I noticed that Rasputin (1.2 S/S) has a small rod on the negative battery terminal that the Earth lead connects to. The clamp has a push-button that allows the ground lead to be connected to the battery. This is despite the battery negative terminal being connected to the battery in the usual way.

What's it all aboot?

I've seen somewhere that the Stop-Start has a special charging/jump procedure. The negative lead from the charger/booster battery connects to a clamp rather than directly to the battery negative terminal. Is this post (that is usually connected to earth) the clamp in question, if I ever need to jump or charge the battery? Or do I connect the connect the negatve to somewhere else?


Ralf S.

This is ours if it's any help, always replace the battery before you get to the point of needing a jump start?

What you get with stop start is what fiat call a "dummy pole" basically all earth connections, are connected to the battery via the dummy pole, then there is a battery condition sensory between the dummy pole and the battery negative terminal.

You should not connect anything to the battery negative pole other than the condition sensor, and you should only connect everything by the dummy pole or by any other metal earthing point like the engine block. basically never bypass the condition monitor and never remove the condition monitor from the battery unless you are replacing the battery.

Jump starting is done in the same way, just don't connect the black lead to the battery.

Fiat say you should not bump start, hill start or tow start.
Also in a lot of cases when cars are new and transported these days they are plugged into chargers and battery conditioners to keep everything topped up while in transit. Many new cars have a battery positive and negative earth in a different place specially for connecting like this without having to take covers off to get to the battery.

AndyRKett said:

...
Fiat say you should not bump start, hill start or tow start. ...

Click to expand...

This is standard stuff since the introduction of catalytic converters. On a Rover training course (a very long time ago now), their reason was to prevent unburnt fuel entering the catalyst, as a hot catalyst may cause the fuel to explode.

If the exhaust is hot, then that is a risk, but most of the time, when it won't start, it is cold, so a bump, tow or hill start carries less risk, as the first exhaust into the catalyst after starting will lose a lot of heat to the metalwork, and chase the unburnt fuel out. There's a theory, anyway. Try it at your own risk.

With learners prone to stalling, sometimes at rather vulnerable places, and the key being out of reach of the instructor, I have many times bump started a hot engine.
As they try to pull away too quickly, and stall it as they move into a main road, I can put 'my' clutch down, select 1st gear if not already there, and release the clutch to bump start the engine before the learner realises it has stalled. Better than parking in front of an approaching truck while the learner looks at me instead of turning the key. Never had a catalyst go pop yet. (Now it is my own car, it will probably go bang next time I have to do it, although the stop/start will usually now do the job for me. The Fiesta insisted a key restart after a stall, genius)

AndyRKett said:

What you get with stop start is what fiat call a "dummy pole" basically all earth connections, are connected to the battery via the dummy pole, then there is a battery condition sensory between the dummy pole and the battery negative terminal.

You should not connect anything to the battery negative pole other than the condition sensor, and you should only connect everything by the dummy pole or by any other metal earthing point like the engine block. basically never bypass the condition monitor and never remove the condition monitor from the battery unless you are replacing the battery.

Click to expand...

Aye! That's the same setup that Rasputin has.

I try not to jump or bump... but inevitably sooner or later the Younger Mrs S. doesn't use the car enough/long enough so that the battery occasionally needs a boost (other than me borrowing it for my commute now and then).


Ralf S.