Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with
eyes, skin or clothing. In case it does,
immediately flush affected area with water
and seek medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc. G
WARNING
Do not place any metal objects on a battery.
You could otherwise cause a short circuit
and the battery’s highly flammable chemi-
cals could ignite.
Never allow any metal object to contact both
battery terminals or the positive terminal and the vehicle body at the same time. This
might short circuit the battery and ignite
the highly flammable and explosive hydro-
gen gas generated by the battery, causing
serious personal injury. G
WARNING
Keep flames or sparks away from battery,
avoid improper connection of jumper
cables, smoking, etc. R When disconnecting the battery, always
disconnect the negative terminal first,
followed by positive terminal.
R When connecting the battery, always con-
nect the positive terminal first, fol-
lowed by the negative terminal.
R Do not loosen or disconnect the battery
terminal clips while the drive system is
running or the key is in the starter
switch.
! Never loosen or detach battery terminal
clamps while the drive system is running or the key is in the starter switch. Oth-
erwise, electronic components could be
severely damaged.
Have the battery checked regularly at an
authorized electric drive smart center. Refer to Maintenance Booklet for main-
tenance intervals or contact an author-
ized electric drive smart center for fur-
ther information.
! Never invert the terminal connections! Notes on the high‑voltage battery
Have work on the high-voltage battery per- formed by an authorized electric drive
smart center only. Observe the safety noteson (Y page 16) as well as the notes on the 12-
volt battery (Y page 197). G
WARNING
The electrolyte of the high-voltage bat-
tery, i.e. the battery fluid, is toxic and
caustic. Do not allow this fluid to come in
contact with eyes, skin or clothing, for
example in case of an accident.
In case it does, immediately flush affected area with water and seek medical help
immediately.
The high-voltage battery is located in the
vehicle underbody. Keep this in mind when
jacking up the vehicle. The vehicle has
designated take-up brackets for the jack.
For more information, see (Y page 196).
! Only position the jack on the designa-
ted take-up brackets.
You must not position the jack under the
high-voltage battery. Otherwise, the
high-voltage battery could be damaged. 198
Batteries>> Practical hints.
Jump start assistance
Your vehicle’s 12-volt battery is located in the passenger footwell below the footrest
(Y page 199).
For jump starting, use the terminals of the battery, keeping the leads connected.
X Make sure the two vehicles do not touch.
X Switch off all electrical consumers.
X Engage the parking brake.
X Move the gear selector lever to park position P.
X Switch off the drive system.
X Get access to the battery in the passenger footwell (Y page 199).
X Remove the positive terminal cover. Position
Arepresents the charged battery of another vehicle or an equivalent starter
pack.
! Never invert the terminal connections!
X Connect positive terminal :of charged battery Awith positive terminal ;of your
vehicle’s battery Bwith a jumper cable. Clamp the jumper cable to positive termi-
nal :of charged battery Afirst.
X Start the engine of the vehicle with charged battery A.
X Connect negative terminal =of charged battery Awith negative terminal ?of your
vehicle’s battery Bwith a jumper cable. Clamp the jumper cable to negative terminal
= of charged battery Afirst.
X Start the drive system of your vehicle. You can now switch on minimal consumers. Do not
switch on large consumers such as the rear window defroster or headlamps. 202
Jump starting>> Practical hints.
X
Remove the jumper cables from negative terminals =and ?first.
X Remove the jumper cables from positive terminals :and ;.
You can now switch on the headlamps.
X Remount the positive terminal cover.
X Have the 12-volt battery checked at the nearest authorized electric drive smart center.
i Please keep in mind that it will take quite some time to charge the 12-volt battery.
When you switch off the drive system after driving a short distance, you may not be able to start it again.
Charge the 12-volt battery completely as soon as possible. Towing
About towing
This section offers information on towing
methods for breakdown situations and
emergency towing. Recommended towing method - Break-
down situation
! To prevent damage during transport, do
not tie down the vehicle by its chassis or suspension parts — use only wheel straps to position and hold down the vehicle.
Improper tie down on a flatbed carrier
truck or trailer can damage suspension
parts and body panels.
smart recommends that the vehicle be
transported with all wheels off the ground
using a flatbed carrier truck or appropri- ate wheel lift/dolly equipment.
Always have your vehicle transported:
R when the Nwarning lamp for the high-
voltage system lights up in the instru-
ment cluster
R when the Do not tow (away)
Do not tow (away) message
appears in the instrument cluster
R when the multifunction display is inop-
erative R
when one or several of the following
warning lamps light up:
- þ Drive diagnostics (red)
- # 12‑Volt battery
D Power steering
R if the brake pedal already starts to pul-
sate just after towing begins
R if you have to transport the vehicle over
long distances
X Switch off the tow‑away protection* and
interior motion sensor* (Y page 50). Emergency towing
When circumstances do not permit the rec-
ommended towing method, the vehicle may
be towed with all wheels on the ground
using a strap or tow bar connected to
another vehicle. Only tow the vehicle as far as necessary to have the vehicle moved to a
safe location where the recommended tow-
ing method can be employed. G
WARNING
If circumstances require towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:
R the drive system will not run
R there is a malfunction in the brake sys-
tem
R there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system Towing
203>> Practical hints.
* optional Z
