Page 261 of 321

261 Practical hints
Battery
Battery
The battery is located in the engine com-
partment on the right-hand side.
Disconnecting the battery
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Open the hood (
page 202).
Disconnect the battery negative lead.
Remove the cover from the positive ter-
minal.
Disconnect the battery positive lead.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting,
you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking etc.
!Never loosen or detach battery termi-
nal clamps while the engine is running
or the key is in the steering lock. Other-
wise the alternator and other electronic
components could be severely dam-
aged.
Have the battery checked regularly by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Refer to Service Booklet for mainte-
nance intervals or contact your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center for further information.Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof battery only to avoid the risk
of acid burns in the event of an accident.
Warning!
G
With a disconnected battery
y o u w i l l n o l o n g e r b e a b l e t o t u r n t h e k e y
in the steering lock
the selector lever will remain locked in
positionP
Page 264 of 321

264 Practical hintsJump starting
Jump starting
If the battery is discharged, the engine can
be started with jumper cables and the bat-
tery of another vehicle. Observe the follow-
ing:
Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic convert-
er are cold.
Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.
Only jump start from batteries with the
same voltage rating (12V). Jump start-
ing with a more powerful battery could
damage the vehicle's electrical system,
which will not be covered by the Mer-
cedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Use only jumper cables with sufficient-
cross-section, insulated terminal
clamps and polarity reversal protec-
tion.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking etc.
Attempting to jump start a frozen battery
can result in it exploding, causing personal
injury.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
iJumper cables with polarity reversal
protection are available at any autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
Page 265 of 321

265 Practical hints
Jump starting
The battery is located in the engine com-
partment.
Make sure that the two vehicles do not
touch.
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Apply parking brake.
Shift selector lever to positionP.1Positive terminal
2Cable clamps
3Negative terminal
4Cover
Remove cover4 from positive terminal
on both vehicles.
Connect positive terminals1 on the
batteries with the jumper cables. Start
with the charged battery.
!Jump starting may only be performed
on the battery installed in the engine
compartment.
Avoid repeated and lengthy starting at-
tempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine us-
ing a battery quick charge unit.
If engine does not run after several un-
successful starting attempts, have it
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by
repeated failed starting attempts may
damage the catalytic converter.
Make sure the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not
touch any other metal part while the
other end is still attached to a battery.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 261).
Page 266 of 321
266 Practical hintsJump starting
Let the engine of the assisting vehicle
run at idle speed.
Connect the negative terminals3 of
the batteries with the jumper cables.
Start with the charged battery.
Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.Now you can again turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.
Remove the jumper cables first from
the negative terminals3 of the batter-
ies and then from the positive
terminals1.
Have the battery checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.iThe vehicle cannot be started via
tow-start.