boatdr

98 E300TD Info message upon start up and shutdown. Goes away if RPM increased. New battery and alternator. Volt reading as hi as 14.2 idling and driving. Engine always starts up. This problem did not exist until battery was replaced. Is there a reset?

raymond g-

what is the battery voltage at rest...when alternator is not dumping voltage into the battery?

boatdr

12.60 at B+ post in eng compt.after sitting 7 hours

raymond g-

scratching my head but only have more questions now. it IS an odd one.

so you have good voltage at rest...good while car is running.

what made you decide to get a new battery? if you still have it, can you swap them out to see if the warning indication reappears?

what is the battery voltage while it is cranking (under load)? I can't remember if this may provide an indication of a dead cell. it shouldn't as i is new. the 12.6 tells me it hasn't sulfated

new alternator: is it a MB replacement or a comparable (eh, that'll do) part ? I believe that a poorly matched diode me send a signal mimicking an error when this isn't the case. I drove a truck with a mismatched diode for 15 yrs after the alternator was replaced. I ignored the charge light on my Nissan all that time (since it was only a soft, barely there, glow).

kajtek1

12.6V on battery terminals few hr after driving is low.
Do the load test.

boatdr

During cranking this morning I saw 8.8v on digital meter plugged into cig lighter

The previous battery was old and would not hold a charge. The new battery was installed in June 2017. That is when a plethora of problems started.

The alternator is a reman Bosch

Thank you all for your input

kajtek1

Clean the battery terminals to start with.
8.8V cranking is low again, but if you don't have load tester, turn all the lights and blower on and check the voltage in the lighter socket and then on battery. Engine off. Comparing battery prongs to clamps will show potential dirt.

boatdr

I do have a proper battery load tester, so when I get a minute I will remove the back seat and load test the battery.
I am very apprehensive to disconnect the battery at all as this created several problems including but not limited to ruining the Aux Fan Controller that is located up inside the front bumper. Also had Check Engine light which was cleared.
Thanks again!

nelbur

I believe it is wise to clean the battery connections when ever one has a battery related problem. With poor connections diagnostic tests like cranking voltage and load testing are miss-leading. They will condemn the battery when it is really a connection problem.

Your car likely has a disconnect for the negative cable on the heel kick in front of the battery. In my '97 all I lose is the radio when I disconnect the battery. You can keep everything alive with a 9volt battery and alligator clips, before you disconnect, but it is about as easy to just use your radio code. The relay problem was almost certainly unrelated.

Get a proper terminal brush before you start. They are cheap and do a great job quickly.

kajtek1

I've been disconnecting batteries on W210 numerous time and never had above problems, so they might be not related, or coincidence.
On 1998 and newer models beside radio code you need to synchronize steering sensors, windows and sunroof, but last 2 can be done during driving, so I never spend more than 1 minute on parking after battery reconnect.

boatdr

As it turns out the first alternator (Bosch Reman) did not work correctly. It did in fact test good at the parts store but I was able to return it and get a full refund. The second alternator, Bosch Reman, Part Number AL0765X worked correctly! Once that was solved I had all 6 glow plugs replaced using Bosch glow plugs and custom made reamer purchased from Mercedes Source, she is on the road and a daily driver! Yay!
The most recent problem was the original horn stopped working so I removed it and bench tested it. It was barely buzzing. Replaced with a new horn but still didnt work. I looked on the fuse location card but found nothing that stated "horn". Upon searching through several posts in online blogs I found that it is fuse #40 defined FANFARE. The fuse was blown, replaced with same amp fuse and horn is fixed.