PSUEDO-EMERGENCY -- battery disconnect

[ezekiel2517]

Hi guys, total car newb over here so please bear with me..

I have a '97 328i

I seem to have stripped my ignition or something, my car is currently running with the igintion in the ON position, but my key will not turn the car off! the ignition is completely locked. Can't get a tow to a locksmith or a repair shop until tomorrow, so in the meantime... how do I turn my car off?? I thought about disconnecting the battery but the bmw manual says that doing so while the car is running can fry the electronics or something.

This is a time-sensitive post so ANY help would be GREATLY appreciated.

[thekid]

hmmm.. is you car an automatic or a manual? If it's a manual put it in fifth and take the clutch out. If it's an auto, you'll prolly have to intterupt the fuel delivery. Siphon the gas out. Get a huge pan and pull your fuel line (not a good idea). Remove the fuse(s) that controls your fuel delivery. Theres lots of possibilities, but I'm not sure for an auto which would be the best.

[ezekiel2517]

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, afraid its an automatic.

Unfortunately what you suggested is far beyond my level of expertise (and equipment at hand)... so you think the disclaimer in the manual isn't there just to cover BMW's ass, and that I could actually fry my electronics system just by unhooking the battery?

[thekid]

I wouldn't disconnect the battery. But then again, I'm not you. Just open up your hood and remove the plastic cover from the fuse box and get the little plastic fuse remover that should be on the underside of the top of the box and just start pulling fuses. At worst you'll blow some of them and be out like $10 for new fuses. But then again I would def get some one else to say that this is ok before I did it.

Please not that I am not liable if anything else happens but I expect that at worst you might blow a few fuses.

[007ben]

um.

hmm... how does the key cut the power in the 1st place?....

is there wire that acts as a "kill" switch like on go carts and crap?

[thekid]

Originally posted by 007ben@Jul 6 2004, 11:03 PM
um.

hmm... how does the key cut the power in the 1st place?....

is there wire that acts as a "kill" switch like on go carts and crap?

yeah... but he'd have to rip apart his dash to get to it I believe. And I do think that there is a fuse for it, but my ownersmanual doesn't have a fuse diagram. But there is one on the underside of the top I do believe.

[e36_m3_Turbo]

unplugging the battery dosent help, it just takes power from your lights, radio, etc.

[El Presidente]

yes, but no battery = no fuel pump. no fuel pump = no fuel flow. no fuel flow = no running engine. If you haven't yet, just disconnect the negative battery terminal.

[ezekiel2517]

Pulled the fuel pump fuse, car sputtered for about 20 seconds then shut off. Hopefully I didn't mess anything up, won't know till tomorrow when I take it into the shop. Thanks for all the suggestions guys.

[El Presidente]

you will still need to disconnect the battery. If you don't, now that the engine isn't running but all the electronics still are, the battery will be dead by morning.

[ezekiel2517]

el presidente with the save! Thanks man, gonna do that right now.

[El Presidente]

good luck getting it fixed.

[thekid]

Awesome good luck today, make sure you put the fuse back in and get them to fix the key cylinder first and then try and start the car, then if by some odd reason something is wrong then tell them how you stopped the car. Depending on where you take it they may try and make you pay for other stuff that isn't broken, just beause you come in like "I didn't know what to do so I pulled this! Is everything ok?!?!" Just a thought at least. If you know and trust the place don't worry about it. But if you don't, then take the above suggestion.