Opening the hood

WARNING
Do not pull the release lever while the vehicle is in motion. Otherwise, the hood could be forced open by passing air flow.

This could cause the hood to come loose and injure you and/or others.

WARNING
Do not open the hood when the engine is overheated. You could be seriously injured.

Observe the coolant temperature gauge to determine whether the engine may be overheated. If you see flames or smoke coming from the engine compartment, move away from the vehicle. Wait until the engine has cooled. If necessary, call the fire department.

WARNING
There is a risk of injury if the hood is open, even if the engine is not running.

To avoid the risk of burns, only touch those components described in the Operator's Manual and observe the relevant safety notes.

WARNING
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of moving parts when the hood is open and the engine is running.

Stay clear of fan blades.

WARNING
Vehicles with gasoline engine:

The engine is equipped with a transistorized ignition system. Because of the high voltage it is dangerous to touch any components (ignition coils, spark plug sockets, diagnostic socket) of the ignition system

 - with the engine running
 - while starting the engine
 - when the ignition is switched on and the engine is turned manually

•► Make sure that the windshield wipers are switched off.

WARNING
The windshield wipers and wiper linkage could be set in motion.

Make sure that the windshield wipers are switched off. Remove the SmartKey or make sure that no ignition position has been selected with KEYLESS-GO. All indicator lamps must be off in the instrument cluster.

•► Pull release lever 1 for the hood.

The hood is release.

! Make sure that the windshield wipers are not folded away from the windshield. You could otherwise damage the windshield wipers or the hood.

•► Reach into the gap, pull hood catch handle 2 up and lift the hood.

Once you have lifted the hood about 15 inches (40 cm), it is automatically opened the rest of the way and held open by the gas-filled struts.

Closing the hood

WARNING
When closing the hood, use extreme caution not to catch hands or fingers. Be careful that you do not close the hood on anyone.

Make sure the hood is securely engaged before driving off. Do not continue driving if the hood can no longer engage after an accident, for example. The hood could otherwise come loose while the vehicle is in motion and injure you and/or others.

•► Lower the hood and let it fall from a height of approximately 8 inches (20 cm).

•► Check that the hood has engaged properly.

If the hood can be raised slightly, it is not properly engaged. Open it again and close it with a little more force.