LILBENZ230

I've been thinking I should replace the OE battery in my car since it is 6 years old (107k miles) and it seems like the first start of the day is sometimes pretty weak. I've never gotten any low voltage or any other types of warnings. Anyway, I called RBM Mercedes in Atlanta.. they said $279 + core charge + $119 labor to replace the battery. I then called Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead, they said $220 for the battery.

Anyway, all this reminded me why I don't use the dealerships. They're stupid. I am no longer eligible for roadside assistance, btw.

Long story short, Advance Auto has a battery for $142 that is rated the appropriate 100ah and 800CCA. So I went to get it tonight. I got there and they tested my current and original battery and this was the result:

GOOD BATTERY
Voltage: 12.64V
CCA Measured: 957
CCA Rated: 760

I don't think the OEM battery is really rated at 760, but I digress. What I don't understand is how the machine works and if this is correct or not? Is it just because the car had been off for like 5 minutes? Per dyno mode after sitting all night long the voltage shows 12.3 (checked this morning). Once I turn the ignition on, but don't start the engine, it drops pretty quickly to 12.0. This seems low to me.

I don't want to replace a battery that is good, and I have AAA, but am I not understanding something right? The first start seems slow, especially if it has sat more than a day (very rare for me) and with the abundance of CCA's I don't know whether to trust this test result or not.

Boom vang

I replaced my battery when it was 7.5 years and that was because I mis-diagnosed the Alt/Battery Go to Workshop message, my VR was the culprit. I believe that the stock CCA for the battery is initially 760 and 100Ahr. Battery should read about 12.9V when the car is not running

Since you live in the south, the CCA only comes in to play when it is very cold outside in the winter (read as northern states and Canada). An OEM battery at Mercedes is $147 (in Canada it is is $290 (I went to Buffalo instead). Forget paying a $100 for them to install it, do it yourself, a very simple task. There are 2 suppliers for OEM Mercedes battery's, one is Made in Germany the other is Hecho en Mexico, go with the former if you can. Make a battery saver as I illustrated in one of the sticky's if you don't want to lose your ECU and other settings https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...battery-5.html
I would say use the current battery until it gives you problems and change it before next winter for piece of mind

contact148

mine lasted 7 years i replaced it with the german OEM one Im in canada so i need the amps for cold starts

I was getting light sensor warnings

i think it was worth you replaceing it as you were on borrowed time and it would have left you stranded

LILBENZ230

I appreciate the advice but this part stands out. Is there any reason for this outside of a personal distrust of things from Mexico? Having a Sig.O that was "Hecho en Mexico" and being immersed in that culture for the past 2.5 years.. I'd trust him/them with anything. They're some of the smartest, hardest working and ethical folks I know. Obviously, there are bad apples in every race/ethnicity.

grane

My G has 104k miles and get the Go to W message every few months.

There is a Battery's etc place here - they sell batteries for anything - they tested the battery and said it was fine. Their price is about 1/3 the dealer and they put it in for free and have one of those gadgets so you don't loose your settings.

In any case my tech said the VR is the culprit if there is truly a problem.


He read the codes and said it was fine so I'll just keep

LILBENZ230

I'm not getting any warnings at all, and dyno mode says 14.1-14.2V charging when I'm driving and 13.6V at idle so the alternator seems fine. The only symptom is a start that seems kind of slow the first of the day. I should try recording it.

Boom vang

The OEM battery's are Made in Germany by Varta and most people get at least 7 years out of them which is about 3 more than normal battery's. I have had more electronic goods that were Hecho en Mexico that failed over time. I have nothing against them but given a choice I would rather buy something made in Germany (Japan, USA or Canada) than made in China or made in Mexico. I just think that the quality control is better

LILBENZ230

I dunno, that seems sort of anecdotal but to each his own. The battery in the car now is Varta, Made in Germany, and it's been fine - and is apparently still good. I was just wondering about your take. As you can imagine by my location (GA) I run into racism and ignorance on a fairly regular basis and it gets very old and I guess I've gotten sensitive to things.

splinter

If the peace of mind from preemptively replacing a ‘good’ battery is a justifiable expenditure, by all means have it done.
I try to get every possible start from mine, and then chuckle when compelled to ring AAA upon their eventual failure – usually at the most inopportune time.

MB’s original equipment batteries tend to be remarkably long-lived. Seven+ years of reliable function is often the norm, particularly when subjected to your ‘ideal’ operating conditions.
Correctly sized (Ah, CCA and reserve capacity) McParts replacements are perfectly acceptable; just don’t expect them to provide equivalent service life.
What is the likelihood you’ll have your C five years hence?

Incidentally, my dealership-sourced (~$150) OE replacement battery was hecho en España.

tommy

The 2001-2002 W203s were made in Germany. Case closed.

LILBENZ230

So John would you recommend just going with it until its failure and then calling AAA? That's what I thought I would do, but then I read some fear mongering on here (suprised?) about old batteries destroying alternators and got paranoid. I'll take your advice and milk it till its very last start.

The likelihood I'll have my C230 in 2016 is unthinkable. At this rate it would then have 250,000 miles or better and be basically worthless.. so I might still have it, but it wouldn't be a primary car anymore.

LILBENZ230

Problems come from around the globe. My 2005 was also made in Germany and has been amazing. I don't really think places of assembly make a lot of difference across the same companies.

tommy

Quality control is about the company's standards, not the location of the factory. Our product from our maquiladora near Tiajuana (still trying to get a freebie visit out of the company, but no dice so far) has the same standards as from Japan, China, Singapore, etc.
Xenophobia really doesn't make any sense in a global marketplace. Now, justified concerns about a company's foreign operations do. Knowing the difference is what's important.

