battery died today...
07-08-2003, 06:41 AM
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battery died today...
today, my battery died in my c36, and i had to call AAA for some help jump starting it. i have some questions about the batteries in our cars. please excuse me if this is stupid...
before the battery died, i was sitting in the car talking with a friend for about half an hour to forty five minutes with the engine off, but the stereo was on. i know that the alternator was not running, so the battery was not getting any type of recharge, but i have sat in cars for hours with the radio playing without any problems starting after.
is it normal for the battery to drain that fast in these cars? i understand that the battery is in the trunk, so it takes more power to draw the current to the front of the car, but i was only using the radio for less than an hour! i couldnt imagine how these guys with tv screens with dvd players and navigation never get stranded.
is it normal for it to drain that fast, or is it time for a new battery? my car is a 96, and im not sure if it is the original battery or not. it is the oem mercedes battery, but im not sure if it has been replaced or not. i am waiting for a response to an email i sent the guy i bought it from.
with a new battery, will i be able to "park" with a girl with the radio on for an hour or two and not be stranded?
what have all your experiences been with your battery life? do i just need to get a new one, or will i just have to sit in silence while parked and waiting for somebody?
thanks in advance.
p.s.- if it matters... while trying to start the car while the battery was dead, the green and red alarm lights on the rear view mirror kept flashing right in my eyes for about 30 seconds to a minute. was this just the alarm system telling me that the battery was running low?
before the battery died, i was sitting in the car talking with a friend for about half an hour to forty five minutes with the engine off, but the stereo was on. i know that the alternator was not running, so the battery was not getting any type of recharge, but i have sat in cars for hours with the radio playing without any problems starting after.
is it normal for the battery to drain that fast in these cars? i understand that the battery is in the trunk, so it takes more power to draw the current to the front of the car, but i was only using the radio for less than an hour! i couldnt imagine how these guys with tv screens with dvd players and navigation never get stranded.
is it normal for it to drain that fast, or is it time for a new battery? my car is a 96, and im not sure if it is the original battery or not. it is the oem mercedes battery, but im not sure if it has been replaced or not. i am waiting for a response to an email i sent the guy i bought it from.
with a new battery, will i be able to "park" with a girl with the radio on for an hour or two and not be stranded?
what have all your experiences been with your battery life? do i just need to get a new one, or will i just have to sit in silence while parked and waiting for somebody?
thanks in advance.
p.s.- if it matters... while trying to start the car while the battery was dead, the green and red alarm lights on the rear view mirror kept flashing right in my eyes for about 30 seconds to a minute. was this just the alarm system telling me that the battery was running low?
07-08-2003, 10:42 AM
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1998 C230
hi i had a similar prob happen to me a few months back.
first of all i'd like to know why didnt you just call 1888formercedes? they have free road side assitance for the life of the car. this includes jump starting yer car too.
second, the reason why you cant restart the car but you can still listen to the radio is because the car takes a greater charge from the battery to start, while the radio is very minimal to run. so therefore your battery is not 'dead' its just too weak to start your car w/o some help.
third, you should know that there is a recall campaign for these vehicles because of a prematurly wearing battery. it is a VOLUNTARY recall so you must take the initiative and bring it to the dealers attention. they will fix it all for free, but if you already went ahead and bought a new battery... all they will do is update your manual.
the recall was for premature wear of the battery (lasting 3 years instead of the normal 4-5)
first of all i'd like to know why didnt you just call 1888formercedes? they have free road side assitance for the life of the car. this includes jump starting yer car too.
second, the reason why you cant restart the car but you can still listen to the radio is because the car takes a greater charge from the battery to start, while the radio is very minimal to run. so therefore your battery is not 'dead' its just too weak to start your car w/o some help.
third, you should know that there is a recall campaign for these vehicles because of a prematurly wearing battery. it is a VOLUNTARY recall so you must take the initiative and bring it to the dealers attention. they will fix it all for free, but if you already went ahead and bought a new battery... all they will do is update your manual.
the recall was for premature wear of the battery (lasting 3 years instead of the normal 4-5)
Last edited by Rincewind; 07-08-2003 at 10:45 AM.
07-08-2003, 11:03 AM
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Manufacturer claims they are good for 5 years but in my experience they begin to lose capacity after 3. The symptoms are exactly as you described. Also, running the battery "dry" will damage it and reduce its life.
