Is Jump starting bad for an e30 m3?
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Forum Name: BMW ///M Power
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URL: http://www.bavarian-board.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=13731
Printed Date: 29-April-2024 at 07:37
Topic: Is Jump starting bad for an e30 m3?
Posted By: Rags
Subject: Is Jump starting bad for an e30 m3?
Date Posted: 23-January-2005 at 16:14
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.....just out of interest?
Rags ------------- 
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Replies:
Posted By: David 87M3
Date Posted: 23-January-2005 at 17:58
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No not really
but you may damage the ABS relay. It has a fusable link in it and does not like sudden voltage changes. you could switch the headlights on before connencting the other car to yours, this MAY help absorb any sudden voltage changes hitting delacate parts |
Posted By: mogart1
Date Posted: 23-January-2005 at 18:04
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I suffered an ecu failure on an e30 325i many years ago due to jumpstarting, afterward i was told its fine to do it, but only if you don't run the enigne on the supplying car. (Hindsight eh!) ------------- M3 S50 Saloon 'Individual' |
Posted By: m3Cecotto
Date Posted: 23-January-2005 at 18:14
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There's no real need to take the risk nowadays. I bought one of those cheapo powerpacks in Safeway, of all places, a couple of years ago for the princely sum of £25. It has plenty of power to start the E30 M3 if you leave the interior light on for a week in the winter (ask me how I know). It'll also start the 528 regularly when the original battery fails intermittently and the owner can't be bothered getting it fixed (ask me how I know). It starts the lawn tractor every time and most surprisingly, it'll start the M635 when some tit connects a handlamp to the battery to do some work and leaves it on for days (ask me how I know). Money well spent - in fact I've now bought a better one with a mini-compressor and an inverter. It's even more useful for long trips - weekends away etc. ------------- 1981 E23 735i 1989 E30 325i Motorsport Cabrio 1989 E24 635CSi Motorsport Edition http://www.bavarianretro.com" rel="nofollow - Bavarian Retro Cars |
Posted By: Nick
Date Posted: 24-January-2005 at 03:41
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Jumpstarting IS bad for the old M3.. don't listen to anyone that tells you otherwise.
You run the risk of spiking the ECU, it just isn't worth it. Any battery charger should be able to give it enough to start up in an hour or so.. just remember to disconnect the battery before you run a charge through it. ------------- |
Posted By: Nick
Date Posted: 24-January-2005 at 03:44
I have looked at those many times but never got one. How long does it stay charged up for if you leave it at the back of the shed? ------------- |
m3Cecotto wrote:Posted By: Nostrils
Date Posted: 24-January-2005 at 04:02
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I guess I have been lucky, I have jumped started my car many times when I have not driven it for the whole week!
I have one of those gadgets, which is a charger and a booster starter....will be needing that again this coming weekend, weather permitting! ------------- Phil |
Posted By: m3Cecotto
Date Posted: 24-January-2005 at 05:23
In my experience, weeks, but both of them have an "intelligent" charger. I just leave them plugged into the mains and they are always fully charged. I've used it to start forklifts, vans and a small tractor as well. Because of the rear mounted battery location in the M3 and M635, and the hassle getting to the battery in either, I fitted a cigarette lighter socket into the battery cover, originally to provide an easy access point to plug in a battery conditioner over the winter, but it has proved very useful, to plug in handlamps etc. and a jumpstart pack can be connected to it to charge it up as well, so you can charge up the pack as you are driving. ------------- 1981 E23 735i 1989 E30 325i Motorsport Cabrio 1989 E24 635CSi Motorsport Edition http://www.bavarianretro.com" rel="nofollow - Bavarian Retro Cars |
Posted By: Nick
Date Posted: 24-January-2005 at 08:54
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Cigarette lighter socket.. why didnt I think of that... I used a trailing lead with a female connector from Our Chris' R/C model spares, permanently installed in the boot... and put the male connector onto the charger... suppose I could have charged his model cars up whilst on the move though!
Anyway, back to the jumpstart thing... Have you noticed that other E30's with boot mounted batteries have connections under the bonnet for easy boost starting.. but the M3 dosent.. perhaps they are telling you something. ------------- |
Posted By: David 87M3
Date Posted: 24-January-2005 at 09:02
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How do you spike the ECU?
Basically when you jumpstart a car your supplying 12-14 volts to a dead system/battery. whats the difference in charging the battery and fitting a new one? How does that not "spike the ECU?" |
Posted By: PikeyM3
Date Posted: 24-January-2005 at 13:39
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Its not the voltage but the ampage that kills it. Jump starting rams ampage down the cables to instantly boost the battery. Thats why the jump cables often get hot when you use them. Pikey ------------- Old enough to know better, too young to care! |