Jump-starting
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WARNING
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. G
WARNING
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. G
WARNING
During the charging process, a battery produces hydrogen gas. If a short circuit occurs or sparks
are created, the hydrogen gas can ignite. There is a risk of an explosion.
R Make sure that the positive terminal of a connected battery does not come into contact with
vehicle parts.
R Never place metal objects or tools on a battery.
R It
is important that you observe the described order of the battery terminals when connecting
and disconnecting a battery.
R When jump-starting, make sure that the battery poles with identical polarity are connected.
R It is particularly important to observe the described order when connecting and disconnecting
the jumper cables.
R Never connect or disconnect the battery terminals while the engine is running. G
WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures below freezing point. When jump-starting the
vehicle
or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before charging it or jump-starting. G
WARNING
Non-combusted fuel can collect in the exhaust system and ignite. There is a risk of fire. Avoid
repeated and lengthy starting attempts.
! Avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may
damage the catalytic converter and create a risk of fire.
Do not use a rapid charging device to start the vehicle.
Make sure the jumper cables are not damaged.
Make sure the jumper cables are not touching any other metal objects when they are
connected to the battery. 308
Jump-starting
Breakdown assistance
If the indicator/warning lamps do not light up at temperatures around or below freezing point,
the discharged battery is likely to be frozen (a commonplace scenario). In this case, do not
jump-start the vehicle or recharge the battery.
Once the battery has thawed out, its service life may be dramatically reduced.
The starting characteristics can be impaired, particularly at low temperatures.
It is recommended that you have the thawed out battery checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Do
not start the vehicle using a rapid charging device. If your vehicle's battery is discharged,
the engine can be jump-started from another vehicle or from a second battery using jumper
cables. 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 gasoline 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 jumper cables which 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 jumper leads are not damaged.
R when the jumper cables are connected to the battery, uninsulated sections of the terminal
clamp do not come into contact with other metal sections.
R The jumper cables cannot come into contact with parts such as the pulley or the fan. These
parts move when the engine is started and while it is running.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Move the selector lever to position P.
X Switch off all electrical consumers (e.g. radio, blower, etc.).
X Open the hood (Y page 289). Jump-starting
309
Breakdown assistance Z
