# BMW "battery safety terminal" question **URL:** \ **Category:** Shift518 Automotive\ **Created:** [July 28, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534 "2012-07-28T14:18:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yota](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@yota](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/yota)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/1 "2012-07-28T14:18:23Z")
Lost all electrical power after starting up my E39 530 this morning. After some searching around, I was reminded of BMW’s use of what they call a “battery safety terminal”. Basically, this thing is supposed to cut all electrical power in the event of a crash, or in my case shutting the driver’s door to run to the store. That being said, mine is “bad”, even though I got the vehicle to start after wiggling the cable a bit. Seems like it’s pretty pricey to replace, and I’m not really sure I want it there honestly. If I get in that bad of a wreck where electrical power needs to be cut immediately, I’d assume the car is totaled. Does anyone see a problem with splicing on a length of appropriate gage wire in place of this terminal box, and deleting it from the vehicle? Any of you have some spare time and want to help me out? I’m thinking I can hopefully pick up the parts at Advanced Auto or Napa and knock it out in an hour or so. ---
**Author:** ![underboosted](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/underboosted/32/6424_2.png) [@underboosted](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/underboosted)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/2 "2012-07-28T15:20:47Z")
Mine went off when it got hit. I put it back together and have had no problems. Just the air bag light on the dash is on. Been running it like that for months. ---
**Author:** ![yota](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@yota](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/yota)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/3 "2012-07-28T15:58:40Z")
How do you put it back together? Sent from my fecal collecting throne ---
**Author:** ![underboosted](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/underboosted/32/6424_2.png) [@underboosted](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/underboosted)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/4 "2012-07-28T17:48:59Z")
Take the black cover off of the terminal and you’ll how it goes together ---
**Author:** ![GearheadNY.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GearheadNY.com](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/GearheadNY.com)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/5 "2012-07-28T18:00:14Z")
Troof^^^ Also, I believe a 1.8 ohm resistor will turn the airbag light off if you put it in line where the explosive was. ---
**Author:** ![yota](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@yota](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/yota)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/6 "2012-07-28T18:56:41Z")
My airbag light isn’t on, which confuses me… So if this thing is “bad” the airbag light should be on? I know when I wiggled the red wire going into it, the car regained electrical power. I’ll look at it more in the morning. Thanks for the help so far guys! Sent from my fecal collecting throne ---
**Author:** ![yota](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@yota](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/yota)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/7 "2012-07-28T21:24:01Z")
Found this .pdf file after a bit of searching for BST repair. I wonder how much this repair kit costs? Ughhh… [http://www.rfdm.com/Daniel/MRoadster/BMWDocs/TIS/pdf/12\_42\_540.pdf](http://www.rfdm.com/Daniel/MRoadster/BMWDocs/TIS/pdf/12_42_540.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![underboosted](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/underboosted/32/6424_2.png) [@underboosted](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/underboosted)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/8 "2012-07-29T03:55:10Z")
I looked up the repair piece before and it was 500 dollars. Also your air bag light might not come on. I also had the steering wheel air bag go off when mine was hit. ---
**Author:** ![K20power](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/41988e/32.png) [@K20power](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/K20power)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 4:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/9 "2012-07-29T04:53:11Z")
Get a refund. Welcome to older German cars ---
**Author:** ![GearheadNY.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GearheadNY.com](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/GearheadNY.com)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/10 "2012-07-29T05:30:22Z")
Just bypass it. He’s right because it really does cost about 500… for roughly 3ft of cable you splice into the power cable… not worth it IMO… ---
**Author:** ![xreaction](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/xreaction/32/6409_2.png) [@xreaction](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/xreaction)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/11 "2012-07-29T22:41:28Z")
Didn’t you just pick this up? have the previous owner pay up for the part ---
**Author:** ![Wayne64SS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/wayne64ss/32/6365_2.png) [@Wayne64SS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Wayne64SS)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 9:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/12 "2012-07-30T09:45:45Z")
ummm didn’t he buy it as-is? Shit happens, you bought a German car. IMO the seller isn’t responsible for shit unless you bought it from a dealer and it’s under the 30 day warranty. ---
**Author:** ![K20power](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/41988e/32.png) [@K20power](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/K20power)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 9:57am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/13 "2012-07-30T09:57:30Z")
Well I do know that the seller he bought it from does go to the auction and pick these cars he sells up, don’t you have to be a dealer or “dealer” to do so?? ---
**Author:** ![Wayne64SS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/wayne64ss/32/6365_2.png) [@Wayne64SS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Wayne64SS)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 10:01am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/14 "2012-07-30T10:01:31Z")
ohhhh yea… thats a lil different then! i believe you have to offer a 30 day for NYS don’t ya? ---
**Author:** ![yota](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@yota](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/yota)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 10:05am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/15 "2012-07-30T10:05:47Z")
Yes, the seller sold this as a “dealership”. Tell me more about this 30 day warranty you speak of. PM me if necessary. I pushed in on the cable and have had no other issues since, but I still want this fixed a bit more permanently at some point soon. I was a BMW tech back in 2002-2004 so I know about German cars and don’t mind doing maintenance- it just pissed me off that this happened not even 24 hours after signing the paperwork. ---
**Author:** ![JSEnclosures](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jsenclosures/32/6678_2.png) [@JSEnclosures](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JSEnclosures)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 10:05am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/16 "2012-07-30T10:05:51Z")
only if he’s selling the cars as dealers cars. if he’s selling private party it’s as-is sucks but it doesn’t sound like a big deal if you just bypass it. ---
**Author:** ![K20power](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/41988e/32.png) [@K20power](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/K20power)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 10:12am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/17 "2012-07-30T10:12:36Z")
If it was sold as a dealership then it’s required to have a 30 day ---
**Author:** ![Wayne64SS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/wayne64ss/32/6365_2.png) [@Wayne64SS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Wayne64SS)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 10:12am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/18 "2012-07-30T10:12:50Z")
you’re fucked. it’s gotta be under 100k. [http://www.lemonjustice.com/lemon-law/NY\_summary.php](http://www.lemonjustice.com/lemon-law/NY_summary.php) have you contacted the dude? If I sold the car I’d have you bring it back and I’d just bypass it. ---
**Author:** ![Wayne64SS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/wayne64ss/32/6365_2.png) [@Wayne64SS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Wayne64SS)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 10:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/19 "2012-07-30T10:13:14Z")
> [@Gun guys.. step in please.. buying my first gun](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gun-guys-step-in-please-buying-my-first-gun/50302/42): > > If it was sold as a dealership then it’s required to have a 30 day out on mileage. ---
**Author:** ![yota](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@yota](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/yota)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 10:21am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534/20 "2012-07-30T10:21:13Z")
I contacted him, was told he was going to “call his friend who knows a lot about BMWs, and he would call me back.” I obviously haven’t heard shit from him. I was fine with the clunk in the left front suspension- even after reading where the Ad says the car “needs nothing” since I know it’s an easy fix of pressing in a new hydraulic bushing in one of the front control arms (a common maintenance item on E39s). This blindsided me though to be honest. Obviously, I would love to have him fix it, or at the very least offer some sort of assistance, but I guess that comes down to him standing behind what he sells, or not. [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bmw-battery-safety-terminal-question/264534.md?page=2)