Current Events > All of you have asked a stranger to help you jumpstart your car before...

(+) Yeah! (+)

...haven't you? The times i've done it it seems like only a small percentage of people are willing to help. Maybe like less than 10 percent will do it. Had to ask a bunch of times. What has been your experience?

I have never asked a stranger, but I have jump started a stranger's car before.

Nope. I've never had a driver's license

GranTurismo posted...

...haven't you? The times i've done it it seems like only a small percentage of people are willing to help. Maybe like less than 10 percent will do it. Had to ask a bunch of times. What has been your experience?

If you have required to jump a car a bunch of times, you are not maintaining it properly

Nope the strangers tried to help me jumpstart it.

Priere posted...

If you have required to jump a car a bunch of times, you are not maintaining it properly

not a bunch of times, it hasn't happened in yrs

I have AAA so they handle all that gobbledygook.

When I worked nights at a hotel I used to get randos at 5am asking me to jump their car.

ExtremeLuchador posted...

When I worked nights at a hotel I used to get randos at 5am asking me to jump their car.

Did you usually do it? seems most strangers won't

Most refuse due to liability reasons

Trumpo posted...

Most refuse due to liability reasons

really? this is the most common reason? what could they be liable for?

I always let them use my car for a jump if they were a guest.

ExtremeLuchador posted...

I always let them use my car for a jump if they were a guest.

But you usually would refuse if you were like at the supermarket and a stranger asked you? prob most people would

Smallville posted...

really? this is the most common reason? what could they be liable for?

If the jump leads are reversed, say goodbye to your vehicle's powertrain control module and thousands of dollars to replace the main wiring harness.

Nah, it's died at home at at work, so it's never been a stranger that jumped me.

Smallville posted...

But you usually would refuse if you were like at the supermarket and a stranger asked you? prob most people would

Nobody's ever really approached me for car help in public. One time years ago an old lady asked me to check if her muffler fell off.

Trumpo posted...

If the jump leads are reversed, say goodbye to your vehicle's powertrain control module and thousands of dollars to replace the main wiring harness.

oh you mean if you put the wrong black one on the red one? You just match the colors

Smallville posted...

oh you mean if you put the wrong black one on the red one? You just match the colors

You are not supposed to connect the black one directly to the battery terminal.

tankboy posted...

You are not supposed to connect the black one directly to the battery terminal.

oh yeah that's right. But iirc doing that won't damage anything.

Only ever need a jump once and my insurance covered it.

Oh I also used to get folks who couldn't figure out how to unlock and/or start their rental car.

tankboy posted...

You are not supposed to connect the black one directly to the battery terminal.

For the car that's being jumped off, but you still can hook both negative posts together too.

Edit: But yeah,many times I've asked strangers for a jump.

ExtremeLuchador posted...

Oh I also used to get folks who couldn't figure out how to unlock and/or start their rental car.

what? you put the key in the ignition........

Not once. I carry a portable jumpstarter in my car just in case, but I haven't had to use it.

i have asked one to help me with a flat tire. >_>

R_Jackal posted...

Not once. I carry a portable jumpstarter in my car just in case, but I haven't had to use it.

don't almost all of those portable ones not come close to generating the power another car would? Many of them don't work......

The one I have definitely works, but I could see them being scammy. I've jumped a friend's car a couple times with it, in any regard.

Smallville posted...

don't almost all of those portable ones not come close to generating the power another car would? Many of them don't work......

You just gotta let them go for a while

Smallville posted...

don't almost all of those portable ones not come close to generating the power another car would? Many of them don't work......

Nah I got one that has a setting for jumpstarts. It pushes extra volts just to start, then you change it back to charge. Mine works great.

I have AAA. Comes in handy but I dont recall the last time I needed a jump. Long time ago

yeah at the airport and i got declined by literally everyone. 5+ people over a 45 minute span in -20 weather. i even had the cables. fuckin assholes.

I have asked for friends that didn't want to when we broke down in their car. Not actually sure if I've ever actually needed to ask for myself. I usually had parents to come jump me, or people offered if I was having obvious car trouble. Or I had a portable jumper even.

It's more who actually has jumper cables than who is or isn't willing to help.

leafsRULE posted...

yeah at the airport and i got declined by literally everyone. 5+ people over a 45 minute span in -20 weather. i even had the cables. fuckin assholes.

yeah i kinda agree, even if you have cables most people won't

No

I've never been in that situation, but I wouldn't feel uncomfortable asking, (and I have given strangers a jump-start before).