How can you jump start the surf?

[marvinius]

Stupidly my lights were left on (not by me) and now both batteries are dead....i tried jump starting from my VW, but it didn't work and i ended up towing the surf home.... Anyone jump started one before? now i have a surf with two flat batteries....i'll charge em tomorrow if i can work out how to get the buggers out.

[Tallyman]

You'll probably find the battery on your VW isn't strong enough to turn over a big diesel on it's own. That's why the Surf's have two batteries. Only choice is to re-charge both of them. Should be easy to get out as they are hold in by the clamp bracket across the top of each one.

[marvinius]

Batteries

Many thaks Tallyman...as ever the big surf telegraph works everytime....

[marky]

Some SURFS only have 1 battery, so there must be a way of at least cranking the engine over.

[Guest]

Some SURFS only have 1 battery, so there must be a way of at least cranking the engine over.

With a 2 battery system, sometimes it might be feasible to start the engine with one disconnected - if both batteries are bad they might draw down the power of the one jump starting the surf enough to stop it charging. However one thing to make sure, was the VW engine running when you tried to start the surf. If so it should have worked, the VW batteries and alternator together should have put more than enough power through to start to Surf.

I went and bought myself a portable jump starter from Halfords, think it cost about £60 and works great.

Cheers

[Rob]

I jump started my mates Hilux from my Surf once. Both batts in it had been dead for 3 weeks (he left the lights on for a week) It took about half an hour with mine on Idle Up for the pickup to get anywhere near starting! He had to go out and buy new batteries a few days later

[Fish]

Quicky point.

When useing jump leads on any vehicle place the red and black on the 'running vehicle' battery terminals but only the red (+) on the dead battery vehicle, the black (-) should be connected on a ground as near to the starter as possible. This lets the running vehicle supply power more directly to turn the starter motor and not trying to do that and charge the battery at the same time. Also due the the very high current required to crank over large diesels, it is less likely to harm either the supplying heavily burdoned altenator or have all that ampage blasting across the dead battery cells causing excesive heat and damage.


Fish

[TonyN]

More fun.....

if you only have one cable, just touch bumpers on both cars! Its cool, worked a treat but you may melt the chrome a little!

Quicky point.

When useing jump leads on any vehicle place the red and black on the 'running vehicle' battery terminals but only the red (+) on the dead battery vehicle, the black (-) should be connected on a ground as near to the starter as possible. This lets the running vehicle supply power more directly to turn the starter motor and not trying to do that and charge the battery at the same time. Also due the the very high current required to crank over large diesels, it is less likely to harm either the supplying heavily burdoned altenator or have all that ampage blasting across the dead battery cells causing excesive heat and damage.


Fish

[Grimreeper]

As fish said only connect the live + to the battery and the neg - as close to the starter as poss. On twin battery surfs/4runners the battery on the passenger side is the closest to the starter. If you connect to the battery on the drivers side you potentially have to dead batteries to get current through b4 getting to the starter. When connected to the n/s battery live and neg to the engine close to the starter, let the running vehicle run for a few mins b4 trying to start the dead 1 so as to build up a little charge 1st.

[da SLUG man]

More fun.....

if you only have one cable, just touch bumpers on both cars! Its cool, worked a treat but you may melt the chrome a little!

and using speaker wire works but not very well and burns your mates fingers!
(it was good quality speaker wire for my sub though!)

[Gizmo]

Stupidly my lights were left on (not by me) and now both batteries are dead....i tried jump starting from my VW, but it didn't work and i ended up towing the surf home.... Anyone jump started one before? now i have a surf with two flat batteries....i'll charge em tomorrow if i can work out how to get the buggers out.

Say your going to trade her in for a disco or a suzi and she might just start without a jump...LOL

[Linda]

Totally failed to jump mine from a Merc van when I left the lights on, but she jumped a treat from my Ford D series They also jump ok from another surf normally, and I've even jumped the Ford lorry from the Bullet before now.

[Morr]

Totally failed to jump mine from a Merc van when I left the lights on, but she jumped a treat from my Ford D series They also jump ok from another surf normally, and I've even jumped the Ford lorry from the Bullet before now.

Managed to jump mine a few months back from an Opel Vectra (Mk3 Cav), no problem, altough I had previously fitted the biggest battery I could squeeze in to the Vectra. Previously started my 2nd Gen on one or two occasions again from a vectra, different vectra, but the same battery in its first fitment!

[Alun]

Jumped mine no bother of my wifes fiesta! hooked it up for a couple of mins, cranked ir , and off she went. A lot depends on the quality of your jumper cables, thicker the better.

[kitesurf_phil]

and using speaker wire works but not very well and burns your mates fingers!
(it was good quality speaker wire for my sub though!)

The best set of jump leads I ever had were made from speaker wire. It was that 6mm per conductor multistranded stuff that is supposed to improve bass response. It had clear insulation. Mine didnt get warm though.