Jump starting connection points

[firemunki]

I need to jump my 2.5lt 2005 VW transporter, I've got a Halford battery pack that says to connect the black ground clamp to an unpainted part of the bodywork.

Everything close to the battery is painted will this still ground the pack?

[monthou]

Try it and see. Th worst that can happen is it doesn't work.
You don't need to be particularly close to the battery though - the reason for connecting to the chassis rather than the battery negative terminal is to avoid sparks near the battery - there's a theoretical risk of an explosion due to hydrogen being produced by the battery.
FWIW I've always connected both batteries directly. I'm still here, and I've jump-started plenty of cars (or at least a few cars lots of times).

[firemunki]

Yeah, tried it on a couple painted points and it turns over once then nothing. I'm just not sure if it's not making a circuit due to poor ground or it's too dead to start. It's only been 10 days since I last drove it and it started fine then.

Hopefully I didn't waste money on a pointless jump pack, if it needs unpainted cos the cables are far too short to find a bit.

[Demelitia]

Connecting to a suspension component/bolt should also be fine, or even the engine block.

If it’s only been 10 days since you last used it and it’s that dead then something else is going on with the van.

I know the sensors that tell the van when the sliding door is shut can play up a little and keep the van awake, killing the battery.

Once you get the thing up and running, it might be worth getting a multimeter on the battery and see how it’s behaving.
Fully charging the battery and then testing it first thing the next morning after it’s had some time to sit can give you an idea of what’s going on.

If it’s down near 12v with no load on it then you’ll maybe need to track down a parasitic drain, or see if your battery has given up the ghost.

It’ll also be worth checking the battery voltage with the engine running to make sure it’s charging correctly.

[SlimJim16v]

You're better off connecting the negative to the engine block.

[tapkaJohnD]

Connect the negative to the -Ve battery terminal - absolutely no chance of a spark

Connect the postive to the +ve battery terminal - you have to do that anyway, wherever ypu put the negative. There is a TINY chnace os a spark, but a dead battery won'y have been producing hydriogen, unless its been on charge just before. Leave it a while.

This instruction is wholly and vastly an excess of caution!

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

SlimJim16v said:

You're better off connecting the negative to the engine block.

I've spent 45 years jump starting cars & I always (up to recently) connected to the two terminals on the battery. I've only latterly heard of positive terminal & body. I have to say in these days of covered terminals it is easier.

[Smint]

At commercial car storage compunds often the cars are flat or at best struggling to turn over, the 'yardies' minibus in such compounds typically will have a large bore extra long pair of jump leads connected permanently to the minibus battery and left clamped to an insulated bar on the front of the vehicle when not in use. Most times all the lads do is one holds the leads to the flat battery terminals or the starting remote points if the battery is situated somewhere ridiculous, whilst another chap starts the car, they don't have the time nor patience to faff about.