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Jump start, charging & jacking

780 views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  wallyp 
#1 ·
Morning all

Im new to the s class so Just a few questions.

Battery's low on my s320 cdi and i havent attepmted to charge or jump start it due to the risk of damaging the car. I want to charge the car but i have these questions: 1. Can i jump the car putting the cables from a donor battery which isnt connected to another car. 2 where do i connect them to on the car (safest part. 3. Where do i charge the vehicle 4. Is it safe to charge the car while its all connected up 5. Is it ok to jack the car up without causing faults with the suspension

Many thanks all
 
#2 ·
The electronics on the car are sensitive to over-voltage and under-voltage, so care is appropriate.

We don't know where you are from, and there can be some differences in the W220 cars from country to country.

You can jump-start the car by hooking the jumper cables - always positive (+) to positive, negative (-) to negative - and starting the engine. It is not really a good practice, as it then places a serious load on the alternator until the battery is fully charged. The alternator will usually survive, just not the best practice.

The safest method is to charge the battery while it is disconnected from the car.

Best practice:
- Find the battery. On the W220 it is usually in the floor of the trunk (boot) behind the right rear wheel. Fold the rug aside (if fitted) and remove the carpeted piece.
- Disconnect the negative cable terminal from the battery post, making sure that the cable will not gradually push the terminal back into contact with the post.
- Connect the charger positive cable to the battery positive terminal, and the charger negative cable to the battery negative post.
- Fully charge the battery. This might take only a couple of hours, or as long as overnight, depending upon how far the battery was depleted and the amperage output of the charger.
- Check the battery post and terminal for cleanliness, and firmly reconnect the negative cable terminal to the negative battery post.

If the battery becomes discharged again, use a voltmeter or multimeter to check the charging voltage (you can get the car to display the system voltage - search is your friend). In the USA, automotive part stores can usually check the condition of the battery - they do fail eventually.

It is also possible to have a current drain while the car is parked that will drain the battery. Poor connections can also cause problems.

Yes, you can jack the car without harming the suspension. Make certain that you know how to do this safely - if the car falls, it might be damaged, and you might be killed if you are under it.
 
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