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What are some reasons why my car battery sparks when connecting the charger?
I needed a jump start today and there were some sparks when my friend attached the cables. What are some reasons why my car battery sparks when connecting the charger?
Bonnie Stinson · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
If your car battery sparks when connecting the charger, either some of your car’s electronics were on when the car died or the cables were attached in the wrong order.
Note that sparks may indicate that the jumper cables are placed incorrectly. This is very serious and could result in irreparable damage to the battery or the car’s electronics. Large, loud pops and smoke are not normal.
On the one hand, it’s normal to have some sparks when you use jumper cables. Usually, this means your radio or lights were on when the car died. When the car draws current via the donor car, it creates a spark. Nothing to worry about.
This is one reason experts recommend that you connect the negative cable to the body of the vehicle and not to the negative post on the battery when jumpstarting. Sparks flying away from the battery are much safer than near the battery, where hydrogen gas from the battery could catch fire.
If you noticed a few quick sparks and everything is still functional, don’t worry about it. If you heard a loud pop, you might want to get things checked out.
Now might be a good time to review your
car insurance
coverage. While most policies don’t cover general wear-and-tear, you could probably find a cheaper policy with help from Jerry
.View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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