CAUTIONEnsure that battery acid does not come into contact with the bodywork – risk
of damage to the paintwork.
Note
■ We recommend having all work on the vehicle battery carried out by a spe-
cialist garage.■
You should replace batteries older than 5 years.
Check condition
Fig. 151
Vehicle battery: Open the cover / acid level indicator
Read and observe
and on page 131 first.
The battery condition is checked regularly by a specialist garage as part of the
inspection.
Check the acid level
For car batteries with acid level indicator, acidity can be checked on the basis
of a colour display. In vehicle batteries with the label “AGM” there is no acid
level examination.
Depending on the equipment, the vehicle battery may be provided with a cov-
er, this can be opened in the direction of arrow » Fig. 151 -
.
Air bubbles can influence the colour of the indicator. Therefore, carefully knock
on the display » Fig. 151 -
.
Black colour – electrolyte level is correct.
Colourless or light yellow colour – electrolyte level too low, the battery must
be replaced.
Battery discharge
If frequent short journeys are made, the vehicle battery does not recharge suf-
ficiently.
The battery capacity decreases at low temperatures.
If the vehicle is not used for longer than 3 to 4 weeks, disconnect the negative
terminal
of the battery or charge the battery constantly with a very low
charging current.
Charging
Read and observe
and on page 131 first.
Only charge the battery when the ignition and all consumers are switched off.
Refer to the instructions of the charger manufacturer.
Charging
›
For vehicles with the START-STOPP system or auxiliary heater, clamp the
terminal of the charger on the pole of the battery, the
terminal of the
charger on the earth point of the engine » page 145.
›
For vehicles without the START-STOPP system or auxiliary heater, clamp the
terminals of the charger on the associated battery poles ( on
,
on
).
›
Plug the mains cable of the charger into the power socket and switch on the
device.
›
After charging has been successful: Switch off the charger and remove the
mains cable from the power socket.
›
Disconnect the terminals of the charger from the vehicle battery.
A charging current of 0.1 multiple of the total vehicle battery capacity (or low-
er) must be used until full charging is achieved.
WARNING■ When charging the vehicle battery, hydrogen is released - risk of explo-
sion. An explosion can be caused through sparking while unclamping or
loosening the cable plug.■
So-called“quick-charging” of the vehicle battery is dangerous and re-
quires a special charger and specialist knowledge. Therefore, have “Quick
loading” carried out by a specialist garage.
132General Maintenance
