Comply with safety precautions and take pro-
tective measures when handling batteries.WARNINGFire, naked flames and smoking
are prohibited when handling the
battery. Avoid creating sparks.Battery acid is caustic. Avoid con-
tact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Wear suitable protective clothing,
in particular gloves, an apron and
a face mask.
Immediately rinse acid splashes
off with clean water. Consult a doc-
tor if necessary.Wear eye protection.Keep children away.Observe this Owner's Manual.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use batteries which have
been tested and approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz. These batteries provide
increased impact protection to prevent vehi-
cle occupants from suffering acid burns
should the battery be damaged in the event
of an accident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maxi-
mum possible service life, it must always be
sufficiently charged.
Like other batteries, the vehicle battery may
discharge over time if you do not use the
vehicle. In such cases, have the battery dis-
connected at a qualified specialist workshop.
You can also charge the battery with a
charger recommended by Mercedes-Benz.
For more information, please contact a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Have the battery charge checked more fre-
quently if you use the vehicle mainly for short
trips or if you leave it standing idle for a
lengthy period. Consult a qualified specialist
workshop if you wish to leave your vehicle
parked up for a long period of time.
i When you park the vehicle, remove the
key if you do not require any electrical con-
sumers. The vehicle will then use very little
energy, thus conserving battery power.
i If the power supply has been interrupted,
e.g. if the battery was discharged, you will
have to:
R set the clock (audio system/COMAND
Online, see the separate operating
instructions).
R reset the function for folding the exterior
mirrors in/out automatically, by folding
the mirrors out once ( Y page 102).
Charging the battery
GWARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive
gases can escape from the battery. There is a
risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, naked flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting.
Do not lean over a battery.
GWARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury.
Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Do not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean
over the battery. Keep children away from
batteries. Wash battery acid immediately with
water and seek medical attention.
GWARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera-
tures below freezing point. When jump-start-
ing the vehicle or charging the battery, gases
304Battery (vehicle)Breakdown assistance
ProCarManuals.com
Do not use a rapid charging device to start the vehicle. If your vehicle's battery is discharged,
the engine can be jump-started from another vehicle or from a second battery using jump
leads. Observe the following points:
R The battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle's battery is not accessible,
jump-start the vehicle using a second battery or a jump-starting device.
R Vehicles with a petrol engine: only jump-start the vehicle when the engine and exhaust
system are cold.
R Do not start the engine if the battery is frozen. Let the battery thaw first.
R Jump-starting may only be performed from batteries with a nominal voltage of 12 V.
R Only use jump leads that have a sufficient cross-section and insulated terminal clamps.
R If the battery is fully discharged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connected
for a few minutes before attempting to start. This charges the empty battery a little.
R Make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
Make sure that:
R the jump leads are not damaged.
R bare parts of the terminal clamp do not come into contact with other metal parts while the
jump leads are connected to the battery.
R the jump leads cannot come into contact with parts which can move when the engine is
running, such as the V-belt pulley or the fan.XSecure the vehicle by applying the electric parking brake.XM anual transmission: depress the clutch pedal fully and shift to neutral.XAutomatic transmission: shift the transmission to position P.XTurn the key to position 0 in the ignition lock and remove it.XSwitch off all electrical consumers, e.g. rear window heating, lighting etc.XOpen the bonnet.Jump-starting307Breakdown assistanceZProCarManuals.com
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
! Only secure the tow cable or tow bar to
the towing eyes or, if available, to the trailer
tow hitch. You could otherwise damage the
vehicle.
! Observe the following points when towing
with a tow rope:
R Secure the tow rope on the same side on
both vehicles.
R Make sure that the tow rope is not longer
than legally permitted. Mark the tow rope
in the middle, e.g. with a white cloth
(30 x 30 cm). This will make other road
users aware that a vehicle is being
towed.
R Only secure the tow cable to the towing
eyes or, if available, to the trailer tow
hitch.
R Observe the brake lamps of the towing
vehicle while driving. Always maintain a
distance a distance so that the tow rope
does not sag.
R Do not use steel cables or chains to tow
your vehicle. You could otherwise dam-
age the vehicle.
! Do not use the towing eyes for recovery
purposes as this could damage the vehicle.
If in doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
! Pull away smoothly when towing away or
tow-starting a vehicle. If the tractive power
is too high, the vehicles could be damaged.
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum
of 50 km. A towing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.For towing distances over 50 km, the front
axle or the entire vehicle must be raised
and transported.
! Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-started. The transmission
may otherwise be damaged.
Observe the legal requirements for the rele-
vant countries when towing and tow-starting.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
when towing a vehicle, the transmission must
be in position N.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2
R vehicles with automatic transmission:
cannot shift the transmission to position N
i Deactivate the automatic locking feature
( Y page 223). You could otherwise be
locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
Deactivate tow-away protection
( Y page 71) before the vehicle is towed.Towing and tow-starting309Breakdown assistanceZProCarManuals.com
the combination switch, the hazard warn-
ing lamps start flashing again.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
automatic transmission automatically shifts
to position P when you open the driver's or
front-passenger door or when you remove the
key from the ignition lock. In order to ensure
that the automatic transmission stays in posi-
tion N when towing the vehicle, you must
observe the following points:XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary.XTurn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.XDepress and hold the brake pedal.XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
XTurn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.XDepress and hold the brake pedal.XDepress the clutch pedal fully and shift to
neutral.
Vehicles with manual or automatic trans-
mission:
XLeave the key in position 2 in the ignition
lock.XRelease the brake pedal.XRelease the electric parking brake.XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y page 110).
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
( Y page 308).
Transporting the vehicle
! You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise,
the vehicle could be damaged.
XVehicles with manual transmission:
depress the clutch pedal fully and shift to
neutral.XVehicles with automatic transmission:
turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.XMove the transmission to position N.
As soon as the vehicle is loaded:
XPrevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.XVehicles with manual transmission:
depress the clutch pedal fully and engage
first or reverse gear.XVehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position P.XTurn the key to position 0 in the ignition
lock and remove it.XSecure the vehicle.
The towing eyes or trailer tow hitch can be
used to pull the vehicle onto a trailer or trans-
porter if you wish to transport it.
Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
! Do not tow-start vehicles with automatic
transmission. You could otherwise damage
the automatic transmission.
Before tow-starting the following conditions
must be fulfilled:
R the battery is connected.
R the engine has cooled down.
R the exhaust system has cooled down.
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y page 110).XFit the towing eye ( Y page 310).XSecure the rigid towing bar or the towing
rope.XDepress and hold the brake pedal.XTurn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.Towing and tow-starting311Breakdown assistanceZProCarManuals.com