ok - I got one with a duff battery, and I've had to get it jump started by a variety of cars / cabs over the course of the last week - no special care taken. now someone is telling me I may have done the engine management of the lovely thing harm. what is the truth behind this? seems to be fine.

 

Paul,

I believe that you are supposed to disconnect the battery from the car electrics before you charge the battery from a "third party" source. For "third party" read taxi, battery charger etc.

This is because the "third party" source could be "dirty". i.e. full of spikes or over voltages. These characteristics can kill electronic circuitry.

On the positive side (no pun intended!) if your car is still running ok then I wouldn't worry too much.

Cheers,

Korky

PS I'm a Chartered Electrical Engineer and design power supplies for a living (on occasions).

 

cheers - that sounds ok then I guess!!

 

Paul,

best advise when jumpstarting a car, put the sidelights on!
May seem like a silly idea, but it gives any power spikes somewhere else to go (apart from into your nice ecu)

 

... you do obviously have a duff battery - but don't feel too bad about it --> when my brand new MY02 was delivered to my door last year (after obviously having stood around in a car depot for ages and not been driven), I sat on a hot day with the air con on full (reading the owner's manual), but not the engine --> and of course totally killed the battery without ever having driven even a mile in my lovely new motor! DOH