Just curious.One of my other cars wouldnt start today, and needed a boost. I was going to do it, and then became afraid to use my tl to do it, because of all the advanced electronics on it.
So what I am asking, is that as long as you follow correct procedures, any harm in jump starting another vehicle with the tl?
Or vice versa, if the situation happens? LOL

Much regards Flatfoot

 

I have jumped my wife's Honda Pilot several times with my TL and no adverse effects. She seems to have a penchant for leaving the tailgate open...

 

It is not good to jump modern cars with lots of electronics in them. A sudden power surge could fry some expensive parts and warranty probably wouldn't pay for them.

If you are continually having a problem, get one of those jump starters with its own battery that you can recharge and use that instead.

 

some tips i've read online:

if it's not too drained, connect the cables as if you were going to jump it, start the car that has the good battery. wait a few minutes, then turn off engine, disconnect... try the dead car. some people also can do this without starting the engine on the good car at all...

 

This method also prevent a reverse current flowing to the cars supplying the charge when the car with the weak battery is started.

What happens is that since the alternator is sensing lower then normal voltage it will try to compensate and charge more which if the other car is supplying the boost is still connected, an inverse current could flow back to the alternator and fry the regulator.

This has been a very common occurance on GM Cars and after blowing 2 alternators doing boost, the guy who rebuilded my last alternator explained this to me.

Best regards

frenchnew

 

Ron, what are you basing that statement on?

 

This is one of those things that I cannot cite a reference to prove my point, and have nothing concrete, just things I have read over the years which were based on fact, and the fact that I worked at a car dealer for a long time and we were always told that.

Do you have any reason to doubt this and also to know that it will not harm one or both of the cars?

 

nope, but that's exactly how urban myths get started....

 

Using jumper cables to start a dead car can cause problems with either vehicle.
As with any process, if you don't know what your doing its better off not doing it. Cars/electrical systems of the past were definitely more resilient to "jumping" than today.

Zeezz's post/recommendation does mitigate many possible issues.