mis3

I left my car in the ignition last night and the engine was off. Somehow this drained the battery and I could not start the car (2004 CLK320) today.

I have a single garage and I parked my car "head-in". I wanted to push the car to the driveway to jump start the car. The key could not turn so I could not put the car to Neutral. I ended up to connect 2 jumper cables and boosted the car successfully. I had to keep the cars connected for about 10 minutes for the car to start.

I am wondering is there any way to shift the car in Neutral wihtout turning the key?

I googled and found that for some MB models, there is a small hole besides the shifter so I can force the car into Neutral. I could not find this in my car.

Rudeney

Yes, there is a mechanical shift interlock release. There should be an access port inside the Center console where you insert a long screwdriver (sometime a straighten coat hanger works best) to trip the release. Instruction should be in your owner's manual.


And regarding jumping a dead battery, disconnect the negative terminal from the dead battery to take it out of the loop, otherwise, it can act as a giant resistor and drag down the good battery.

mis3

I will look for this release port under the center console.

I went to a few places, restarted the car a few times and it seemed OK. I also went to dyno mode to check the voltage. Before I start the car, the voltage was around 12.7V. After the car has started, the voltage fluctuated between 13.7V and 14.1V.

Rudeney

You may be OK on the battery then - yours might have just become discharged and not actually "died". As the battery ages, the act of charging and discharging along with heat and vibration causes the plates inside to warp and that's when you really can't do anything but replace it. Leaving an electrical consumer on often just drains it and that can be recovered through charging.


On the manual shift release, here's a photo of it on my "facelift v.2" CLK. Your access port will be different since you have the original style center console - it's probably inside the storage compartment. I have removed the center console trim panel for clarity to see what you are articulating on the gear selector. Worst case scenario, you can pop that panel off and then release the manual lock with your finger:

bheng

would it be possible to go to an auto repair place to test the life of the battery?

Rudeney

Sure, most of them can check the battery. They have an automated test tool that checks voltage during rest, start and run and then tells them whether it's the battery or alternator. Another thing to check, if the covers can be removed, is specific gravity of the cells. That's the truly correct method for checking a battery. If the cells are good and it's low, then the battery is good, but it;s either being drained or not charged.

Roguefirm

My battery died in 2010 E350 - started with jump battery and now it is stuck in park with a Large C next to the lights that show R, P and D. How do you get the car to shift after battery discharge?

Lynn
Grants Pass Oregon

Rudeney

So did you get the engine started? If so, then you may have damaged something when jump starting. You might want to check int he W212 forum to see if you can get better answers specific to your car.