Page 122 of 422

03 Your driving environment
Starting the engine – external battery
03
120
Jump starting
If the battery is flat then the car can be started
with current from another battery.
When jump starting the car, the following steps
are recommended to avoid short circuits or
other damage:
1. Insert the remote control key in key posi-
tion 0, see page 78.
2. Check that the donor battery has a voltage
of 12 V.
3. If the donor battery is installed in another
car - switch off the donor car's engine and
make sure that the two cars do not touch
each other.4. Connect one of the red jump lead's clamps
to the donor battery's positive terminal (1).
IMPORTANT
Connect the start cable carefully to avoid
short circuits with other components in the
engine compartment.
5. Open the clips on the front cover of the
battery in your car and remove the cover,
see page 345.
6. Connect the red jump lead's other clamp
onto the car's positive terminal (2).
7. Connect one of the black jump lead's
clamps to the donor battery's negative ter-
minal (3).
8. Connect the other clamp to a grounding
point, e.g. right-hand engine mounting at
the top, the outer screw head (4).
9. Check that the jump lead clamps are
affixed securely so that there are no sparks
during the starting procedure.
10. Start the engine of the "donor car" and
allow it to run a few minutes at a speed
slightly higher than idle approx. 1500 rpm.
11. Start the engine in the car with the dis-
charged battery.
IMPORTANT
Do not touch the crocodile clips during the
start procedure. There is a risk of sparks
forming.
12. Remove the jump leads in reverse order -
first the black and then the red.
> Make sure that none of the black jump
lead's clamps comes into contact with
the battery's positive terminal or the
clamp connected to the red jump lead!
WARNING
•The battery can generate oxyhydrogen
gas, which is highly explosive. A spark
can be formed if a jump lead is con-
nected incorrectly, and this can be
enough for the battery to explode.
•The battery contains sulphuric acid,
which can cause serious burns.
•If sulphuric acid comes into contact
with eyes, skin or clothing, flush with
large quantities of water. If acid
splashes into the eyes - seek medical
attention immediately.
For more information on the car's battery - see
page 344.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 307 of 422

07 During your journey
Towing and recovery
07
305
Jump startingDo not tow the car to bump start the engine.
Use a donor battery if the battery is discharged
and the engine does not start, see page 120.
IMPORTANT
The catalytic converter may be damaged
during attempts to tow-start the engine.
Towing eye
The towing eye is screwed into a threaded
socket behind a cover on the right-hand side
of the bumper, front or rear.
Attaching the towing eye
Take out the towing eye that is located
under the floor hatch in the cargo area.
The cover for the towing eye's attachment
point is available in two variants which
must be opened in different ways:
•Open the variant with a recess using a
coin or similar inserted in the recess,
turning it outwards. Then turn out the
cover completely and remove it.
•The second variant has a marking along
one side or in a corner: Press the mark-
ing with a finger and fold out the oppo-
site side/corner at the same time using
a coin or similar - the cover turns around
its axis and can then be removed.Screw the towing eye right in up to its
flange. Turn in the towing eye firmly e.g.
using the wheel wrench.
After use, unscrew the towing eye and
return it to its place.
Finish by refitting the cover onto the
bumper.
IMPORTANT
The towing eye is only designed for towing
on roads - not for pulling the car unstuck or
out of a ditch. Call a recovery service for
recovery assistance.
NOTE
On certain cars with towbar fitted the towing
eye cannot be attached in the rear bracket.
Attach the towrope in the towbar.
For this reason it is advisable to store the
detachable towbar's towball in the car.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 346 of 422

09 Maintenance and service
Battery 09
344
Operation
The service life and function of the battery is
influenced by factors such as the number of
starts, discharging, driving style, driving con-
ditions, climatic conditions etc.
•Never disconnect the battery when the
engine is running.
•Check that the cables to the battery are
correctly connected and properly tight-
ened.
WARNING
•The battery can generate oxyhydrogen
gas, which is highly explosive. A spark
can be formed if a jump lead is con-
nected incorrectly, and this can be
enough for the battery to explode.
•The battery contains sulphuric acid,
which can cause serious burns.
•If sulphuric acid comes into contact
with eyes, skin or clothing, flush with
large quantities of water. If acid
splashes into the eyes - seek medical
attention immediately.
NOTE
The life of the battery is shortened if it
becomes discharged repeatedly.
The life of the battery is affected by several
factors, including driving conditions and cli-
mate. Battery starting capacity decreases
gradually with time and therefore needs to
be recharged if the car is not used for a
longer time or when it is only driven short
distances. Extreme cold further limits star-
ting capacity.
To maintain the battery in good condition, at
least 15 minutes of driving/week is recom-
mended or that the battery is connected to
a battery charger with automatic trickle
charging.
A battery that is kept fully charged has a
maximum service life.
IMPORTANT
Never use a quick charger to charge the
battery.
IMPORTANT
If the following instruction is not observed
then the energy saving function for infotain-
ment may be temporarily disengaged, and/
or the message in the information display
about the main battery's state of charge
may be temporarily inapplicable, following
the connection of an external battery or bat-
tery charger:
•The negative battery terminal on the
car's main battery must never be used
for connecting an external battery or
battery charger - only the car chassis
may be used as the grounding point.
See the section "Start assistance" - for a
description of how the cable clamps must
be attached.
ProCarManuals.com