JJA .... Yes, jumping in a battery at hood connections is probably a prudent thing to do. Why take a chance. Thanks

According to my 2001 XC owners manual, it says when disconnecting the battery (specific order of neg and pos removal) wait 10 minutes before reconnecting new battery to preserve data memory. My battery is original (9 yrs old) and though it looks pristine in every way, I will likely replace as I must...