Remote Jump Start + Terminal Hot to touch - SOLVED

[oldskewel]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

There is no normal current path on the jumper terminal. I am willing to bet just not a great connection during the jump start generated a lot of heat at the connector.

On the 3.0i, doesn't that cable (that connects to the source cable at the jump port) go straight to the starter, and then another similarly sized cable continues on to the B+ terminal on the alternator?

So in addition to the obvious jump starting,

when starting the car, 200+ Amps flow through that junction (where the two cables connect, immediately behind the jump port nut) from the battery to the starter

and when the alternator is recharging the battery, the generated current flows from the alternator to the starter, through that junction, and on to the battery.


I would have first tried to file / sand off any corrosion. Completely agree about any surface resistance at that point being in a great spot to convert electrical energy into heat.

[wpoll]

Originally Posted by oldskewel

On the 3.0i, doesn't that cable (that connects to the source cable at the jump port) go straight to the starter, and then another similarly sized cable continues on to the B+ terminal on the alternator?

So in addition to the obvious jump starting,

when starting the car, 200+ Amps flow through that junction (where the two cables connect, immediately behind the jump port nut) from the battery to the starter

and when the alternator is recharging the battery, the generated current flows from the alternator to the starter, through that junction, and on to the battery.


I would have first tried to file / sand off any corrosion. Completely agree about any surface resistance at that point being in a great spot to convert electrical energy into heat.

Not according to the wiring diagrams. The jumper B+ terminal (X6430) has zero current through it except when jump starting.

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...rnator/sSnU3t5

The diagrams do have some variation though, including no mention of the X6430 terminal at all on some of the early version, so it's possible in some early cars that the connection arrangement is different.

[oldskewel]

Originally Posted by wpoll

Not according to the wiring diagrams. The jumper B+ terminal (X6430) has zero current through it except when jump starting.

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...rnator/sSnU3t5

The diagrams do have some variation though, including no mention of the X6430 terminal at all on some of the early version, so it's possible in some early cars that the connection arrangement is different.

I agree, I can't guarantee how cars other than mine might be wired, and there should be plenty of reasonable options for the designers to pick from.

On my 06/2001 build 2001 3.0i, the cable on the back side of the jump port comes apparently directly from the battery.

Then at the jump port, it connects to a cable that runs to the starter, and the jump port nut screws on there. That cable you see coming out of the starboard side of the jump port cover goes directly to the starter solenoid.

Then there is a similar looking wire that runs from the starter to the B+ on the alternator.

I'll try to attach a couple of pics showing the connection at the starter. Pics taken when I had it all apart for the engine work last summer. The cable coming from above is the one that comes out of the jump port cover. The cable going to the left (in the photo) goes to the alternator.

Looking at that wiring diagram, it does show a photo indicating that X6430 is the jump port. But if that is wrong, and in fact X6404 is actually the jump port, then I will sign off on that wiring diagram. ;-)

I did a quick google and saw that the 4.4i is different from this - the jump port is at a terminal, and the battery goes to the alternator and then on to the starter at the end of the line. And the 3.0d is just like that too.