Ram CTD jump start question

crcr wrote:
Is turning off the jump vehicle when starting the CTD recommended only for diesel? Or for gas also?

And are you supposed to disconnect the cables also?

I had never heard this before.

This is true for any vehicle. The idea is to let the 'good' vehicle's charging system add juice to the dead battery while the good vehicle runs.

When you try to start the dead vehicle it puts a deep draw on the electrical system of the good vehicle. If you do this while the good vehicle is running it can cause damage to the diodes in your alternator and potentially run other electrical components in an under-voltage condition. Basically, in this situation the deep draw comes from the charging system.

If you start the dead vehicle while the good vehicle is off then all the draw voltage comes directly from the batteries and there is no excess strain on the charging/electrical system of the good vehicle.