Frying Jump Leads

[TheBALDpuma]

I've just attempted to help a lady in the work car park who's battery wsa dead and so wouldn't start. She was trying a second set of jump leads at this point as the same had happened to the first. Her car would give a really weak turn over, but not enough to start (with jumps attached), but the lead were smoking, and melting all the platsic. I couldn't see anything wrong with the set up - although I've never jumped a diesel before. Donor car was a Volvo DriveE diesel (so 1.6?) and the flat car was a volvo 2.0D. Only oddity was that on the flat car, an ARB covered the battery cover - there was access to the +ve terminal, but -ve had to be placed on what I assume was the earth that atttached at the -ve as well as the suspension mount. She said she'd followed the manual's direction for jump starting her car (didn't even know there were instructions for this!), and it all looked normal to me.

Thoughts?

[BritishRacinGrin]

Diesels draw a lot of current. The leads weren't up to it- cheap christmas cracker rubbish, like most leads available from petrol stations etc.

[TheBALDpuma]

BritishRacinGrin said:

Diesels draw a lot of current. The leads weren't up to it- cheap christmas cracker rubbish, like most leads available from petrol stations etc.

That's what I thought, hence suggsting the second set. Seems she needs to buy a decent pair then!

[996TT02]

Aye, rubbish leads, good only for starting up a lawnmower.

Neighbour had same thing trying to start up a 1.0 petrol, leads getting hot but nothing else happening. Used mine and turned over fine.