So this morning I'm on my way to work and realize if I don't fill up, I'm not gonna make it. So I pull into Shell by my house and just before I started pumping gas, a younger guy, bout 18 or so, asks if I could help him with a jump. I say sure, realizing that I've got the GM battery with the side posts, but I wanna help the guy out as I've been in that situation before and thought so what if I'd be a few mintues late helping him is more important.

So I finish pumping gas, he pushes his car in front of mine, it looks like a an 80 something toyota tercel, he's got his jumper cables, I start my car up and move forward some as these have got to be the shortest cables I've ever seen. Anyway, he tries for like 5 mintues to get the clamps on the side posts, he gives up saying, "here just hold the clamps against the contacts." I'm like, um ok. He gets in his car and cranks, a little fireball about the size of an apple come shooting out of the contacts past my hands, I'm like, WHOA cuz I'm still like next to the pump and I don't wanna blow up, but I keep holding the contacts there.

Meanwhile he keeps trying to start up, sparks, another little flame that resembles a pilot light on a gas grille, and lots of buzzing from my end. Finally, I'm like, dude, hold up, I've got flames over here. He looks at me like I'm dumb, then he gets out to see. I explain, maybe it's cuz we can't get the clamps on correctly due to the side posts, he says it shouldn't matter, but his alternator is fucked up, that's y he needs the jump. So this guy in a Ford F-150 comes over cuz he overheard us talking.

In the end, we (the F-150 guy and me) push the Tercel guy into a rolling start up and he yells thank you as he tries to get home as fast as he can before it dies again. It thank the truck guy, get in my car and goto work. Although, a couple times I could've sworn that I smelled something burning while at a stoplight.

QUESTION: did the events that I've described to you warrant concern, should I take my vehicle to a dealer or shop for inspection (warranty already expired)? Or something freaky happen, but everything seems to be ok? Feedback appreciated.

 

next time check on the left side, next to the fuse box, there is a positive terminal ( red cover) and then use a ground from somewhere else (bolt head or bare metal). If your car runs fine and dosen't come up with an SES light you should be fine, but with the procedure described in you post you can fry YOUR computer. Better be careful next time, they don't have 9 lives like a cat LOL

 

You may want to search my profile for threads I have started, I had much the same problem. The only difference is that my car gave up the ghost after mine, so I had to do a lot of troubleshooting. The thread had all the procedures and things I went through to make sure everything was up and running again. I think the title was very clever 'Car won't start' and it was around May this happened. Hope that helps, and using the positive terminal off to the side is always the right procedure. Good luck.

Edit: I found the thread it was titled, Stupid, Stupid, Stupid! and here it is, https://ls1tech.com/forums/wiring-stereo-electronics/174644-stupid-stupid-stupid.html

 

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for that SES light, oh damn I hope my CPU is ok...

 

I don't know if you caused any damage, but I'd recommend that you buy a Jump Start Battery (any brand, just make sure its not one of the small ones) and keep it in the trunk. Use it instead of jumper cables. I have a blue AC Delco unit in my trunk. It cost about $40 (I bought it at BJ's Wholesale club). Its cheap insurance. You dont need to find someone if you need a jump and you dont need to risk your car to jump someone else's car.