Owner service procedures -> Jump-starting for your BMW 3 Series 1997-2006

Giving and receiving assistance  
Jump-starting  
145  
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.  
or a suitable ground on the vehicle  
being started. Your BMW is  
equipped with a special nut for this  
purpose – see arrow 2  
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.<  
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.<  
6. Start the engine of the support vehi-  
cle and let it run for several minutes  
at a slightly elevated engine idle  
speed  
7. Start the engine of the other vehicle  
as usual. If the first start attempt is  
not successful, wait a few minutes  
before another attempt in order to  
allow the discharged battery to  
recharge  
8. Allow the engines to run for several  
minutes before disconnecting the  
jumper cables  
9. Then disconnect the jumper cables  
in the opposite order.  
4. The auxiliary jump-starting terminal  
located in your BMW's engine com-  
partment acts as the positive battery  
terminal. The cover of this auxiliary  
terminal is marked with a + sign.  
Remove by pulling the tab, see  
arrow 1. Start by connecting the  
jumper cable from the positive termi-  
nal of the discharged battery to the  
positive terminal of the support bat-  
tery  
5. Then connect the negative terminals  
with the other jumper cable. Attach  
the cable to either the support vehi-  
cle's negative battery terminal or to a  
suitable ground on its engine or  
bodywork. Then connect the other  
end to the negative battery terminal  
1. The battery in the support vehicle  
must be rated at 12 volts. This infor-  
mation is provided on the battery  
label  
2. Stop the engine of the support vehi-  
cle and switch off all electrical com-  
ponents in both vehicles – except for  
the hazard warning flashers of the  
support vehicle  
3. Make absolutely certain that there is  
no contact between the bodywork of  
the two vehicles – short circuit haz-  
ard  
Have the battery recharged at your  
BMW center as required.  
Do not use spray starter fluids to  
start the engine.<