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 notes
on (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 desig-
nated 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.
