244 Checking and filling
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac
cessories contain lead and lead com
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc
tive problems. Wash hands after han
dling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is switched on or when
the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage electronic components in the
electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing ", oth
erwise it will be damaged and will then have to be replaced .
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged
battery.
Fig. 203 E ng ine compar tment: Connectors for charger
a nd jumper cab les
Always read and heed all WARNINGS below
¢
.&. and ¢ .&. in Working on the battery on
page 243.
• Hybrid drive*: read the important informa
tion concerning a dead high voltage battery
under
¢page 105.
•Turnoff the ignition and all electrical con
sumers.
• Make sure the area is well ventilated when
you charge the battery. •
Open the engin e hood ¢
page 231.
• Remove th e cover (D by pressing on the ar
row
¢fig. 203.
• Open the cover @on the positive terminal.
• Connect the charger co nnectors according to
the instructions to the
jump start bolts .
(Bolts under the cover = "pos itive", Bolts
with hex head= "negative ").
• Only now plug the mains lead for the charg
ing equipment into the wall outlet and turn
it on¢ .&_.
• Make sure the charging rate is not over
30 amps/14.8 Volt.
• When the battery is fully charged: T urn the
charg ing equipment off and remove the
mains lead from the wall outlet.
• Now remove the clamps for the charging
equipment.
• Close the cover @on the positive terminal
and re-install the cover
(D.
• Close the hood¢ page 231.
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera
tures of only 32 °F (0 °C). Allow a frozen bat
tery to thaw completely before attempting to
charge it¢.&.. However, we recommend not
using a thawed battery again because the bat
tery casing can be cracked due to ice forma
tion and can leak battery acid.
Battery charging (Maximum charging rate
of 30 amps/14.8 Volt)
When charging at low voltages (e.g. with a
trickle charger), the battery cables do not
have to be disconnected first. The battery
caps should
not be opened when charging a
battery.
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the luggage compartment.
Fast charging the battery (charging rate
above 14.8 Volts)
For technical reasons do not use a battery
c h arger that uses voltage greater than 14.8
Volts to charge your vehicle's battery.
A WARNING
--
Charging a battery can be dangerous. ~
284 Emergency situations
@ Tips
-The discharged battery must be properly
connected to the vehicle's electrical sys
tem. When jump starting or charging the
battery, never connect the negative
ground cable to the battery negative
post because the battery manager sys
tem must be able to detect the battery's
state of charge . Always connect the neg
ative ground cable to the negative
ground post of the battery manager con
trol unit.
Use of jumper cables
Make sure to connect the jumper coble
clomps in exactly the order described below!
Fig . 229 Engine co mpartment: Conne cto rs fo r jum per
c ables a nd charger
Fig. 230 Ju m p sta rt in g w it h the bat te ry of anot her ve
h icle : @ booster battery ,@ disc harged vehicle battery
The procedure described below for connecting
jumper cables is intended to provide a jump
start for your veh icle .
Hybrid drive*: read the important information
concerning a dead high voltage battery under
c:;, poge 105.
Vehicle with discharged battery:
"Turn off lights and accessor ies, move lever
of automatic transmission
to N (Neutra l) or
P (Park) and set parking brake.
Connect POSITIVE(+) to POSITIVE(+)
(red)
.. Remove the cover CD by pressing on the ar
row
c:;, fig. 229 .
.. Open the cover @on the positive terminal.
l. Connect one end of the red positive cable
on the
jump start bolt c:;, fig. 230 CD
(Bolts under cover= "positive") of the ve
hicle to be started @.
2. Connect the other end to the positive ter-
minal @of the booster battery@.
Connect NEGATIVE( -) to NEGATIVE( -)
(black)
3 . Connect one end of the black negative ca
ble to the negat ive termina l@ of the
booster battery @.
4. Connect the other end of the black nega
tive cab le to the
jump start bolt@ (Bolts
with hex head= "negative") of the vehicle
to be started @.
Starting the engine
"Start the engine of the veh icle w ith the
booster battery@. Run the engine at a
moderate speed .
.. Start engine with discharged vehicle battery
@ in the usual manner .
.. If the engine fails to start: do not keep the
starter cranking for longer than 10 seconds.
Wait for about 30 seconds and then try aga in.
" With engine running, remove jumper cables
from both vehicles in the exact
reverse or·
de r.
" Close the cover @on the positive terminal
and re-install the cover
CD c:;, fig. 229.
The battery is vented to the outside to prevent
gases from entering the vehicle inter ior. Make
sure that the jumper clamps are well connect
ed with their
metal ports in full contact with
the battery terminals.
