2009 Jump Start Issue

[Valo_Soul]

Hi everybody, my 2009 tech was unable to start today in the cold here in Nova Scotia. I may have to replace the battery at this point, but I was able to get it going with a jumpstart from a friends truck. The thing is, I could NOT get the positive terminal of the jumper cable on my battery. It’s in the trunk, as I’m sure you all know. There’s some sort of plastic shroud and other connectors surrounding it. Am I missing something here? Does the entire thing have to be removed to properly boost it?

We had to use a second set of cables which had extremely narrow ends on them, which were able to poke in to the crevice just enough to clamp on.

I am considering one of those portable booster packs from GOOLOO on amazon, but I’m concerned the clamps will be too wide as well.

 

[homeofstone]

AS I recall there are jump connections in the engine compartment. Its in the manual and videos are online.

 

[Valo_Soul]

AS I recall there are jump connections in the engine compartment. Its in the manual and videos are online.

really? I feel silly haha.

 

[Bill K]

It's safer that way....If you leave the jumper cables hooked up for a half hour or so, the battery starts generating Hydrogen gas. If you pull the jumper cables off the wrong way, you can get a spark. Hydrogen and sparks do not like each other.
If you have to jump it from the trunk, remove the jumper cables from the car with the good battery first.
PS. How old is your battery?

 

[Valo_Soul]

It's safer that way....If you leave the jumper cables hooked up for a half hour or so, the battery starts generating Hydrogen gas. If you pull the jumper cables off the wrong way, you can get a spark. Hydrogen and sparks do not like each other.
If you have to jump it from the trunk, remove the jumper cables from the car with the good battery first.
PS. How old is your battery?

Excellent point. So safer to jump it from the front terminals under the hood. I didn’t even realize they were there.

The battery is at least 5 years old.

 

[Bill K]

Sometimes you can't get at the front of a car because it's parked in a garage. Then you are forced to jump battery to battery.
I've had batteries explode twice. Once it was on a 120V charger and I took the jumpers off before I unplugged it. The other time I left it on hi-charge for two hours, with a 120V charger. From inside my house, I heard a bang. When I opened the garage door, I saw battery acid dripping on the garage floor. The battery case broke. I probably should have left the hood open, along with the garage door, to provide ventilation, so that the hydrogen gas didn't build up.

 

[edizzle89]

The other time I left it on hi-charge for two hours, with a 120V charger. From inside my house, I heard a bang. When I opened the garage door, I saw battery acid dripping on the garage floor. The battery case broke. I probably should have left the hood open, along with the garage door, to provide ventilation, so that the hydrogen gas didn't build up.

leaving a battery on high charge for 2 hours was probably your biggest issue.