occupants from suffering acid burns should the
battery be damaged in the event of an accident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maximum possible service life, it must always be suffi-
ciently charged.
Like other batteries, the vehicle battery may
discharge over time if you do not use the vehicle. In such cases, have the battery disconnected ata qualified specialist workshop. You can also
charge the battery with a charger recommended
by Mercedes-Benz. For more information,
please contact a qualified 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.
When you park the vehicle, remove the key if you do not require any electrical consumers. The
vehicle will then use very little energy, thus con- serving battery power.
If the power supply has been interrupted, e.g. if the battery was discharged, you will have to:
R set the clock. Information on setting the clock
can be found in the Digital Owner's Manual.
On vehicles with a multimedia system, the
time is set automatically.
R reset the function for folding the exterior mir-
rors in/out automatically, by folding the mir-
rors out once (Y page 103). Charging the battery
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
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury. Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Do not breathe in any battery gases. Do not
lean over the battery. Keep the batteries out
of the reach of children. Immediately rinse off battery acid thoroughly with plenty of clean
water and seek medical attention at once. G
WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera-
tures below freezing point. When jump-start-
ing 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.
! Only use battery chargers with a maximum
charging voltage of 14.8 V.
! Only charge the battery using the jump-start
connection point.
The jump-starting connection point is in the
engine compartment (Y page 305).
X Open the bonnet.
X Connect the battery charger to the positive
terminal and earth point in the same order as
when connecting the donor battery in the
jump-starting procedure (Y page 305).
If the indicator/warning lamps do not light up at
low temperatures, it is very likely that the dis-
charged battery has frozen. In this case, you
may neither charge the battery nor jump-start
the vehicle. The service life of a battery that has been thawed may be reduced. The starting char-
acteristics may be impaired, especially at low
temperatures. Have the thawed battery
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Never charge a battery still installed in the vehi-
cle unless a battery charger unit approved by
Mercedes-Benz is being used. A battery charger unit specially adapted for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles and tested and approved by Mercedes-
Benz is available as an accessory. This device
permits charging of the battery in position. Con-
tact a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for infor-
mation and availability. Read the battery charg- er's operating instructions before charging the
battery. 304
Battery (vehicle)Breakdown assistance
Jump-starting
For the jump-starting procedure, use only the jump-starting connection point, consisting of a pos- itive terminal and an earth point, in the engine compartment. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury.
Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing. Do not breathe in any battery gases. Do not lean over the battery. Keep the batteries out of the reach of children. Immediately rinse off battery acid
thoroughly with plenty of clean water and seek medical attention at once. 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 jump leads.
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.
! Vehicles with a petrol engine:
avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise, the
non-combusted fuel may damage the catalytic converter.
If the indicator/warning lamps do not light up at low temperatures, it is very likely that the dis-
charged battery has frozen. In this case you may neither jump-start the vehicle nor charge the
battery. The service life of a battery that has been thawed may be reduced. The starting charac-
teristics may be impaired, especially at low temperatures. Have the thawed battery checked at a
qualified specialist workshop. Jump-starting
305Breakdown assistance Z
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 Jump-starting may only be performed using 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 Non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps 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.
X Firmly depress the parking brake.
X Manual transmission: depress the clutch pedal fully and shift to neutral.
X Automatic transmission: shift the transmission to position P.
X Make sure the ignition is switched off. All indicator lamps in the instrument cluster must be off.
When using the key, turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock and remove it (Y page 132).
X Switch off all electrical consumers, e.g. rear window heating, lighting etc.
X Open the bonnet. Position number
Bidentifies the charged battery of the other vehicle or an equivalent jump-starting
device. 306
Jump-startingBreakdown assistance