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Use Volt to jump another car.

11K views 14 replies 14 participants last post by  Paulacton84 
#1 ·
Can I use my Volt to jump my second car ?

Thanks.
 
#4 ·
#12 ·
But can that include a flip?...:)
 
#9 ·
Like Steverino said, read the manual. They don't recommend using the underhood connections to jump another car because the positive wire and terminal aren't big enough for starter loads (though if the battery is intact and just drained, you could connect there for a while to charge it, then disconnect the Volt and start the other car.) Instead, they suggest opening the hatch and connecting cables to the battery directly.
 
#11 ·
Yes, I've jumped off my wife's mini-van with the connections in the Volt's trunk. No problem!
 
#15 ·
because, the volt needs very little current to start itself (a few amps for several seconds will do it) BUT other cars need a lot of current to start, because the 12 volts that the VOlt sends over has to provide enough power to run the other car's starter motor. Feed 20-30 amps to the other car's battery for a minute and then when the other car is running its starter motor and the line voltage drops to 7 or 8 volts, the draw might be 100+ amps. the Volt's wiring around the 12V AGM battery and DC- to DC converter can support this, but the lines to the front of the car are small gauge wires, intended to allow only enough electricity in to start the Volt's electronics.
And, since you asked. It makes sense to put the "start the Volt" terminals under the hood because even if the volts 12 Volt battery is missing, you can open the drivers door with your key mechanically and open the hood mechanically and power up the electronics enough so that they can start the Volt.... but you cannot get to the hatch without a lot of gymnastics.
 
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