[roadrutz]

Here...

 

[roadrutz]

By your statement you show you don't know much about cars.

Battery is away from engine compartment to avoid all the fumes, etc., that cause battery post corrosion.

And, if you could read an owners manual you'd find VERY convenient posts under the hood that are there JUST for jump starting.

But, it's easier to complain than to read and learn.

The battery is away from the engine compartment partly because there isn't much room in there and partly for weight distribution. I'm not sure what fumes you are talking about, but battery posts typically corrode because tiny amounts of acid spray out through the vent holes and get onto the terminals. You can clean them with bicarbonate of soda, which neutralizes the acid. Corrosion can occur regardless of where the battery is located, which is why only ventless AGM batteries are ever located inside the vehicle. But one of those batteries will never get terminal corrosion even if located in the engine compartment.

Mike: I agree, but the chances of doing any damage are pretty slim if you use the under-hood terminals Mercedes provided and connect the jumper cables in the correct sequence -- ground last, remove it first. That way there is little chance of arcing, which is what eats up expensive electronics. Also, you have to make sure the vehicles aren't touching, or that can produce tiny sparks too.

 

[roadrutz]

If his boxter has been hanging around all winter, like my vette, and the battery is dead there will most likely be some arcing, even on the negative terminal. The only safe way to jump any vehicle is to use a clean 12V supply like a separate jumper battery and not another vehicle. The negative - install last, remove first- procedure is to avoid the possibility of shorting out the battery if the positive jumper inadvertently touches any grounded part of the vehicle. If the negative is not connected nothing will happen.
Mike

Mike, if you let your Vette's battery die over the winter, you are severely shortening its life! You should either keep it on trickle charge or charge it properly every two or three months. Few things shorten battery life faster than letting it sit discharged.

For the record, I don't recall EVER getting arcing from the ground cable when jump starting a vehicle, although I agree that it is theoretically possible.

 

[roadrutz]

The Owner's Manual has instructions on how to remove the battery and how to reset things like windows and sunroof afterwards. It ain't rocket science.