What a Hero!

Kintarō Hattori

I met the missus after work and we headed back to the multi-story she had parked in. Hopped into the car and there was no kick from the engine. I guessed we might have a flat battery and she thought she might have left the lights on.
We called the AA and I headed back to the attendant to tell him they'd be calling into the carpark. As I walked away another customer heard me mention the AA and offered to give us a jump start.

What an amazingly lovely guy. He drove up to the fifth floor, broke out the car manual (he had an E60, we have an E90), jump leads and a torch. All told he gave up about 45 minutes of his evening, instead of being at home with his wife and kids, to help some fellow motorists stranded on the top floor of a city centre carpark on a dark evening. I'm still new to car ownership and so wasn't much help. Our first attempt wasn't successful but a second strategy was formulated and did the job.

All told this total stranger gave up about 45 minutes of his Friday evening. I work in online sales and gave him my business card explaining that if he saw anything on the site that he liked to either call me or drop me an email. He was adamant more than once that he wouldn't take up the offer and that he was simply doing the right thing and something he'd expect others to do if he were in the same situation.
I insisted again explaining that while we both thought along the same lines not everyone does but no he wouldn't hear of it, shook our hands and off he went.

What a guy.

cabb8ge

Good to here
Did you have flat battery sometime in recent past too?

CiniO

Obviously it's nice, but I must say I can't count times I was jump started by someone as well as I helped someone by jumpstarting his car.
I think this is pretty much normal between drivers

Kintarō Hattori

cabb8ge wrote: »

Good to here
Did you have flat battery sometime in recent past too?

No we had a problem with the distributor on the Micra when we had that.

CiniO wrote: »

Obviously it's nice, but I must say I can't count times I was jump started by someone as well as I helped someone by jumpstarting his car.
I think this is pretty much normal between drivers

I guess you're right but I'm full of so much praise as he gave up more than just a few minutes and it was a Friday evening after all. Also, I can't exaggerate just what a really really nice person this was.

Liamalone

Attempted to jump start a stranger's car last Friday, failed

Jesus.

Bloody hell OP. The bloke jump-started your car, not your heart after it stopped beating

JohnBoy26

Jesus. wrote: »

Bloody hell OP. The bloke jump-started your car, not your heart after it stopped beathing

It's not everyone that would do it though to be fair.

dgt

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

It's not everyone that would do it though to be fair.

Not just that, but devote their time to getting the car started no matter how long it took. That's the really nice part

ProudDUB

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I'm still new to car ownership and so wasn't much help. Our first attempt wasn't successful but a second strategy was formulated and did the job.

If you ever run into this kind of situ again, open up the bonnet of your car and leave it propped open. It will alert people around you that you are having a spot of bother. Very often, they will pop over to see if they can help you out.

A set of jumper cables is a smart thing to keep in the boot of your car. They aren't expensive. The next time you are at your local garage, get a mechanic to show you how to hook them up. It isn't hard, but connecting them incorrectly can do damage to your car and its battery. Then, the next time someone out there needs a Good Samaritan, you'll be able to return the favour.

Maybe I'm simplifying this, as I've no real experience of many cars, and perhaps BMWs are a pain in the ass under the bonnet (never had or dealt with a BMW), but is 45 minutes not a bit over the top for jumping someone?

I've had my car jumped, and jumped other cars, several times, and it never took any more than 5 minutes?

dgt

Deleted User wrote: »

Maybe I'm simplifying this, as I've no real experience of many cars, and perhaps BMWs are a pain in the ass under the bonnet (never had or dealt with a BMW), but is 45 minutes not a bit over the top for jumping someone?

I've had my car jumped, and jumped other cars, several times, and it never took any more than 5 minutes?

Battery towards the rear of the car/in rear of car since the early 90s.

Whilst I do see it as a bit on the long side myself (use a 535 to jump start other vehicles regularly) if one doesn't know how to jump start it will take longer

Gumbo

dgt wrote: »

Battery towards the rear of the car/in rear of car since the early 90s.

Whilst I do see it as a bit on the long side myself (use a 535 to jump start other vehicles regularly) if one doesn't know how to jump start it will take longer

Or most people don't know that you can jump BMW's from under the bonnet. No need to be messing around with the batteries in the boot of both cars, neither the flat car or the jumper car.

Still, fair play to the other driver.

On a side not, I also keep a set of jump leads in the boot.

dgt

dgt wrote: »

Battery towards the rear of the car/in rear of car since the early 90s.

