Always make sure that neither you nor the bat-tery is electrostatically charged. A build-up ofelectrostatic charge can be caused, for exam-ple:
Rby wearing clothing made from syntheticfibers
Rdue to friction between clothing and seats
Rif you push or pull the battery across thecarpet or other synthetic materials
Rif you wipe the battery with a cloth
GWARNING
During the charging process, a battery pro-
duces hydrogen gas. If a short circuit occurs
or sparks are created, the hydrogen gas can
ignite. There is a risk of an explosion.
RMake sure that the positive terminal of a
connected battery does not come into
contact with vehicle parts.
RNever place metal objects or tools on a
battery.
RIt is important that you observe the
described order of the battery terminals
when connecting and disconnecting a bat-
tery.
RWhen jump-starting, make sure that the
battery poles with identical polarity are
connected.
RIt is particularly important to observe the
described order when connecting and dis-
connecting the jumper cables.
RNever connect or disconnect the battery
terminals while the engine is running.
GWARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of
injury.
Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Do
not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean
over the battery. Keep children away from
batteries. Wash away battery acid immedi-
ately with plenty of clean water and seek
medical attention.
HEnvironmental note
Batteries contain pollutants.
It is illegal to dispose of
them with the household
rubbish. They must be col-
lected separately and dis-
posed of in an environmen-
tally 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 bat-
teries.
!Have the battery regularly checked at aqualified specialist workshop.
Comply with the service intervals in theMaintenance Booklet, or contact a qualifiedspecialist workshop for more information.
!Always have work on batteries carried outat a qualified specialist workshop.
Should it, in exceptional circumstances, beabsolutely necessary to disconnect the 12-volt battery yourself, please observe the fol-lowing:
RSecure the vehicle to prevent it from roll-ing away.
RSwitch off the ignition.
RDisconnect the negative terminal first andthen the positive terminal.
The transmission is locked in position ]after disconnecting the battery.
After the work has been done, install thebattery and replace the cover of the positiveterminal clamp firmly.
Comply with safety precautions and take pro-tective measures when handling batteries.
Risk of explosion.
Fire, open flames and smoking areprohibited when handling the bat-tery. Avoid creating sparks.
258Battery (vehicle)
Breakdo wn assis tan ce
RMake sure that the positive terminal of a connected battery does not come into contact with
vehicle parts.
RNever place metal objects or tools on a battery.
RIt is important that you observe the described order of the battery terminals when connect-
ing and disconnecting a battery.
RWhen jump-starting, make sure that the battery poles with identical polarity are connected.
RIt is particularly important to observe the described order when connecting and disconnect-
ing the jumper cables.
RNever connect or disconnect the battery terminals while the engine is running.
GWARNING
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 explo-
sion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before charging it or jump-starting.
!Avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise, the catalytic converter could bedamaged by the non-combusted fuel.
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 thevehicle. The service life of a thawed-out battery may be shorter. The starting characteristics canbe impaired, particularly at low temperatures. Have the thawed-out battery checked at a quali-fied specialist workshop.
Do not start the vehicle using a rapid charging device. If your vehicle's battery is discharged, theengine can be jump-started from another vehicle or from a donor battery using jumper cables.Observe the following points:
RThe battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle's battery is not accessible,jump-start the vehicle using a donor battery or a jump-starting device.
RYou may only jump-start the vehicle when the engine and exhaust system are cold.
RDo not start the engine if the battery is frozen. Let the battery thaw first.
ROnly jump-start from batteries with a 12 V voltage rating.
ROnly use jumper cables which have a sufficient cross-section and insulated terminal clamps.
RIf the battery is fully discharged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connectedfor a few minutes before attempting to start. This charges the battery slightly.
RMake sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
Make sure that:
RThe jumper cables are not damaged.
RBare parts of the terminal clamp do not come into contact with other metal parts while thejumper cables are connected to the battery.
RThe jumper cables cannot come into contact with parts which can move when the engine isrunning, such as the V-belt pulley or the fan.
XSecure the vehicle by applying the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position ].
XMake sure that the ignition is switched off. All indicator lamps in the instrument cluster mustbe off. When using the SmartKey, turn the SmartKey to position
