Adventure Bike Rider Forum

Mike54 wrote:DO NOT have the vehicle running if the car battery is actually in a car. Engine must be off.

Why not? Over voltage?

Spike941 wrote:
Used my Harley to start the wife's Mini. Caused £1,300 to the wife's Mini. The Harley was fine. I put it down to jet lag having just suffered 2 back to back 12 hour flights. Not clever.

What happened and why ?

Mike54 wrote:DO NOT have the vehicle running if the car battery is actually in a car. Engine must be off.

Thnx for advice Mike. (thumbs) . Knowing the numpty I am I would've started the car first. Like Been says I wud be interested as too why aswell.

also dont do the same if you run a generator in a plug socket at home during a power cut and the power comes back on without an auto change over, not good

steve

Old Git Ray wrote:

Spike941 wrote:
Used my Harley to start the wife's Mini. Caused £1,300 to the wife's Mini. The Harley was fine. I put it down to jet lag having just suffered 2 back to back 12 hour flights. Not clever.

What happened and why ?

The Misses and I had been away for 10 or 11 weeks, and upon our return the battery had gone totally flat on her Mini. I'd cleverly parked it close to the house, exiting via the passenger door before activating the central locking. The battery was so flat it wouldn't deactivate the central locking, and the key only operates the drivers door, which was up against the wall. Couldn't get into the car. Managed to get a wire around the bonnet release and pop the hood. Needed power to activate the central locking to open the passenger door and enter the car. Car was up against the garage where the Harley was, so ideally place to contact the two batteries. Jump leads right way round on the Mini, wrong way round on the Harley. (Don't ask) Within a second or two, a strong smell of burning and various things under the bonnet started smoking. Immediately disconnected the leads but the damage was done. Mini recovered to the BMW dealer and several bits replaced. Could have been a lot worse I'm told.

ollydog wrote:also dont do the same if you run a generator in a plug socket at home during a power cut and the power comes back on without an auto change over, not good

steve

No shit!! Absolute first order of things not to do.... :dry: Your local power company will be breathing down your neck big time, and not a surprise really!!

If you feed in to a house, use a change over switch and do it safely. If it is an emergency, then isolate your supply at the Consumer unit/Fuse box at the very least. Far safer to isolate the appliance and run it from the genny.