Whilst I do see it as a bit on the long side myself (use a 535 to jump start other vehicles regularly) if one doesn't know how to jump start it will take longer

But sure boot-to-boot would make it easier wouldn't it? Rather than two long-ass bonnets getting in the way?

As I say, not a BMW owner or knowledgeable on them. Assumed they'd be fairly similar to everything else out there.

dgt

kceire wrote: »

Or most people don't know that you can jump BMW's from under the bonnet. No need to be messing around with the batteries in the boot of both cars, neither the flat car or the jumper car.

Still, fair play to the other driver.

On a side not, I also keep a set of jump leads in the boot.

More than likely the OP and the chap would have known this after consulting the manual. If the OP drove into the space it would be an arse to get to the bonnet, if they didn't jump it through the battery

I should invest in a set in one of the cars

Deleted User wrote: »

But sure boot-to-boot would make it easier wouldn't it? Rather than two long-ass bonnets getting in the way?

As I say, not a BMW owner or knowledgeable on them. Assumed they'd be fairly similar to everything else out there.

It's much of a muchness but the under bonnet connections are nearer to the alternator thus a more direct method of jumping.

Everything is nothing similar to anything :pac:

Stavros Murphy

Sitec wrote: »

5th floor! Bump start paradise

That and the last car I jump-started for someone(a magane) was never quite right afterwards...the voltage spikes can give some cars serious indigestion...I kinda pass on the whole "give me a jump" thing since, unless it's a mate or a lump I know isn't very modern and fragile on the ecu front.

bazz26

That sounds so wrong after reading it. :pac:

bmstuff

Deleted User wrote: »

But sure boot-to-boot would make it easier wouldn't it? Rather than two long-ass bonnets getting in the way?

As I say, not a BMW owner or knowledgeable on them. Assumed they'd be fairly similar to everything else out there.

Sometimes the battery is so flat that a jump does not cut it. You need to leave the leads connnected for several minutes. Had this recently with a neighboor. Jump start would not work. Brought my power supply, left it from 20-30mn. Then the car started straight off.

In fact recent bmw should not be started from the battery as many of them have an ibs sensor (e60/e63 etc), and jump starting from there might damage the sensor. Causing all sort of crazy issues afterwards. Aurbag etc. Engine bay has + and - connections.

Jesus.

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

I kinda pass on the whole "give me a jump" thing since, unless it's a mate or a lump I know.

kupus

bmstuff wrote: »

In fact recent bmw should not be started from the battery as many of them have an ibs sensor (e60/e63 etc), and jump starting from there might damage the sensor. Causing all sort of crazy issues afterwards. Aurbag etc. Engine bay has + and - connections.

I was just going to ask something like that.

In the newish cars isnt it a bad idea to jump start cars due to ecu and electrics etc?

mickdw

kupus wrote: »

I was just going to ask something like that.

In the newish cars isnt it a bad idea to jump start cars due to ecu and electrics etc?

Ya. Using a booster pack is a safer option really. Even doing everything right, it is too easy to end up with electronic issues when jump starting car to car given the delicate electronics of today.
In all cases, the battery should be allowed to charge up somewhat before attempting to start the car.

ironclaw

Had a similar experience yesterday, was in a car park and had 20c with a shed load of coppers. Machine (as usual) has a minimum spend of 30c and doesn't take coppers. Only needed about 15 mins. So I approached an elderly gentleman at the meter and he offered to pay for well over an hour if I needed it. No problem. Wouldn't even take the change I offered him (We're talking a total of 40c here) There's plenty of people my age (mid-20's) who would chase you for 20c and just say No.

Good people still exist, I just don't think its that common.

kirving

I appreciate why a booster pack is a better option, but is jumping really all that bad? Modern electronics are far more advanced, but the voltage range in which they can operate is very generous.

mickdw

Kevin Irving wrote: »

I appreciate why a booster pack is a better option, but is jumping really all that bad? Modern electronics are far more advanced, but the voltage range in which they can operate is very generous.

There have been horror stories and given the cost of repairing that type of stuff, it's not worth chancing imo.

ironclaw

Kevin Irving wrote: »

I appreciate why a booster pack is a better option, but is jumping really all that bad? Modern electronics are far more advanced, but the voltage range in which they can operate is very generous.

Its not the voltage, its the current / spike / ripple of the jump start. And its quite the opposite in fact. Modern electronics are extremely sensitive, you should always proceed as per the car manual.