Battery (vehicle)
12 V battery – important safety notes
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles are equipped with a
12 V battery and a high-voltage battery. The fol-
lowing notes refer to the 12 V battery. Notes on
the high-voltage battery can be obtained in the
"High-voltage battery – important safety notes"
section (
Y
page 374).
Special tools and expert knowledge are required
when working on the battery, e.g. removal and
installation. You should therefore have all work
involving the battery carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop.
G
WARNING
Work carried out incorrectly on the battery
can lead, for example, to a short circuit and
thus damage the vehicle electronics. This can
lead to function restrictions applying to
safety-relevant systems, e.g the lighting sys-
tem, the ABS (anti-lock braking system) or the
ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program). The oper-
ating safety of your vehicle may be restricted.
You could lose control of the vehicle, for
example:
R
when braking
R
in the event of abrupt steering maneuvers
and/or when the vehicle's speed is not
adapted to the road conditions
There is a risk of an accident.
In the event of a short circuit or a similar inci-
dent, contact a qualified specialist workshop
immediately. Do not drive any further. You
should have all work involving the battery car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
For further information about ABS and ESP
®
,
see (
Y
page 68) and (
Y
page 73).
All vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
G
WARNING
Electrostatic build-up can lead to the creation
of sparks, which could ignite the highly explo-
sive gases of a battery. There is a risk of an
explosion.
Before handling the battery, touch the vehicle
body to remove any existing electrostatic
build-up.
The highly flammable gas mixture forms when
charging the battery as well as when jump-start-
ing.
Always make sure that neither you nor the bat-
tery is electrostatically charged. A build-up of
electrostatic charge can be caused, for exam-
ple:
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by wearing clothing made from synthetic
fibers
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due to friction between clothing and seats
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if you push or pull the battery across the car-
pet or other synthetic materials
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if you wipe 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.
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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 jumper cables.
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 skin, eyes or clothing. Do
not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean over
the battery. Keep children away from batter-
ies. Wash away battery acid immediately with
372
Battery (vehicle)
Bre
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