Jun 9, 2015, 04:34 PM
Last edit by: IB Advertising
See related guides and technical advice from our community experts:
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class: Warning Lights
Important information to help you understand your Mercedes-Benz
Red battery message ( Visit workshop)
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 15,901
Likes: 4,630
From: North Scottsdale, AZ
'71 Pinto
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 528
Likes: 20
From: Chicago IL
X166 gls450 2017
Hey thanks Dan - Should I assume the BCM is fine since I haven't gotten the Red Bettery message yet ... Only these;
Low Battery convenince features disabled &
ABS Malfunction &
ESP Malfunction &
the steering wheel becomes hard -
I checked the battery read 12.3 V on the instrument cluster (in the special menu where we get dyno mode)
Alternator charges as follows: (Is this normal ?)
13.4V from 0 to ~20 mph
14.2V from 20 mph onwards
Low Battery convenince features disabled &
ABS Malfunction &
ESP Malfunction &
the steering wheel becomes hard -
I checked the battery read 12.3 V on the instrument cluster (in the special menu where we get dyno mode)
Alternator charges as follows: (Is this normal ?)
13.4V from 0 to ~20 mph
14.2V from 20 mph onwards
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,254
Likes: 15
From: Louisiana
03 E500 and Corvette
Hey thanks Dan - Should I assume the BCM is fine since I haven't gotten the Red Bettery message yet ... Only these;
Low Battery convenince features disabled &
ABS Malfunction &
ESP Malfunction &
the steering wheel becomes hard -
I checked the battery read 12.3 V on the instrument cluster (in the special menu where we get dyno mode)
Alternator charges as follows: (Is this normal ?)
13.4V from 0 to ~20 mph
14.2V from 20 mph onwards
Low Battery convenince features disabled &
ABS Malfunction &
ESP Malfunction &
the steering wheel becomes hard -
I checked the battery read 12.3 V on the instrument cluster (in the special menu where we get dyno mode)
Alternator charges as follows: (Is this normal ?)
13.4V from 0 to ~20 mph
14.2V from 20 mph onwards
My $$ is still on the main battery. But my wife
tells me I am wrong all the time so I might be wrong on this one. 
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 528
Likes: 20
From: Chicago IL
X166 gls450 2017
But stealership had verified the charging system & closed circuit current leakage (30 mA) - everything was good - Also the Main battery is the new MB battery (less than 2 months old)
Just measured all voltages before starting the car this morning:
- Aux Battery (with one terminal disconnected): 12.6 volts
- Main Battery (with Aux Batt terminal disconnected): 12.48 volts
Here's my concern:
Old Aux battery (Fiamm) lying in the garage also had 12.58 volts
Old Main Battery (MB) also lying in the garage also had 12.4 volts
I also noted: while unlocking the doors SBC pump clicked thrice but didn't buzz brakes lines - I remember it ALWAYS used to buzz upon unlocking ... This has been happening since brakes were bled w/o disconnecting this darn pump
I never had this problem till I bled the darn brakes without disconnecting SBC pump - heeelp guys, maybe the SBC pump is drawing excessing current ? Thats why drains the battery in stop & go traffic ??
Just measured all voltages before starting the car this morning:
- Aux Battery (with one terminal disconnected): 12.6 volts
- Main Battery (with Aux Batt terminal disconnected): 12.48 volts
Here's my concern:
Old Aux battery (Fiamm) lying in the garage also had 12.58 volts
Old Main Battery (MB) also lying in the garage also had 12.4 volts
I also noted: while unlocking the doors SBC pump clicked thrice but didn't buzz brakes lines - I remember it ALWAYS used to buzz upon unlocking ... This has been happening since brakes were bled w/o disconnecting this darn pump
I never had this problem till I bled the darn brakes without disconnecting SBC pump - heeelp guys, maybe the SBC pump is drawing excessing current ? Thats why drains the battery in stop & go traffic ??
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,254
Likes: 15
From: Louisiana
03 E500 and Corvette
But stealership had verified the charging system & closed circuit current leakage (30 mA) - everything was good - Also the Main battery is the new MB battery (less than 2 months old)
Just measured all voltages before starting the car this morning:
- Aux Battery (with one terminal disconnected): 12.6 volts
- Main Battery (with Aux Batt terminal disconnected): 12.48 volts
Here's my concern:
Old Aux battery (Fiamm) lying in the garage also had 12.58 volts
Old Main Battery (MB) also lying in the garage also had 12.4 volts
I also noted: while unlocking the doors SBC pump clicked thrice but didn't buzz brakes lines - I remember it ALWAYS used to buzz upon unlocking ... This has been happening since brakes were bled w/o disconnecting this darn pump
I never had this problem till I bled the darn brakes without disconnecting SBC pump - heeelp guys, maybe the SBC pump is drawing excessing current ? Thats why drains the battery in stop & go traffic ??