07-08-2003, 11:12 AM
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1998 C230
yes, the update that they do to the manual is that the battery needs to be checked for proper fluid levels and serviced each time it is in for service
07-09-2003, 06:47 AM
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Originally posted by Rincewind
hi i had a similar prob happen to me a few months back.
first of all i'd like to know why didnt you just call 1888formercedes? they have free road side assitance for the life of the car. this includes jump starting yer car too.
second, the reason why you cant restart the car but you can still listen to the radio is because the car takes a greater charge from the battery to start, while the radio is very minimal to run. so therefore your battery is not 'dead' its just too weak to start your car w/o some help.
third, you should know that there is a recall campaign for these vehicles because of a prematurly wearing battery. it is a VOLUNTARY recall so you must take the initiative and bring it to the dealers attention. they will fix it all for free, but if you already went ahead and bought a new battery... all they will do is update your manual.
the recall was for premature wear of the battery (lasting 3 years instead of the normal 4-5)
hi i had a similar prob happen to me a few months back.
first of all i'd like to know why didnt you just call 1888formercedes? they have free road side assitance for the life of the car. this includes jump starting yer car too.
second, the reason why you cant restart the car but you can still listen to the radio is because the car takes a greater charge from the battery to start, while the radio is very minimal to run. so therefore your battery is not 'dead' its just too weak to start your car w/o some help.
third, you should know that there is a recall campaign for these vehicles because of a prematurly wearing battery. it is a VOLUNTARY recall so you must take the initiative and bring it to the dealers attention. they will fix it all for free, but if you already went ahead and bought a new battery... all they will do is update your manual.
the recall was for premature wear of the battery (lasting 3 years instead of the normal 4-5)
soo, free roadside assistance for the life of the car eh? sounds good to me. i already have a AAA Plus membership, but i might have to take advantage of this service, since it will save me from using up all my service calls with AAA. does this include free towing and other services too?
is there some type of website i can go to to type in my VIN # and check if my car has already been serviced and complies with the recall? or should i just drive into my local dealership to have them take a look? i didnt even know that you can check the fluid levels inside a maintenance free battery. i thought they were completely sealed. i really didnt know about this recall. is there somewhere i can go to read about everything c36 owners should know? i just got the car three days ago, so i am not too familiar with everything about the car, besides what i am learning here.
i will see if i can return the interstate gell cell i placed on order. it is supposed to be coming in tomorrow or the day after. do you guys sit in your car with your engines off and listen to the stereo for a while without any battery drainage problems?
the guy i bought the car from didnt really drive it much at all for the last year or so, so i think that the battery probably just didnt get to recharge itself all the way like it should have. if anything, i will try to recharge it overnight first, and then install the new battery i ordered. i got kinda anxious when i was at my mechanics shop today, and i ordered a new battery right away. is it possible to bring an old battery back to life after it has been sitting idle for a year?
thanks for your help everyone!
07-09-2003, 09:43 AM
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1998 C230
yes mercedes road side assitance is free... includes towing... bringing you to your intended destination. etc.
do this. open the trunk of your car. lift open the floor panel where your spare is, your battery is the white thing on the right... if you shake it a lil you can see how high the fluid is. if it isnt filled all the way up. your battery isnt as good as its suppose to be.
i listen to the radio in my car all the time with the engine off... no probs.
go to www.edmunds.com
go to used cars
enter in your year/model/make
click on one of the links on the left hand side that says "service"
and it will mention any recalls that have been issued for your particular car. there you will find all the information you need about the recall and what needs to be done.
you can call 1888formercedes (same number as road side assitance) and ask for a customor support person to help you find the previous service history of the car (to check if the recall had been performed or not or whatever) you will need the VIN and proof that you are the current owner of the vehicle. they should be able to tell you over the phone what was done to it or if anything give you a number to the dealership that had serviced the car while it was being brought in.
if the previous owner only took it to independant shops then i suggest you contact him to find previous records. but inregards to official mercedes dealerships you will be able to find all records performed on your car using that #.
do this. open the trunk of your car. lift open the floor panel where your spare is, your battery is the white thing on the right... if you shake it a lil you can see how high the fluid is. if it isnt filled all the way up. your battery isnt as good as its suppose to be.
i listen to the radio in my car all the time with the engine off... no probs.
go to www.edmunds.com
go to used cars
enter in your year/model/make
click on one of the links on the left hand side that says "service"
and it will mention any recalls that have been issued for your particular car. there you will find all the information you need about the recall and what needs to be done.
you can call 1888formercedes (same number as road side assitance) and ask for a customor support person to help you find the previous service history of the car (to check if the recall had been performed or not or whatever) you will need the VIN and proof that you are the current owner of the vehicle. they should be able to tell you over the phone what was done to it or if anything give you a number to the dealership that had serviced the car while it was being brought in.
if the previous owner only took it to independant shops then i suggest you contact him to find previous records. but inregards to official mercedes dealerships you will be able to find all records performed on your car using that #.
