The highly flammable gas mixture is created
while the battery is charging and when jump-
starting.
Always make sure that neither you nor the bat-
tery is electrostatically charged. Electrostatic
charge is created, for example:
R by wearing synthetic-fibre clothing
R by friction between clothing and the seat
R if you pull or push the battery across carpet or
other synthetic materials
R if you rub the battery with a cloth G
WARNING
During the charging process, a battery produ- ces 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 con- tact with vehicle parts.
R Never place metal objects or tools on a bat-
tery.
R It is important that you observe the descri-
bed 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 dis-
connecting the jump leads.
R Never connect or disconnect the battery
terminals while the engine is running. 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.
All vehicles: H
Environmental note Batteries contain pollutants.
It is illegal to dispose of them
with the household rubbish.
They must be collected sep-
arately and disposed of in anenvironmentally responsible
recycling system. Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally responsible
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop or to a col-
lection point for used batter-
ies.
! Have the battery checked regularly at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Observe the service intervals in the Service
Booklet or contact a qualified specialist work- shop for more information.
! Always have work on the batteries carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop. Should
it, in exceptional circumstances, be abso-
lutely necessary to disconnect the 12-volt
battery yourself, please observe the follow-
ing:
R Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away.
R Switch off the ignition
R Disconnect the negative terminal first and
then the positive terminal
The transmission is locked in position Pafter
disconnecting the battery.
After the work is completed, securely refit the battery and the postive terminal cover.
Comply with safety notes and take protective
measures when handling batteries. Risk of explosion.
Fire, naked flames and smoking are
prohibited when handling the bat-
tery. Avoid creating sparks. 346
Battery (vehicle)Breakdown assistance
Keep away from fire and naked flames. Do not
lean over the battery. Never charge the battery
if it is still fitted to the vehicle, unless you are
using a battery charger that has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. 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 while it is instal- led. Contact a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre
for information and availability. Read the battery charger's operating instructions before charg-
ing the battery.
All vehicles except vehicles with a lithium-
ion battery: if the warning and indicator lamps
on the instrument cluster 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 char-
acteristics may be impaired, especially at low
temperatures. Have the thawed battery
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Vehicles with a lithium-ion battery: at low
temperatures, do not use a battery charger to
charge a battery that has been removed. Allow
the battery to warm up gently first, if necessary. Otherwise, the service life may be reduced and
the starting characteristics impaired, especially
at low temperatures. Jump-starting
Hybrid vehicles: make sure that you read the separate Owner's Manual. You could otherwise fail
to recognise dangers, e.g. due to high voltage.
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.
All vehicles except vehicles with a lithium-ion 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
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. 348
Jump-startingBreakdown assistance
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.
If the warning and indicator lamps do not light up on the instrument cluster when temperatures are low, it is probably because the discharged 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 characteristics may be impaired, especially at low temperatures. Have the
thawed battery checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
All vehicles:
! Vehicles with a petrol engine:
avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise, the
non-combusted fuel may damage the catalytic converter.
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: jump-start the vehicle only when the engine and exhaust system
are cold.
R All vehicles except vehicles with a lithium-ion battery: do not start the engine if the battery
is frozen. Let the battery thaw first.
R Jump-starting may be performed only using batteries with a nominal voltage of 12 V.
R Use only 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 that can move when the engine is running,
such as the V-belt pulley or the fan.
X Secure the vehicle by applying the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Make sure that the ignition is switched off . All indicator lamps on the instrument cluster must be
off. When using the key, turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock and remove it (Y page 144).
X Switch off all electrical consumers, e.g. rear window heating, lighting etc.
X Open the bonnet. Jump-starting
349Breakdown assistance Z