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A dead battery is an unpleasant surprise that can happen to anybody. To prevent a dead battery from occurring in the first place, it is recommended that you keep up with regular BMW service at BMW of Asheville, but if your car’s battery dies anyway, you can get back on the road quickly by knowing how to perform a jump-start. Here’s an overview of this DIY emergency procedure.
Stay Safe
First, you’ll need a donor vehicle with a working battery; once you’ve found your helper, park both cars nose-to-nose on a level surface, leaving space between them to work. Turn both engines off and in park or neutral with parking brakes applied. To safely perform the jump-start, you’ll need the BMW owner’s manual, jumper cables, and a pair of safety gloves. Before starting the procedure, turn off all electronics in both vehicles, including lights, radio, and accessories.
Steps to Jump-Start Your Vehicle
- Find the Battery Terminals: Locate the positive and negative terminals on both batteries. The positive terminal is usually identified with a red cover or a “+” symbol.
- Connect the Cables:
- Connect the red (positive) cable to the positive terminal of the dead battery
- Connect the other end of the red cable to the positive terminal of the good battery.
- Connect the black (negative) cable to the negative terminal of the good battery.
- Connect the opposite end of the black cable to a non-painted metal grounding point on the dead vehicle’s frame, away from the battery.
- Start the Engine: Start the engine of the vehicle with a working battery and let it run for at least five minutes.
- Start Your BMW Car: Try to start your BMW vehicle. If it’s successful, carefully disconnect the cables in the reverse order. Let it run for at least 15 minutes to recharge the battery; this can include driving time.
Stay On Top of Regular BMW Maintenance in Asheville, NC
If your battery has failed, bring your BMW vehicle to our service center and we’ll replace your car battery. However, the best way to prevent dead batteries from occurring in the first place is to keep up with preventative maintenance at BMW of Asheville. Schedule your appointment today!