Bongo Fury

Hello all and Happy New Year. Ive got a 2000 4WD 2.5 diesel with the North Japan twin battery set up. If i needed to jump start another vehicle which battery would i use? Also is it worth junking the twin system for a single battery? Thanks in advance.

As far as I know, with the original twin battery setup they're wired in parallel so it doesn't matter which one you connect your leads to. Most people retain the battery on the driver's side as the starter battery and fit a leisure battery on the other side via a split-charge relay - Willinton or similar

Thats great thanks. And for the prompt reply!

they are in parallel, if you want an (easy) start just hook up to one battery, if the motor to be started is large hook up from the pos of the driverside bat and the neg of the nearside bat, this will give you more cranking time but still 12 v.

before attempting to start a flat bat on another vehicle switch your headlights on and maybe the heater blower/s, this will stop you ruining YOUR alternator when the demand suddenly increases on your alternator via the other vehicle.

Northern Bongolow wrote:
before attempting to start a flat bat on another vehicle switch your headlights on and maybe the heater blower/s, this will stop you ruining YOUR alternator when the demand suddenly increases on your alternator via the other vehicle.

I would never crank a dud car while the donor car had its engine running.

My preference is: Make sure the donor car starts. Connect the jump leads to the recipient and charge it for a few minutes from the donor. Unclip one lead and see if the recipient then starts. If not, charge both a little more, then switch off the donor's engine and try again wth the leads in place (if it still doesn't work, the leads/croc clips may not be man enough).

Once started, let the recipient run, charging the donor as well for a short while. Then remove leads completely, leaving the newly started car running ready to be driven and given a good charge.

I don't think any alternator should ever be given a cranking load to look at, which could happen if it is running at the time you start the other car.

The other way I often do it is charge up a third battery from the good car and then carry it and jump that to the recipient. Probably the safest for the donor's circuitry.


Frank

Sound advice Frank - and a big WARNING don't connect both leads to the dead battery, connect the earth to a good earth point on the engine.

If you disconnect the lead from the charging battery there's a good possibiIlty of the spark from disconnecting the lead igniting the gasses from the charging battery and blowing the battery to smithereens - I'VE SEEN IT!

All manufacturer's owners manuals show the jump start procedure the way I've mentioned it.