Jump Start 355

Look on the right hand side under the black cover the length of the engine bay which is held with 2 or 3 allen keys and needs removing first

The manual calls it 'under the protective cover' then the points shown in the manual are just behind the shock turret

 

Not in this location? You did remove the cover that attaches over this area, yes?

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Keep in mind that jump starts have a bad tendency of frying 355 and 360 ABS ECUs, alternators, and digital dashes (where applicable)...

 

Good reason to install a 12 volt surge suppressor... (on any car)

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Aye, that helps, but the giant voltage spikes can come from Tesla's magnetism to unconnected wire voltage transfer effect simply due to so much current passing *near* otherwise unconnected circuitry when you lay jumper cables over shielded wires to reach to the jumper post terminals.

You can see a small example of the above effect by having a timing light wire near a spark plug wire, as the magnetism from one will spike a voltage in the other. The timing light's wire will never have metal to metal contact with the spark plug wire...you are simply getting the shielded timing light wire *near* the shielded spark plug wire.

Tesla's voltage effect does the rest.

 

Tesla is dead so I guess "his" magnetism doesn't come into play anymore. Geeez...

The moon may fall out of orbit tomorrow and strike the earth.

Either it helps or it doesn't (you agreed it does). If you need a jump on a 355 in some odd location and don't have time or the ability to get the car flat-bedded you're going to have to jump start it. Not likely you're going to get to the battery on a 355 while on the side of the road to pull it out for charging or disconnect it and put a good battery across it.

Welders use these things.

Spark plug wires? You're talking 20,000 + volts. A bit different (and then I guess we should be frying various modules every time we have our cars running).

 

It helps because it stops the voltage spikes that come in from the good car that is doing the jumping.

But that's not the source of the multi-thousand-volt spikes that cause problems. The more dangerous voltage spikes come in via magnetism to your shielded wires that have no direct contact with the jumper cables as hundreds of amps of current flow through them.


In fact, that's how inductors (Tesla Coils) are made...with nice, insulated wires.

 

Why would you assume there will be hundreds of amps going through them? It depends on how low the battery is.

I've worked with coils, inductors, transformers etc. for years. I'm familiar with induced voltages.

Bottom line is these things help and a person would do well to have one installed if they must get a jump start and cannot access the battery.

 

Think about getting some of Gothspeeds quick turnscrews so if you ever have to remove that plate again, your not looking for a allen key..

 

I actually put thumbscrews on them some time ago (similar to what Goth has). There were 10mm hex head bolts on mine (rather than Allen). In any event it seemed silly to me that if I had to get a jump some time, in the middle of nowhere, I'd be out of luck if neither of us had a tool to remove the cover!

Anyway, everyone should get Goth's thumbscrews or equivalent. Murphy's law and all that...

As an aside, how is it that SO MANY 355's have the right-hand side cover plate missing (based on For Sale photos)? Can mechanics really be so sloppy? Would they not notify the owner after they find the cover in their shop? Strange....

 

Just a reminder that there IS an correct Allen wrench in the leather tool kit, or at least there was when the car left the factory.

I switched both of my covers over to these knobs many years ago

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=9294119&PMT4NO=0



Jay
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Better to say the right side of the car rather than driver's side since we have British, Australian and Asian folk on here. Left-Right on a car is always determined when your sitting in the car. Another way to put it is looking at the car from the rear.

So... the photo is from the right side of the car (if your car is Left Hand Drive, which it most likely is, you should be looking under the passenger side cover).

 

Who mentioned driver's side ?

 

Good idea, but the simplest solution of all is for everyone to use a battery tender, and this will reduce the necessity of jump starting, not completely, but probably from a practical sense. I have never needed to jump start any of my cars or motorcycle since buying one for each 9+ years ago.

 

I use a Battery Tender at home also and for that reason put another 12v surge suppressor directly across the battery terminals in case something nasty ever comes out of the Battery Tender. Don't know if it's really necessary with the other one at the far end of the car but can't hurt.