Hi, This is my first time using this and i hope you can help. Had to jumo start my focus 1.6 titanium 07 plate, Followed handbook instructions but when i was connecting the negative lead from the booster car to the top of surpension strut there was a spark. Then when I turned ignition key to start the alarm went of the dash board lights lit up then nothing, now it is toatally dead. I have checked all the fuese related to the ignition etc in bothe the engine and passeneger fues box and thay are all fine. Any ideas or will i need to tow it to a garage for diagnostics??? Thanks

 

Was the battery completely dead? have you made sure you have a good earth and connected to the right (not the wrong) terminal on the battery?

 

Sounds more like a short to me. Hopefully you haven't fried the ECU, I would try disconnecting the battery earth for a few minutes and then reconnecting, ECU may just need it's memory clearing.

I not I suspect you may have damaged the ECU.

Martin

 

Something similar happen on the stoc forum last week. Turned out the spark had burnt the ground to the ecu out. He had to re earth the ecu and hey presto fired straight away.

 

We had a Focus in recently at work that someone had jump started,had wipers etc working but no start / no crank - lost comms to instrument cluster on the network test. Turned out to be a fried instrument cluster. Sent it away for repair but was unrepairable.

 

Not a good idea to jump start modern cars or bikes.
I would take the battery off and charge it and see if the disconnection time helps when you refit it.

 

I always push/bump start where possible (Not that I have ever needed to personally).

To the OP is the battery fully charged now?

Martin

 

It would tell you not to jump start the car if you shouldn't do it. There's only a very small majority that ever do any damage and it's normally down to human error. Pushing or bump starting the car is even worse as it can fil the cat with petrol and cause damage to it..

 

connect the jump leads and leave them on for a few mins the alarm is going off due to the battery being drained down that much at a guess

 

connect the booster the way you did, close door, lock car, unlock then try, sounds like you tripped the alarm/immob

 

were you using a propper booster pack or jumping it off another car? Did you turn lights and radio e.t.c on befor connecting the jump leads? as that helps to reduce voltage or amps spike..

 

I doubt it would exactly 'fill' it with fuel, I personally would use this method on every modern car, with old cars it's ok but with new cars and the electronics means they are very sensitive to power spikes etc that jump starting represents.

Older cars I would have no problem charging them with the battery still connected, I woulden't even attempt this on a new car, in actual fact the manual etc states not to as well!

Martin

 

I've got a 2009 Focus Zetec and the RAC came to start mine as i'd stupidly left the light's on overnight and they used a booster pack on it and it was totally fine.
If done properly there should be no issues.

 

i found 100% of jump start problems are down to human error. if done correctly then no spike will occur.
if you dont know what youre doing then dont leave it to a proffesional, might cost you but it will cost more if you fuck it up.

 

check the main fuses by the battery as you may have blown one it connected wrongly

 

Presumably your not a mechanic then? It doesnt FILL the cat was just speaking metaphorically but petrol is pumped into the cat on bump starting and when hot burns causing severe damage to the cat over time.

 

I know what you mean and I know people err against it, but at the end of the day the manufacturer would not tell you you can do so in your handbook if it was a big no no!

Plus, again, if you bump start properly it starts first time anyway, so it's no worse than turning an engine over on the starter which won't fire, same principle of unburnt fuel!

As I say it's never caused me or anyone I know any harm!

Martin

 

If you bump a car with abs it can send a 'spike' rogue electrical current to the abs ecu and damage the circuits, which requires a new ecu, this happened on my vectra

 

Some people talk a load of shit....ffs

Like someone has already said you've probably burnt the earth track in the ecu and just running an additional earth from the ecu casing to a decent grounding point will see the car fire into life.

I have boosted my ST many times without any ill affects

 

This thread is more than 2 years old lol. You shouldn't jump or bump start a vehicle with smart charge due to excessie voltage spikes, always charge the battery off the car!

 

When i worked for honda we used to jump pack loads of cars with no issues.

These where new cars too!!!

cant see how that much fuel would get into the cat as the injectors only fire on rotation of engine so no different than using a starter motor bumping a car is only a mechanical means of rotating the engine

 

and your 1 of them, i'll bet if the OP comes back he'll tell you he put the + from the "booster car" onto the suspension turret.