WARNING
There is risk of injuries, poisoning, chemical burns, explosions or fire when
working on the battery and on the electrical system. It is essential to com-
ply with the general applicable safety rules as well as the warning instruc-
tions outlined below.
Keep the vehicle battery away from people who are not completely inde-
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pendent, especially children.
Do not tilt the battery otherwise battery electrolyte may flow out of the
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battery vent openings. Protect your eyes by wearing safety goggles or a
face shield – risk of blindness!
Always wear protective gloves, eye and skin protection when handling
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the vehicle battery.
The battery acid is strongly corrosive and must, therefore, be handled
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with the greatest of care.
Corrosive fumes in the air irritate the air passages and lead to conjunctivi-
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tis and inflammation of the air passages in the lungs.
Battery acid corrodes dental enamel and, if it comes into contact with the
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skin, causes deep wounds that take a long time to heal.
If any battery acid comes into contact with your eyes, rinse the affected
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eye immediately with clean water for several minutes and consult a doctor
immediately!
Splashes of acid on your skin or clothes should be neutralised as soon as
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possible using soap suds and then rinsed with plenty of water.
If you swallow battery acid, consult a doctor immediately!
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WARNING
The use of open flames and light should be avoided.
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Smoking and radio triggering activities should be avoided.
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Never use a damaged vehicle battery – risk of explosion!
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Never charge a frozen or thawed vehicle battery – risk of explosion and
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chemical burns!
Replace a frozen vehicle battery.
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Never jump-start vehicle batteries with insufficient acid levels – risk of
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explosion and chemical burns.
CAUTION
Improper handling of the vehicle battery may cause damage.
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Ensure that battery acid does not come into contact with the bodywork – risk
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of damage to the paintwork.
If the vehicle has not been driven for more than 3-4 weeks, the battery will
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discharge. Prevent the battery from discharging by disconnecting the battery's
negative terminal or continuously charging the battery with a very low
charging current.
Do not place the battery in direct daylight in order to protect the vehicle bat-
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tery housing from the effects of ultra-violet light.
If the vehicle is frequently used for making short trips, the vehicle battery
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will not have time to charge up sufficiently and may discharge.
For the sake of the environment
A vehicle battery that has been removed is a special type of hazardous waste.
Therefore these must be disposed of in accordance with national legal regula-
tions.
Note
We recommend having all work on the vehicle battery carried out by a spe-
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cialist garage.
You should replace batteries older than 5 years.
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Opening the cover
Read and observe
and
The battery is located in the engine compartment.
›
Open the cover in the direction of the arrow
The battery cover is installed in reverse order.
Fig. 131
Battery cover
on page 149 first.
» Fig.
131.
Inspecting and replenishing
149