connected the ground, could have been bike battery exploding. check top of bike battery b4 going jumping again. BTDT IN IHE DARK.