# Jump starting a car **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 23, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car/551166 "2010-08-23T16:10:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car/551166/21 "2010-08-23T20:19:26Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > I need new glasses. Or a new cat. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car/551166/22 "2010-08-23T20:38:32Z")
It can be difficult to find a good path to ground around the engine of modern cars. Something attached directly to the engine block should be good. Many jumper packs can barely start a car, so a poor connection to ground won’t help. And I assume the OP grounded the black cable to the car, not the earth, which is isolated. I’ve seen many more cases of jumper packs and cables needing to be put on the battery terminals, than exploding batteries (0 for explosions). It might help to have manufacturers include jumping points away from the battery. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car/551166/23 "2010-08-23T20:49:16Z")
Second hand info: Battery can’t hurt you, no nuff voltage. So nicks each hand so blood is there. Grabbed a good 6 volt battery. Went to his funeral. Volts only matter if current can flow. Let’s all be careful out there now… ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car/551166/24 "2010-08-23T21:03:02Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > Second hand info: > … > So nicks each hand so blood is there. > > Grabbed a good 6 volt battery. > > Went to his funeral. Ouch. [Bloodrocuted](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29zHVUqkyjo). ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car/551166/25 "2010-08-24T03:44:15Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > > [@Tranquilis](#): > > > > I’ve been in that circuit. It _hurt_. > > I’d like to know the exact circumstances of that as well. I’ve grabbed the positive and negative terminals of a car battery simultaneously to prove to someone that the voltage is too low to shock you. Generally you need about 50 volts or so to overcome the skin’s insulating properties. One of the mechanics had hooked a set of cables up to a spare battery, and snapped the clamps onto my hand whilst I was under a hood. Hurt like a bitch - And I don’t just mean the clamps. Now that you mention it, though, yeah, the clamps drew blood. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car/551166/26 "2010-08-24T03:50:14Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > > [@johnpost](#): > > > > 12 volts is not enough to travel through intact skin so he would not get a shock. no current would flow over skin either so nothing would happen. yes you might get current if he had conductive goo on his skin and the wires a millimeter apart but not enough likely to start the auto. > > > [@Tranquilis](#): > > > > No. > > > > I’ve been in that circuit. It _hurt_. > > what was your circumstance? In my case it was someone who didn’t understand the words RED is POSITIVE. the single arc that ensued evaporated a marble size piece of the terminal. ---
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car/551166/27 "2010-08-24T04:11:02Z")
Thanks for the replies. Fortunately my friend isn’t the malicious sort and gave me good advice this morning. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jump-starting-a-car/551166.md?page=1)