W203E35

I agree that it is Company's Standard.

You call for Technical (computers) support you get someone in India that doesn't know his head from his butt and is not trained well and is getting crap money. Then you finally get transferred to someone from the States that is trained well and isn't underpaid and they solve your problem. This doesn't mean people from India don't know computers.

But at the same time sometimes it's common sense. You might have a tequila factory in Mexico and USA and I'm 100% sure you can tell the difference between the two. Mexico FTW!!!

It's a hard debatable subject because the battery made in Mexico might be better quality than the one made in Germany and the other way around so I think there is no real answer. But I agree that for some people it is a piece of mind.

Boom vang

I opened up a can of worms.

Fact 1 > The OEM battery lasted over 7.5 years (many on here experience the same and more) and was still good but I replaced it as a precaution because we have severe winters here and did not want to get stranded. Tell me the last time you had a battery that lasted that long?

Fact 2 > The OEM battery that I replaced was Varta and was from Germany

Fact 3 > I had a choice of OEM batteries from the dealer, Varta from Germany and an unknown (AC Delco I believe) that was made in Mexico. both had an MB part number and logo on it. The batteries though were slightly different in visual appearance.

Verdict > Do you go with a known entity that you had a great result with or do you go with something that is slightly different ( still carries the MB Logo) that you did not have experience with? I only posted this because MB parts has these 2 suppliers and since we had good experience with the Varta brand, why risk something else when they are the same price????

Case Closed!

LILBENZ230

In your scenario assuming prices were equal I would have certainly gone with Varta, as well. But I would have chose it for the brand because of the good experience and not for the assembly location. This was not the first post of yours to imply things about assembly locations of various components. I noticed it, I'm sure others did, too. I was just asking for clarification.

mleskovar

For the battery to drop to 50% just from sitting overnight I'm guessing something is draining it. If you let it sit for 3 days is it dead? Try this....check battery voltage after coming home from drive. Disconnect battery (negative terminal) and let sit overnight and see if it drops after reconnecting it. If not you probably have a drain. Yes, re synching everything is a pain.

LILBENZ230

Nope it is never dead, even after 3 days of sitting. I thought the voltage was dropping because the battery was just getting old.

If I turn on dyno mode and start the car, voltage reads 13.6 at idle. If I turn the engine off it will register 13.1. I can then watch the voltage without the accessories running steadily fall to 12.3 in a matter of minutes. This battery test was just after the engine was shut down.

Still sound like a drain? I really don't believe it is because the battery doesn't die even after days.

mleskovar

You may be right. I do know that if you don't drive enough, and never really fully recharge the battery, it will slowly lose its' capacity.


I always use a DVM and wait 15 minutes after shut down to test the battery. I don't understand why you're dropping that much so quickly without anything on. It could be a sign of imminent failure.

I think you're right.

LILBENZ230

I spend a lot of time behind the wheel (30k miles or more per year) and so my battery should never have that problem.

The engine hadn't been off for long when the test was performed. I'd bet that if it had been off 15 minutes the voltage would've been the 12.3ish it reads after overnight.

It's probably a sign of failure, though it's been doing this for over a year now. I was going to go ahead and replace it but if it completely dying won't cause harm then I will just call AAA when the time arrives.

splinter

Was asking somewhat rhetorically how long you intend to keep yours, Matt.
Be that as it may, what’s it worth to you to not be left stranded owing to a defective battery?

It’s my nature to invariably arrive early to work and other important obligations. “My car won’t start” is a lame excuse. Did have to sheepishly use a legitimate ‘failed fuel pump’ rescheduling script once. As you’re well aware, mechanical & electronic devices are frequently unpredictable, and should never be considered altogether reliable.

When you trade up or move on to another marque, know you’re always welcome here. :y

LILBENZ230

I've got back-ups.. I think I'll see how far it will go! I drive so much that the battery gets fully charged pretty much every day and my alternator seems to be in great shape considering my 107300 miles (knock on wood). It has sat for 3 days but one time in almost 3 years. Last Friday I drove 800 miles to visit with Andrew (forum member bdgdl08) in Florida, for example, just on a whim.

I still love this thing.

John - thanks for the regardless of brand welcome. I suspect that I will leave Benz once the W203 is done (right now the plan is 2014 "retirement" at 200,000 miles much like the old 1998 Camry). I wish I could drive it truly until the repairs exceeded the value but I'm simply bored too easily and like to keep up to date. It's already the highest mileage car I have ever owned, previously a 101k mile Accord. Next year it will also be the oldest car I've ever owned, but I don't fret much over that with this one. In 2003 my 1997 Altima was well out of date as ABS and curtain airbags became mainstream and ESP started appearing on other-than-German makes. Safety was always my main concern and in this regard my 2005 will still be current for several more years.

billbillw

If you do decide to get a replacement, consider the PepBoys Bosch battery in addition to the Gold ones from Advanced Auto. They are both of comparable quality with 3-year replacement warranties.

Also, there is an online coupon for Advanced Auto to save $35. Works on batteries. I just used one to replace my wife's battery. The guys in the store couldn't believe I bought a $98 battery for only $66 with tax.

LILBENZ230

Bill - thanks for pointing that out! Brings the cost down closer to $100.