Winter operation 225 X If the batteries are permanently subjected to temperatures below Т 25 †: charge the batteries every two days. or X All vehicles: start the engine. X Warm up the engine at low engine speed with the vehicle stationary. Do this at out- door temperatures of below Т 20 † for approximately 20 minutes. X Remove batteries and store at a tempera- ture above 0 †. i The capacity of the batteries is adversely affected by increasingly cold temperatures. ! The lubricity of the engine oil and trans- mission oil may be reduced at low temper- atures. Driving a cold vehicle may result in damage to the drivetrain and assemblies. X Vehicles with Telligent ® automatic gearshift:
fold out the clutch pedal ( Y page 181). i The folded-out clutch pedal makes start- ing the engine easier. When the engine has reached the operating temperature, you can fold the clutch pedal back in. Driving mode Engine does not start ! Do not continuously operate the starter. Continuous operation can damage the starter and the electrical system. Starting attempts should last no more than 60 seconds and you must wait at least 60 seconds between attempts. A break of at least five minutes is necessary if the engine has still not started after three starting attempts. Starting the engine ! Do not start the engine if the on-board voltage is low.
This is the case if, for exam- ple, the lights are weak or the 3 indica- tor lamp in the status area of the on-board computer lights up. Starting attempts could damage the batteries if they are cold or not fully charged. X Before restarting: turn the key to position 0 in the ignition lock. X Let the starter motor cool down and then restart the engine. or X Establish the voltage supply with the bat- tery isolator switch ( Y page 90). X Switch off all unnecessary electrical con- sumers (e.g. CD radio, blower etc.). X Jump-start the vehicle by means of an external 24 V jump-start ( Y page 331). X At temperatures below Т 25 † and on vehicles with coolant preheating:
pre- heat the coolant with coolant preheating for at least 90 minutes. X If required, switch on the auxiliary heating ( Y page 102) or engine preheating ( Y page 106). X All vehicles: turn the key to position 2 in the ignition lock. X Make sure that the on-board voltage is suf- ficient for starting the engine. When doing this, observe the temperature display in the instrument cluster and watch out for signs of low on-board voltage. X Vehicles with Telligent ® gearshift: depress the clutch pedal. Z