Can a Mercedes be jump-started?
By
Vroomouk
This brief article will explain the correct procedure to jump-start a Mercedes Benz passenger car and answer the question Can a Mercedes be jump-started by another? Lastly, we take a look at safety tips while jumping starting a mercedes
Can a Mercedes be jump-started?
Yes, A Mercedes can be jump-started by another vehicle or external charger. Mercedes Benz cars have a jump post usually on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The jump post has a positive terminal covered with a cap. This positive terminal is directly connected to the main battery in the vehicle. The negative or ground terminal is connected to the vehicle body. Mercedes Benz passenger cars can be jump-started with the help of jump wires or jump leads.
Jump leads consist of two separated electrical wires. The positive wire is indicated by red colour and the negative wire has black colour. Crocodile clamps are present on both ends of the wire which helps to securely connect the two batteries.
The gauge number of the electrical wires indicates the thickness of the wire. The thickness of the wire increases with a reduction in gauge number. Thick wires allow more current flow however length is also important. An increase in the length of the wire increases the resistance. Hence long jump leads are not used to jump start a vehicle.
Ideally, jump leads have 4 gauge wires. Clamps on the leads should be dry and clean to ensure no contact resistance is present. Before we take a look at the procedure to jump-start another vehicle. It is important to understand the flow of electricity.
The direction of flow of electricity.
Technically the direction of the flow of electricity is from positive terminal to negative terminal. but, electrons are negatively charged particles that are attracted and flow towards positive terminals. This indicates the physical direction of the flow of current.
Because of the physical direction of the flow of current, the positive wire must be connected first and the negative wire should be connected last. This helps to prevent short circuits in electric circuits. With the negative terminal connected, the positive terminal must never come in contact with the vehicle body, there is a risk of fire as sparks will fly due to short circuits in the circuit.
Procedure to jump-start a vehicle.
- Locate the jump post on your Mercedes and park the vehicle which is used to jump-start at a suitable distance. Keep the vehicle running.
- Wear protective gloves and safety goggles before connecting jump cables.
- Clean the clamps of jump cables
- Remove protective cover on the positive terminal and connect one end of red wire, attach the other end directly in the positive terminal of the battery in another vehicle.
- Connect the black wire between the ground terminal at the jump post and the negative terminal of the dead battery.
- Wait 2 min and crank the engine.
- Once the engine is started, turn on the air conditioning and interior lights so the alternator can run at maximum output.
- Disconnect the black wire first and lastly remove the red wire.
- Put the protective cap back on the positive terminal of the jump post.
- Store the jump cables properly in the vehicle.
Safety tips when jump-starting a Mercedes Benz passenger car.
The main battery in most of the Mercedes Benz passenger cars is located at a difficult spot and cannot be easily accessed. If a jump post is not available, then the task to jump-start the vehicle becomes difficult as the jump cables must be connected directly to the battery.
Mercedes Benz passenger cars have a battery monitoring function that controls the battery disconnect switch. If the voltage level goes below 11v then the battery disconnected switch is opened and the main battery is isolated to ensure vehicle start is possible. But a fault in the vehicle can cause the main battery to drain and then the vehicle must be jump-started.
Only perform jump start when the battery in the vehicle used for jump-starting is in good condition. The sequence to connect the red and black jump cables must always be followed.
- Red cable should be connected first and removed last.
- Never connect the jumper cables.
- If a Ticking noise is coming when cranking the engine then there could be a fault in the voltage dip limiter.
The jump cable should be insulated properly, never connect the jump cable with worn-out insulation. If the vehicle which needs a jump start does not start within 2 to 3 attempts, stop the jump-starting as cables and battery terminals get hot. Allow time to cool down the cables before continuing to start the vehicle again.
Other articles about Mercedes Benz you may be interested in
Can a Mercedes CLA tow a caravan?
Can I drive a Mercedes sprinter van?
Can a Mercedes E class tow a caravan?
Conclusion
Jump starting a Mercedes is a critical task but with basic knowledge and following safety tips it can be made simpler. The most important thing to remember is not to connect a positive jumper cable to a negative terminal or a negative to a positive. This will damage electrical per fuse box and control units in the vehicle which can be very expensive to repair.
FAQs: can a Mercedes jump-start another car?
Can you jumpstart a Mercedes?
Yes, Mercedes can be jump-started by another vehicle. Follow safety instructions in the owner’s manual before jump-starting the vehicle.
Is it bad to use your car to jump-start another?
If the other car does not start after multiple starting attempts, continuing to do so is bad for your car.
Does it matter what car you use to jump-start?
It doesn’t matter what car you use to jump-start, jump-starting takes a few seconds but always check the battery rating before jump-starting another car.
Can a jump drain your battery?
In most cases giving a jump will not drain the battery, if the vehicle is not starting within 2-3 attempts then do not continue to jump-start the vehicle.
Can you jumpstart a Mercedes C class?
Yes, it is possible to jump-start a Mercedes c class. Mercedes Benz C class jump terminals are easily accessible even if the main battery is located in the engine compartment and jump cables can be connected to the battery.
