Right then, I need quick lunch-break advice - Our merc battery is dead. Not sure why but possibly connected to my good wife's use of the xenons for 20 minutes with the engine off, whilst she fed the neighbours guinea pigs...
Does anyone have any advice for jump starting a modern? Mainly in terms of risk of damage to the ECU and that, caused by voltage spikes. Is it completely safe if I use jump leads with a surge protector in them? Any risks in connecting/disconnecting a battery charger?
not trying to teach my g.mother to suck eggs, but have you checked the owners manual? on bmw's theres specific jump-start posts under the bonnet (mostly to save you dismantling the rear of the car to get to the battery ) so there might be something similar on your mercedes?
afraid my MB knowledge stops at the w124 / w140 models
Yep. The Merc has a positive contact in a plastic box and a brass stud for earth, in the engine bay, which I think is just a convenience thing as the battery is under the back seat..
..but I'm not sure if that connection also includes a surge protector, and I have already replaced one ECU in the bloody thing at a healthy sum, so I am a little nervous about hooking up a twin-batteried toyota light truck to it! You're right, I should RTFM - but I was looking advise my wife how to start the thing while I am at work, or whether to buy some surge-protected jump leads on the way home.
Sam @ PS Autoart wrote:Better safe than sorry JG. I was the latter on a Range Rover. £1500 worth of new Sat Nav sorry.
Thats the kind of stuff I mean. There should be big stickers next to any charging points warning against jump starting if thats what's going to happen.
hi guys a couple of rules that we use , if your battery is in the 8 to 10 volt range bring your starter vehicle up and switch it off . join up your jump leads + first then - , start your starter vehicle and walk away for 10 minutes , return and start your car , what you are trying to do is balance the voltage between the cars and avoid voltage spikes , if the battery is very low take the + termial off and charge the battery , mervyn classic garage
) so there might be something similar on your mercedes?
