Ever melt a pair of jumper cables?

I know what you are thinking.

What? How can you melt jumper cables??

Oh my friends, I assure you it can be done!

Let me tell you a story…..

For the last few months we have been teaching our son, Zachary to drive an automatic car. 

However, the car he will be driving is manual.

Todd thought it would be a good idea to take Zachary to a parking lot with the intention of teaching him how to drive a stick shift.

Zachary's car has been sitting, not being used since the beginning of the summer.  So when it would not start today, Todd didn't think anything of it and he asked the neighbor for a jump.

Todd and Zachary went on their merry way.

Upon Zachary's first try, he stalls the car.  If you don't know about stick shift, stalling it is not uncommon, especially while learning how to drive it.

Problem though ~ the car would not re-start.

The guys called me to come "jump" the car, thinking the battery had died. Again.

We had no luck.  So Todd and I drove to Pepboys to purchase a new battery.

$100.00 and 40 minutes later…..

Todd showed Zachary how to install a new battery.

AND

we tried to start the car.

No luck!

Considering we are not mechanics, we thought "maybe we should try to jump the car again". 

Not our finest moment.

This time both cars spark when Todd puts the jumper cables on the clamps.

Then both cars begin to smoke and catch on fire!

Apparently if you do not match the positive and negatives, this is what a car will do.

HE FRIED THE JUMPER CABLES! 

I'M NOT SURE HOW THEY CAN MELT…

BUT THEY DID!

We called in the calvary.

Our friend found a fuse that was loose and Viola!

**Car started like a charm**

I think Zachary learned a valuable lesson and will never mix up the + and - signs while jumping a car.