I've posted about this before. My 2002 LW had a dead battery when I arrived at the Calgary International Airport to pick it up. The lot, run by Budget Rent a Car system, provided me with a boost. The operator assured me that he knew what he was doing, even though we questioned him when he put the cables on the negative battery terminal. His cables were internally damaged as well, and arced a bit as he worked. The upshot? One burned out airbag control computer -- $ 642.00. One other computer that needed to be "reflashed" - $ 48.00, and $ 100.00 or more in labour charges. Of course, the lot accepts no responsibility, saying that their truck was clearly marked "Boosts at owner's risk" - which it didn't say, although I'm sure it does now. My advice? Don't let a parking lot boost truck near your car. Stick to the AAA (CAA here). Find a car rental company with better corporate morals than Budget while you are at it. And avoid the "Park and Jet" lots like the plague. An expensive lesson to be sure.
Bummer! Were the cables appied backwards or just the sparking that caused a fault? For what it's worth... I always connect the negative to the engine block or frame rather than to the battery. Far better chance of not getting the cables reversed. The other thing to keep in mind is that a deeply discharged battery has a high impedance. When boosting from a higher voltage source (I've seen 12V batteries boosted from 24V truck systems...I wouldn't recommend it but it has been done) the discharged battery will not 'ballast' the voltage. Result is that some of the sensitive electronics can get fried. I read 'boosting' and immediately thought shoplifting. My folks had a retail clothing store and this time of year shoplifting, or boosting as it was referred to, was at a peak. Happy Holidays, Oppie
I think you've hit the nail on the head. The battery was very dead (internal fault, it turned out). I have no idea what voltage the boosting truck used -- but my mechanic thought that if he was running his vehicle (he was) there would be a surge when my car started -- both alternators working together. The problem isn't the way it was done, but the way I was treated. I got a bill for almost a thousand dollars, and Budget wipes their hands of it. Seems unfair to me. Dave
My SWAG is that you started the car too quick. I always keep the boosted cables on (from a 12 volt battery only) foe a minute to put enough charge into the battery to start the engine, rather than starting from the booster cables. I also keep the booster cables on for a minute afterward because the weak battery might have high impedance and allow a voltage surge, which is moderated by the booster cables. YMMV
In a similar day from hell at the airport parking lot... I had left the headlights on dashing to make a commuter filight. When I returned (there had been a big weather front and the whole east coast air traffic was *greatly* delayed) the battery was dead. With a cheesy pair of jumper cables, it took 10 minutes for the battery to even think of cranking. I thanked the nice couple that had been similarly delayed for giving me the jump when they wanted was to get some sleep.
What do you think about those portable units with the battery used to jumpstart? (just curious) I helped out a couple of times with my SL2 and I swear soon after I needed a new battery - probably coincidence.
I love mine. We have 2 at work used to jump the vans, since they tend to sit around all week. Keep them charged, and they work wonders. Faster and easier than cables.
I use those little solar panels from harbor freight in my cars that sit around. They "seem" to keep the batteries from getting drained and putting a load on the alternators.