07-11-2003, 01:47 AM
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AMG C43, 1999
I bought a Odessey Battery PC945? for my C43 from Battery Mart.
It is a dry cell battery, cost $105. Only 24lbs and is 30 lbs lighter than the stock battery.
I have been checking voltage and it is always up at 12.85 volts. I check it alot because the car is my wifes and it only get very short trips.
Jeff
It is a dry cell battery, cost $105. Only 24lbs and is 30 lbs lighter than the stock battery.
I have been checking voltage and it is always up at 12.85 volts. I check it alot because the car is my wifes and it only get very short trips.
Jeff
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07-11-2003, 09:16 PM
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i just went ahead and ordered the best battery interstate had to offer. they do make gel cells, but i decided to go with their highest model, which was a liquid cell with 850 CCA, and im guessing around 1000 CA. it has a 72 month warranty, which is probably longer than ill even have the car. it cost me about $100, and it is still heavy as hell like the stocker, but it shouldnt give me any problems.
i talked to the guy who i bought the car from, and he said that the battery was probably drained because he hadnt driven the car much at all for the last year or so. he said the battery was replaced under warranty back in 1999, which was 4 years ago. i think it was probably best to just order a new one, since i would likely run into all sorts of pain in the *** problems charging it and getting stranded again. it isnt worth going through all that just to save $100, which i would probably have to spend some time soon for a new battery anyway. plus, i didnt want to put extra strain on my alternator and the rest of my charging system while in the process of trying to rejuvinate the lifeless battery.
thanks for all your help guys. i think this new battery should be the fix.
i talked to the guy who i bought the car from, and he said that the battery was probably drained because he hadnt driven the car much at all for the last year or so. he said the battery was replaced under warranty back in 1999, which was 4 years ago. i think it was probably best to just order a new one, since i would likely run into all sorts of pain in the *** problems charging it and getting stranded again. it isnt worth going through all that just to save $100, which i would probably have to spend some time soon for a new battery anyway. plus, i didnt want to put extra strain on my alternator and the rest of my charging system while in the process of trying to rejuvinate the lifeless battery.
thanks for all your help guys. i think this new battery should be the fix.
08-04-2003, 06:53 PM
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C43
Sounds like you got more than 6 years out of your battery. I managed to drain my C43's battery using the stereo for 2 hours when the car was only 4 1/2 years old. After a jump start, car ran just fine. However, getting more life out of a 5-year-warranty battery is simply not worth it. If I'm stranded somewhere for half an hour (or more) waiting for a jump start, I've lost all the value of that 6 extra months use of a $75 item. So, I got a new battery and also noticed that the engine cranked MUCH faster during startup.
One question about batteries: I live in an area of the country that basically NEVER sees freezing temperatures (and the car is in a carport at night anyway). The C43 isn't likely to be the car of choice for skiing trips, either. Is there any good reason to get the heavy, expensive battery? My replacement was a few pounds and a few dollars lighter then the original.
One question about batteries: I live in an area of the country that basically NEVER sees freezing temperatures (and the car is in a carport at night anyway). The C43 isn't likely to be the car of choice for skiing trips, either. Is there any good reason to get the heavy, expensive battery? My replacement was a few pounds and a few dollars lighter then the original.
LMAO
08-05-2003, 11:27 AM
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Originally posted by Rincewind
yes mercedes road side assitance is free... includes towing... bringing you to your intended destination. etc.
yes mercedes road side assitance is free... includes towing... bringing you to your intended destination. etc.
According to MB's website, Roadside Assistance is available to any MB, regardless of age.
However, if your MB factory warranty has expired, you may be charged for repairs and towing..look here.
http://www.mbusa.com/brand/container...e.jsp&menu=2_3
Hope this helps
11-15-2007, 08:03 AM
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1967 Morris Cooper "S", 1983 911SC, 1997 Toyota Tacoma, 1999 HD FXSTB, 1998 C43
MB Service - There's a card in the back of you manual you can mail to register your vehicle as the 'new' owner. Optima is the only way to go BTW.
