Car dies upon startup. "Charging Reg" failed
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 302
Likes: 11
From: CA
E63 M157
Car dies upon startup. "Charging Reg" failed
So today after running some errands, I hop back in my car to start it & the car went completely lifeless after the first crank 
. No power what so ever, windows, doorlocks, radio, lights did not work. The gauge was completely blank, I immediately call AAAs roadside assistance & asked for a tow. Upon the tow guy arriving, I figured we should try to jump start the car before towing it, after 2 tries the car starts back up completely normal . The tow guy said my battery was bad & that I should replace it, I asked him to check the voltages since he had the tool with him. It said my battery was good @ 88% life with 12.45 voltage. A message then popped up saying "Charging Reg Failed" & he said its my alternator that needs to be replaced before going on his way.
Now I just want to get a second opinion from you guys since this tow guy seemed really eager to leave. I assume Charging Reg stands for charging regulator, does that mean its the alternator or a voltage regulator that I should replace? Thanks guys
. No power what so ever, windows, doorlocks, radio, lights did not work. The gauge was completely blank, I immediately call AAAs roadside assistance & asked for a tow. Upon the tow guy arriving, I figured we should try to jump start the car before towing it, after 2 tries the car starts back up completely normal . The tow guy said my battery was bad & that I should replace it, I asked him to check the voltages since he had the tool with him. It said my battery was good @ 88% life with 12.45 voltage. A message then popped up saying "Charging Reg Failed" & he said its my alternator that needs to be replaced before going on his way.Now I just want to get a second opinion from you guys since this tow guy seemed really eager to leave. I assume Charging Reg stands for charging regulator, does that mean its the alternator or a voltage regulator that I should replace? Thanks guys
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,001
Likes: 53
From: Cincinnati Area
C63 507 with BS Body; 2008 SLK 55
That would be the charging regulator in the alternator. This is plausible, but I would in such a case also expect a warning light to come on in your car. In any case, get it checked at the dealership. It should not be a big deal.
