In An Emergency; Emergency Starting; Emergency Towing; Towing For Recovery - Caterham SEVEN Owner's Handbook Manual

4. In an emergency

Emergency starting

WARNING!

During normal use, batteries emit hydrogen
gas, sufficient to cause severe explosions
capable of causing serious personal injury –
ensure sparks and naked lights are kept well
away from the engine compartment.

DO NOT disconnect the discharged battery.

Make sure BOTH batteries are of the same
voltage (12 volts) and that the jump leads are
approved for use with 12 volt car batteries.

To avoid injury, always adopt the following
procedure when using jump leads.

Figure 25: Jump lead connection

Using jump leads from a donor battery, or a battery
fitted to a donor vehicle, is the only approved
method of starting a car with a flat battery. Push or
tow starting is NOT recommended!
1) If a donor vehicle is to be used, the vehicles
should be parked with their battery locations
adjacent to one another. Ensure that the two
vehicles do not touch.
2) Apply the handbrakes and ensure that the gear
levers on both vehicles are in neutral.
3) Turn off the ignition switch and ALL electrical
equipment of BOTH vehicles.
4) Connect the RED jump lead between the
positive (+) terminals of BOTH batteries.
5) Connect the BLACK jump lead from the
negative (–) terminal of the donor battery, to a
good earth point (eg. engine mounting, engine
block or other unpainted surface), remote from
the battery and well away from fuel and brake
lines (see illustrations).
DO NOT connect a jump lead to the negative (–)
terminal of the discharged battery!
44
6) Check that the cables are clear of the moving
parts of both engines, then start the engine of
the donor vehicle and allow it to idle for a few
minutes.
7) Now start the engine of the car with the
discharged battery – DO NOT crank the engine
for more than 15 seconds at a time.
8) Once both engines are running normally, allow
them to idle for two minutes, before switching
off the engine of the donor vehicle and
disconnecting the jump leads. DO NOT switch
on any electrical circuits on the previously
disabled vehicle, until AFTER the jump leads
have been removed.
9) Disconnecting the jump leads must be an
EXACT reversal of the procedure used to
connect them, ie: disconnect the BLACK cable
from the earth point on the disabled vehicle
FIRST.

Emergency towing

Both the front and rear towing eyes are intended for
use ONLY by the emergency services, or qualified
vehicle recovery specialists, to assist in the
recovery of your car should a breakdown or an
accident occur.

DO NOT use the lashing eyes to tow your car
behind another vehicle.

DO NOT use the lashing eyes for towing
another vehicle.

Towing for recovery

If your car is to be towed, most qualified recovery
specialists will use wheel lift equipment to suspend
the front wheels while the rear wheels remain on
the ground. However, if it is necessary for the car to
be towed with all four wheels on the ground, follow
this procedure.

Before being towed:

1) Turn the ignition key to position 'I' to unlock the
steering, and then to position 'II' to enable the
brake lights, wipers and direction indicators to be
operated if necessary.
2) Place the gear lever in neutral.
3) Release the handbrake.
WARNING!

DO NOT attempt to tow the car unless the
ignition switch is turned to position 'I', in order
to unlock the steering (if, due to an accident
or electrical fault, this is considered unsafe,
disconnect the battery before turning the
switch).

DO NOT remove the ignition key, or turn the
switch to position 'O', while the car is in
motion.