jump cable BMW M3 CONVERTIBLE 2004 E46 Owner's Manual

Page 147 of 174

147
Jump-startingWhen your battery is discharged, you
can use two jumper cables to start your
vehicle with power from the battery in a
second vehicle. You can also use the
same method to help start another
vehicle. Use only jumper cables with
fully insulated handles on the terminal
clamps.
Do not touch high-voltage wiring
and cables on a running engine.
Contact with components carrying high
voltage can be harmful or fatal.
Carefully observe the following instruc-
tions to avoid personal injury and/or
damage to one or both vehicles.<Preparations1. Check whether the battery of the
support vehicle has 12 volts and
approximately the same capacity –
measured in Ah. This information is
provided on the battery
2. Stop the engine of the support vehi-
cle
3. Switch off all electrical components
in both vehicles.
Make absolutely certain that there
is no contact between the body-
work of the two vehicles, otherwise
there is a short circuit hazard.<
Connecting the jumper cables
Always adhere to this sequence
when connecting jumper cables;
failure to observe this procedure can
lead to sparks at the battery terminals
and pose an injury hazard.<
The auxiliary jump-starting terminal
located in your BMW's engine compart-
ment acts as the positive battery termi-
nal. Refer to the engine compartment
overview on page 124. The cover of this
auxiliary terminal is marked with a +.
1. Open the cover of the BMW auxiliary
jump-starting terminal. Do so by pull-
ing the tab – see arrow 1
2. Connect one terminal clamp of the
plus/+ jumper cable to the positive
terminal of the battery or to an auxil-
iary jump-starting terminal of the
support vehicle
3. Connect the second terminal clamp
of the plus/+ jumper cable to the
positive terminal of the battery or to
an auxiliary jump-starting terminal of
the vehicle to be started
4. Your BMW is equipped with a special
nut – see arrow 2 – to serve as the
ground or negative terminal.
Attach a terminal clamp of the
minus/– jumper cable to the negative
terminal of the support vehicle's bat-
tery or to a suitable ground on its
engine or bodywork
5. Attach the second terminal clamp of
the minus/– jumper cable to the neg-
ative terminal of the battery or to a
suitable ground on the engine or
bodywork of the vehicle to be
started.Starting the engine1. Start the engine of the support vehi-
cle and let it run for several minutes
at a slightly elevated engine idle
speed
OverviewControlsMaintenanceRepairsDataIndex

Page 148 of 174

148
2. Start the engine of the other vehicle
as usual.
If the first start attempt is not suc-
cessful, wait a few minutes before
another attempt in order to allow the
discharged battery to recharge
3. Allow the engines to run for several
minutes
4. Disconnect the jumper cables in
reverse sequence.
Have the battery recharged at your
BMW center as required.
Do not use spray starter fluids to
start the engine.<
Towing the vehicle
Always observe all applicable
towing laws and regulations.<
Towing with a commercial tow
truck>Use wheel lift or flat bed carrier
>Do not tow with sling-type equip-
ment.
Never allow passengers to ride in
a towed vehicle for any reason.
Never attach tie-down hooks, chains,
straps, or tow hooks to tie rods, control
arms, or any other part of the vehicle
suspension, as severe damage to these
components will occur, possibly lead-
ing to accidents.<
Jump-starting