Oppo PSA: Acura TLs suck when batteries go flat.

"Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy" (zipppyart) 05/17/2015 at 00:44 • Filed to: Oppo PSA

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See that cover? yeah, that only exposes a positive terminal, and all that plastic covering the engine bay covers any easy grounding points the car may have.

To ‘fix’ this, a salesguy at work suggested I use the hood catch (the protrusion, or loop (?) on the bottom of the hood), as a grounding point, and while the ground cable clamp from the booster pack loosely hung on, it held on long enough for a start.

I’ll have to ask, what buffoon at Honda/Acura let this slip through? There hasn’t been any other car I’ve seen that does it like that.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 05/17/2015 at 00:48

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Wow. That’s a ton of plastic. Does it really serve any purpose?

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > BaconSandwich is tasty. 05/17/2015 at 00:53

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just to make the engine bay look tidy, they bought an acura after all.

More Power!!and also some brakes. > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 05/17/2015 at 01:06

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This, this is what that engine bay should look like. Maybe a little less dirty (also a gen older) but you get the point.

This is my engine bay.

Destructive Tester > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 05/17/2015 at 01:16

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I don't see what you're upset about, it's not like it's anything a sawzall couldn't fix... 

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > More Power!!and also some brakes. 05/17/2015 at 01:28

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That clears so many things up. No obstructive plastic!

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Destructive Tester 05/17/2015 at 01:28

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Pff. I dun’ need no Sawzall.

this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 05/17/2015 at 02:11

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All Motor Is Best Motor > More Power!!and also some brakes. 05/17/2015 at 03:13

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What model year is this?

lonestranger > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 05/17/2015 at 03:30

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Many cars do it like this. For instance, the GMT800 Silverado/Sierra/Suburban/etc. has this weird positive terminal behind a red plastic cover, and then a big tab on the alternator bracket:

There’s a engine hoisting hook here that’ll work just great. Much better than using the hood catch.

Proper procedure is not to connect the ground leads directly to the battery anyway. Connect both positive leads, then the negative lead to the jumping car, and then the negative lead to the dead car’s ground somewhere on or near the engine, away from the battery.

1. It makes for a more direct path for the electricity to get to the dead car’s starter.

and more importantly

2. Jumping a dead car, especially a very dead car, is bound to make some sparks when the last connection is made. Batteries vent off hydrogen gas as part of normal operation. Hydrogen gas is flammable. Battery acid is corrosive enough to blind and scar you. 999 times out of 1000, sparks near a dead battery probably won’t make it explode, but do you want a sudden corrosive explosion in your face?

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 05/17/2015 at 05:26

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On our cars I tend to get all that plastic crap off and throw it away soon after purchase. Makes things much easier to work on.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > lonestranger 05/17/2015 at 12:48

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I’m well aware of hydrogen explosions, and already have precautions to prevent sparks, however, I haven’t considered the hoisting point as a ground.

lonestranger > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 05/17/2015 at 13:08

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Glad to hear you’re doing it safely.

More Power!!and also some brakes. > All Motor Is Best Motor 05/17/2015 at 18:43

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2004

bleedsblue23 > this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata 05/17/2015 at 20:26

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watched this episode again yesterday. so perfect.