If the following instructions are not followed, there is a risk of poisoning from escaping electrolyte. In addition, personal injury or damage to the vehicle may result from the battery exploding.
- Do not allow electrolyte to come into contact with eyes, skin, cloth, or paintwork. The electrolyte is corrosive. If electrolyte is spilled, immediately rinse the affected area thoroughly with clean water. Seek medical attention if necessary.
- Do not use naked flames or objects that generate sparks near the battery, as flammable gases may be emitted from the battery.
- Wear protective goggles.
- Be careful not to damage the starter cables with rotating parts such as a heatsink fan.
1. The cross-sectional area of the starting cable for a gasoline engine up to 2.5 liters must be at least 16 mm2 (diameter about 5mm). For a diesel engine or a gasoline engine larger than 2.5 liters, the cross section of the cables must be at least 25 mm2. The determining factor here should be a car with a dead battery. The cable cross section is usually indicated on the packaging. It is recommended to buy a starter cable with insulated cable clamps and a section of 25 mm2, as it is also suitable for engines with smaller cylinder sizes.
2. Both batteries must be 12V.
3. A discharged battery can freeze even at -10°C. Before connecting the starter cable, it is necessary that the frozen battery must be defrosted.
4. The discharged battery must be connected in accordance with the rules to the on-board network.
5. Check the electrolyte level in the discharged battery. Top up with distilled water if necessary.
6. Separate the cars from each other so that there is no metallic contact between them. Otherwise, electric current may flow when the positive poles are connected.
7. Apply the parking brakes on both vehicles. Set the manual transmission to neutral, the automatic to park "R".
8. Switch off all current consumers.
9. The engine of the supply vehicle must be idling during the charging process. In this way, the generator is protected from damage that may occur due to voltage peaks at the time of starting.
10. Connect the starter cable in the following sequence:
10a. Connect the red cable to the positive terminal (+) in the engine compartment of the powered vehicle. First open the cover -1-. If the vehicle being powered is not a BMW 3 Series, connect the cable to the positive pole (+) battery.
10b. Connect the other end of the red cable to the positive terminal -1- of the supply vehicle.
10c. Attach black cable to ground point (-) -2- on the suspension strut of the supply vehicle. If the supply vehicle is not a BMW 3 Series, connect the cable to the negative pole (-) batteries.
10d. Connect the other end of the black cable to the ground point on the right suspension strut of the powered vehicle. If the vehicle being powered is not a BMW 3 Series, connect the cable to a reliable ground point.
Do not connect to the negative pole (-) discharged battery. The metal part bolted to the cylinder block is best suited for this. Under unfavorable circumstances, connecting a cable to the negative pole of a discharged battery may cause the battery to explode due to sparking and oxyhydrogen gas.
The terminals of the starting cable, with the cables connected, must not come into contact with each other and, accordingly, the positive terminals must not touch the ground points (bodies or frames) – risk of short circuit!
11 Start the engine of the powered vehicle (dead battery) at idle. When starting, the starter should be continuously pressed for no more than 10 s, since the pole clamps and the cable heat up due to the increased current consumption. Therefore, between the individual starts, it is necessary to take breaks for cooling with a duration of about 1/2 min.
12. If you have difficulty starting, do not turn on the starter for a long time unnecessarily. During start-up, fuel is continuously injected. Find out the cause of the malfunction and eliminate it.
13. After a successful start, both vehicles must be connected by cable for another 3 minutes of operation.
14. To eliminate voltage peaks when disconnecting a car with a dead battery, turn on the fan and heated rear window. Do not turn on high beams. Incandescent lamps burn out at high voltage.
15. After completing the launch from an outside vehicle, disconnect the cables in the reverse order of connection. Disconnect the black cable first (-) at the supplied vehicle, then disconnect the supply vehicle. Disconnect the black cable first from the supply car and then from the powered one.