Safety Precautions

All high voltage components are identified with specific warning label stickers. The high voltage cables are excluded from this. All high voltage cables have orange insulation as well as additional covers and tubing to help protect them. There are two types of warning label stickers:

• A yellow warning sticker with the warning symbol for voltage
• A warning sticker with the word "DANGER" written in white letters against a red background

The yellow stickers indicate high voltage components that are installed near the sticker or are hidden by a cover. The "DANGER" sticker is located directly on the high voltage component.

Additional information regarding high voltage safety:

• The high voltage battery is located under the cargo floor in the luggage compartment inside a battery case.
• The high voltage battery has a positive and negative terminal, a protection relay, which is "on" when the vehicle is being driven, that is, when the ignition is "on".
• The orange service plug is near the high voltage battery.
• The high voltage system discharges its power in the event of an accident or any malfunction of the system. Such a discharge of power from the high voltage system takes approximately 20 seconds.
• The high voltage system is galvanically isolated from the vehicle.
• All connections (connectors, contacts) on the high voltage components are touch-safe.
• A fuse in the service plug serves as an overcurrent protective device. When the fuse is triggered, the voltage is interrupted.
• The isolation resistance of the high voltage system is monitored periodically. If there is a malfunction, a warning message will appear in the instrument cluster, a yellow indicator lamp will come on and a warning signal will sound.

To locate high-voltage components, see Fig 1.

General Precautions:

• Do not support yourself or any tool on the high voltage cables or components. This could damage the insulation.
• Do not bend the high voltage cables excessively. This could damage the insulation.
• The round high voltage connectors are color-coded by an exterior color ring and are mechanically coded by the guide and code tabs. Always pay attention to the coding when connecting the round high voltage connectors to prevent mechanical damage to the high voltage connectors
• Persons with internal electronic/medical life support devices or such devices carried on the body may not work on the high voltage system for safety reasons. Among others, life support devices include internal pain medicine pumps, implanted defibrillators, heart pace makers, insulin pumps and hearing aids.
• Only a qualified technician should de-energize the high voltage electrical system.
• The high voltage system must be de-energized without any doubt. Use the Vehicle diagnostic tester and "Guided Fault Finding" to make sure the system is de-energized.
• The high voltage technician de-energizes the system and makes sure it cannot be turned on again. The high voltage technician should keep the key and the high voltage system maintenance connector in a safe place.
• The technician should place a sign on the vehicle.

Performing work that requires the ignition be turned on:

1. Put the selector lever into position P
2. Activate the parking brake.
3. Turn off the ignition.
4. Open the hood.
5. Connect the charging unit, such as battery charger to the battery jump start terminal for the 12V vehicle electrical system.
6. Turn on the ignition.