Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca916
I don't think the cigarette lighter socket is permanently live so will only allow charge when ignition is on. A feature of modern canbus cars which can be a pain in the ass.
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Correct. Unlike the old E30, E36 and E46 cars, the new 3-series and the 1-series no longer have a live power socket when the car is off. I suspect people were leaving their cell phones, iPods and other junk plugged in and running down the battery. So BMW "fixed" the problem by not keeping the socket live when the ignition off.
You need to connect the trickle charger to the posts under the hood. In the owner's manual look for the section on how to jump the car. That will show you a picture of where to connect the clips.