Jump-starting – BMW M3 Convertible 2004 User Manual

Page 147

147

Jump-starting

When 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.

Preparations

1. 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 engine

1. Start the engine of the support vehi-

cle and let it run for several minutes
at a slightly elevated engine idle
speed

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