new 70 series cruiser problem

No you just need to connect the negative to a metal earth contact OTHER than the battery on the car with the flat battery. Most anti zappers will only tell you if you have incorrectly connected them and the leads I've seen with anti zapper devices in them have been thin poxy things anyway, not like my old truck leads that I think were made out of welding cable.

But anyway, I've jump started heaps and heaps of cars with ECU's (including my diesel surf) both with direct battery contection (old school) and by doing it to some other earth and never had a drama....

I would be suprised if they were that sensitive, perhaps just a once off. But when you're jumping cars it's good practice to earth the black lead on the car with the flat battery to a metal part on the motor, say the hook that you use to crane it out or similar. It just becomes habbit after a while, I've been doing that for the last 10 years!

Connection to the engine block is not to prevent zapping the computer. It's to reduce the chances of a battery exploding. It doesn't matter where you make the second earth connection (I use the wheel nuts) as long as it's away from the battery. The final connection can be on either vehicle. The procedure is thus- 1.Connect positive to positive.
2.Connect one clamp to negative battery terminal on onne vehicle and complete the circuit by clamping to an earth point well away from the battery of the second vehicle.
It's the final connection only that produces sparks. The sparks pose a risk as batteries produce hydrogen which is a very flammable gas - remember the Hindenberg disaster?

Yes I understand it helps prevent explossion (not that I've ever seen or heard of such a thing while jump starting, but I guess it's possible).

The RAC magazine stated that this was how to jump start a car with a computer as well, have been doing it ever since, never blown a computer. I jump started two cars just last week and mines got an ECU for the engine, a computer for the gearbox and a computer for the 4wd system. But I've jump started a tonne of petrol ECU vehicles in the past without issue as well.

Last week I jumped a 4.2 patrol and a diesel hilux, I've also recently jumped a feroza (EFI 16 valve motor with an ECU) and mine has an ECU.

Its a government troopie, so if there was ever a manual with it, it has already been used to start a fire, or thrown out the window to reduce weight etc...

As for getting it fixed, again, since its a government car, warranty is never an issue - if only everyone had such a good relationship with the manufactorers

I agree. Thats the way Mr Toyota usually has it set up. The Link will go first.

tg

now that is the only logical answer I have heard so far to not directly connecting to the battery. Hydrogen gas! I dont think so, and as for the other stuff its all nonsense, but its very true that many cars connections are loose so you could potentially have power cutting in and out a lot, also the battery could be dead because its not charging properly (loose) so in the case of a dead battery the probability that a connection is loose is much higher.

Reason to use the block for the earth is so that you don't blow your head off with a hydrogen explosion. Hydrogen is not just flammable, its explosive, and its given off from lead acid batteries. Its pretty easy to get a spark on a battery terminal when connecting or disconnecting a jumper lead. Do a google on "car battery explosion" if you want to know more.

yeah I know about hydrogen and batteries, I once put 25 amps through 3 massive batteries over over a weekend and filled a whole factory full of hydrogen gas, on monday morning we had to sneak around carefully (no sparks) opening doors to allow the gas to escape. The point is, I have noticed that although batteries do give off H gas it does take time and the short time it takes to spark a battery is not enough, also its the lightest element and tends to escape very rapidly. I know batts can explode but they would have already had a build up of hydrogen inside and the build up would not because of you sparking the terminal. This raises the next point of course that its still a safe practice, as I only disagree with the part about making H gas on the spot, not the part about it exploding batts.

F4 it doesnt make hydrogen in the instant you jump start the vehicle the gas is in the air gap above the electrolyte!

Argue as much as you like with people that know better but they are imparting knowledge for your safety.

When you connect the LAST connection before jumpstarting a veh...the Earth on the flat vehicle that is when the good battery immediatly starts to supply the flat battery with power and that connection WILL spark as you connect.

So instead of connecting at the earth post on the battery and having the spark ignite the gas at the little breathers and turn your battery into a hyrogen bomb with molten lead and acid exploding into your face....connect it on the block, lifting point on engine anywhere close to starter motor and you will be safe.

Hey but if you know better then argue and do it your way and we will hear about it one day on this forum anyway!

All the best
Matt.

My last post is kind of thoughts out loud, and you can see I concluded myself what you are saying, as initially my understanding of the question was that H is made on the spot, I then realised we are talking about residual H gas. So from this point of view I was not actually arguing with what you are saying right now.

I know a bloke who was severly injured many years ago, when he made a spark over 2 massive batteries on a drilling rig and they exploded, which has made me consious of it ever since.

Pesty