That is almost as bad as the people at Car Talk who try to teach strangers how to spell words correctly. Perhaps the waiter was trying to help you pronounce the words properly.
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Somehow, I perceive a difference between people who are unable to communicate properly in their native language and someone who might be pronouncing one word incorrectly when in a foreign country.
You may wish to differ, which is your right.
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Just take your favorite jump packā¦plug in one end of the ācigarette jumper cordā that comes with high end packsā¦and the other end into the cigarette / power outlet in the vehicle and proceed to swap out the battery. The vehicle never knows what happened and nothing needs to be reset.
The jumper cord has two 12vdc cigarette adapter plugs on each endā¦its a very simple, very elegant solution to the problem at hand. Only difficulty is to not lose that cord as there is nowhere to store it on or in the pack thats that I currently have the trusty dusty ES5000ās
I didnāt want to post the entire article, because itāll probably be ignored.
But at least read this.
SPECIFIC VEHICLE BATTERY PROBLEMS
Here is a short list of some of the problems that can occur when disconnecting or replacing the battery on the following vehicle applications (refer to the OEM service literature for specific model and year applications and cautions):
- Chevy Tahoe Loss of voltage to the vehicle electrical system causes the 4WD module to go to sleep permanently. The module never wakes back up when power is restored, and the only way to restore normal 4WD operation is to replace the module with a new one (a repair that may cost you over a hundred dollars!).
- Mercedes (various models) Loss of voltage to the vehicle electrical system will prevent the A/C from working. The climate control module must be reset to restore normal operation. It may also disable the Stability Control System. The ABS module has to undergo a relearn procedure for the steering angle sensor to restore normal operation.
- Toyota (various models) If the battery is disconnected while the key is on, it can set a fault code for the airbag system and turn on the airbag warning light (which deactivates the airbag system until the fault is cleared with a scan tool).
- Subaru (various models) Disconnecting the battery can trigger the anti-theft system, preventing the vehicle from starting when the battery is reconnected.
- Saturn L-Series The body control module may forget the odometer display reading. Nice if you are selling a car and want a 0 mileage reading, but expensive to fix because it requires replacing the BCM (at a cost of $300 to $400) and reprogramming the odometer reading.
- Honda (various models) Disconnecting the battery will set a code and turn on the air bag light (which also disables the airbag system). The dealer must reset the system with a scan tool to restore normal operation.
- BMW, Audi & VW (various models) Disconnecting the battery requires numerous module relearn procedures which can take up to several hours with a factory scan tool
Tester
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Lots if good info, big negative (see what I did there?) for BMW.
Iām sure one day I will come across the vehicle where the umbilical power cord I referenced wont do the trick. I know that day is coming, but so far so good. I will have to investigate more before just assuming it will work every time for each vehicle.
Good info thereā¦
A friend of mine with a more recent BMW was quoted $800 to replace the battery. It was from the dealer who told him it included reprogramming.
If the cord uses the cigarette lighter plug (power outlet), remember that some cars turn off their power outlets when the key is off.
What really annoys me about the fancy charging systems on the newer BMWs is that the original battery on all four of my older BMWs lasted 7-8 years in Sacramento and was easily replaced, plug and play. On the 2013 wifemobile BMW, the original battery lasted only 5 years, cost $100 more, and I had to buy a $200 scanner (or pay someone $150) to reset the charging system to adjust for the new battery. This is an āImprovementā???
Off topic - but the reason I bought a 2-door 2013 was that it was the last naturally-aspirated 6-cyl BMW engine built. Unfortunately, it has the BMW adjustable-opening valves, which are prone to difficult-to-repair oil leaks, and it has no oil dipstick, in spite of the fact that BMW electronic oil level sensors have been notoriously inaccurate and failure-prone, and it has the BMW auto-destruct electric water pump. All these āimprovementsā were to increase power and mileage, but this car is the slowest and lowest mileage of my five BMWs (admittedly it is the heaviest because it is a convertible). The updated 2012+ turbocharged four cylinder engines that replaced the naturally aspirated sixes are now being junked because of failing oil pumps and timing chains.
My next car will be a Tesla.
From the BMW dealerās perspective, it is an improvement. The manufacturerās customers are the dealers. We are the dealerās customers. If they can do something to enhance the dealerās quality of life, they will give it serious consideration.
Yes @Manolito, i am awareā¦ when Im aware I take appropriate action with other jumper methods.
Actually in practice I donāt think there is much difference to the receiver, which is why such corrections have been discouraged for years. It makes people feel put on the spot, and itās not why theyāre here.
Vehicles that have no dipstickā¦ Ahā¦isnāt that wonderful?
Iāve actually installed a sight glass onto some machines when checking the oil was very difficultā¦which inevitably led to oil level abuse.
Its a simple device that allows fluid level check at a glanceā¦ Just like those glass level sights on a steam boiler. Very simpleā¦very effective and no dipstick or sensors required.
Perhaps this can be my next invention, that I never act uponā¦yet againā¦ A sight glass level check, just like it were 1899 again. It would be a nice feature on these dipstick-less vehiclesā¦ I need to seriously consider these ideas I keep coming up withā¦as a great many have made it to market long after I āinventedā it previouslyā¦just like this has already been invented long before any of us were bornā¦ I suppose you could call it an āimprovementā upon a former use of the ideaā¦ As you do not need to actually invent anything in order to profit from itā¦you can simply improve it or re-purpose a device that has already been patented etcā¦
As nice as my oil level at a glance device would beā¦ One would actually have to lift the hood to get a looksie at the deviceā¦and I fully understand that I may be asking far too much of vehicle owners with all this āhood liftingā business. But stillā¦ I think I may draw up some simple sight glass plansā¦I already have several ideas at present.