Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Plus 8 Jump Starting

The battery on my 1990 Plus 8 is beneath the 'boot' floor which is very inconvenient if you want to jump start via the battery terminals on a wet day when the hood is up!

I am sure that the positive jump lead could be connected to the starter motor connector and the negative jump lead to the engine block etc.

But which are the best places to make these connections?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

I am thinking of buying a Powerpack for emergency starting. It seems that the 18 Ampere-Hour MSC Overland + ...

...is the most likely to turn over the 3.9 Rover V8 engine.

Has anybody used such a unit successfully on a Plus 8?

Why would you want to jump start it?

Put quite simply, you should not need to jump start it?

Arwyn

I suspect that if possible that keeping the car on a conditioner could be less risky than extending high current wiring if starting after a period of lay-up might be the issue...?

Conditioner wiring can be fused thus if anything shorts out on the conditioner circuit the fuse should prevent any real issue..?

On the other hand if you extend high current wiring and if for any reason a short occurs then without a means of easy isolation (kill switch) chances are that a fire might start..?

Just thinking in type.

Firstly -- is the battery the original 31 year old item ? If so, replace it !
Secondly -- I recently did some significant thinking re the 7 year-old battery in my Roadster (see post #726701). On balance I am continuing to use my slightly-marginal Ctek 0.8 conditioner, but I realise that for perhaps no more than £70, I could buy a decent new battery.
Your decisison.

Benignmog: In answer to your original question...yes, of course you can jump start from under the bonnet by connecting to the chassis and starter motor connection...wherever there is accessibility.
Despite good advice above particularly with using a conditioner such as C-TEK, we must bear in mind that no matter how new or cosseted your battery might be, if you are away from home and leave it parked with sidelights accidentally left on, for example, a jump start from another friendly driver may be the only alternative to getting going in a reasonable time.

Electrically no problem at all using the correct starter terminal for jump starting. Given the confined location though it's very easy to short the positive jump cable to chassis accidentally. Certainly connect positive first, but care needed at all times!

On the few occasions (in last 37 years) that my starter motor has failed or battery is weak it's easy to push start with the aid of a couple of helpers.

Might be worth mentioning for the more recent cars with ECU. Should your battery “collapse” you may get it to crank but no start. The ECU doesn’t like low voltage. (Plse don’t ask how I know. Mind you most people in Frinton high street do.)
Got it jump started via the battery terminals via the panel behind pax seat.

One solution is to fit a suitably rated Anderson connector under the bonnet
Try searching for: Jump start socket

How are the earth connections? Think of the car’s age and how things deteriorate. I had a ‘93 4/4 and it needed cleaned earth connections. It was sluggish before a couple of times. Before blaming the battery ( unless it is old or looks in bad shape) check your earths. Then if the problem persists try a secod battery/ jump leads. Ifit starts ok then the starter is ok. Is the alternator ok? Then new battery and Anderson connector (as back up).