Just measured all voltages before starting the car this morning:
- Aux Battery (with one terminal disconnected): 12.6 volts
- Main Battery (with Aux Batt terminal disconnected): 12.48 volts
Here's my concern:
Old Aux battery (Fiamm) lying in the garage also had 12.58 volts
Old Main Battery (MB) also lying in the garage also had 12.4 volts
I also noted: while unlocking the doors SBC pump clicked thrice but didn't buzz brakes lines - I remember it ALWAYS used to buzz upon unlocking ... This has been happening since brakes were bled w/o disconnecting this darn pump
I never had this problem till I bled the darn brakes without disconnecting SBC pump - heeelp guys, maybe the SBC pump is drawing excessing current ? Thats why drains the battery in stop & go traffic ??
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 528
Likes: 20
From: Chicago IL
X166 gls450 2017
Thought I'd check if alternator's charging aux batt, Aux Batt stays at 12.66 even with the car running, is Alternator not charging this one ? Shouldn't it go to 14 v coz of the alternator kickin in
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 528
Likes: 20
From: Chicago IL
X166 gls450 2017
The current leakage test done by MB showed 30 mA when cars totally shut down - they said its normal
what else could be eating up the battery ? & I know my problem starts when I sit on the brake for long & bleeding did something to either the relay or God know what..
Last edited by 007_e350; Feb 21, 2010 at 11:05 PM.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,254
Likes: 15
From: Louisiana
03 E500 and Corvette
Do you know who does this test ?
The current leakage test done by MB showed 30 mA when cars totally shut down - they said its normal
what else could be eating up the battery ? & I know my problem starts when I sit on the brake for long & bleeding did something to either the relay or God know what..
The current leakage test done by MB showed 30 mA when cars totally shut down - they said its normal
what else could be eating up the battery ? & I know my problem starts when I sit on the brake for long & bleeding did something to either the relay or God know what..
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 528
Likes: 20
From: Chicago IL
X166 gls450 2017
Thats what stealership said too & they charged the Main battery but the darn thing became weak again so I went ahead and replaced it twice already -- how can all batteries become weak after 2 weeks ? Is there an electrical component thats messing up the battery ? (The closed loop current leakage was fine with the car shut off - but what about when car's running ? why isn't the Alternator taking care of that ?)
Last edited by 007_e350; Feb 22, 2010 at 09:59 AM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,254
Likes: 15
From: Louisiana
03 E500 and Corvette
Thats what stealership said too & they charged the Main battery but the darn thing became weak again so I went ahead and replaced it twice already -- how can all batteries become weak after 2 weeks ? Is there an electrical component thats messing up the battery ? (The closed loop current leakage was fine when car shut off - but what about when car's running ? why isn't the Alternator taking care of that ?)
If the dealer isn't putting in the correct battery you will have this problem.
Verify the battery part number at the parts counter if necessary to confirm you have the correct battery. Others have bought new batteries that "fit" and have the same issues you have. New doesn't mean,, correct,, meet specs, or old battery never used on the shelf.
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 528
Likes: 20
From: Chicago IL
X166 gls450 2017
Yeah this one is identical to the original one I took out - I'll post the part no. on it a little later -- Also, he told me this battery came in that morning & wasn't like sitting on the bench..
Interesting to find out my old MB battery still had 12.48 volts..
Interesting to find out my old MB battery still had 12.48 volts..
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,254
Likes: 15
From: Louisiana
03 E500 and Corvette
Remember I did cover in previous post that is 1 of 3 diode packs are failing in the alternator/regulator you won't be able to keep your battery fully charged and that it will give you a low voltage warning with lots of equipment on.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,254
Likes: 15
From: Louisiana
03 E500 and Corvette
It is possible to have 14.2 volts with a diode pack bad. However if your alternator is a 90 amp and 1 diode pack is bad it will only be putting out 60 amps which means it will take longer to charge the battery. On short trips this won't be enough to keep the battery charged but on longer drives it might be able to keep up.
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 528
Likes: 20
From: Chicago IL
X166 gls450 2017
ok, Should I plug in the Amp meter between battery's -ve and BCM and crank the car to see how many amps are being pumped into the battery ?
Also, I remember when I was putting in the driver side parking lamp (4 months ago), the housing wont go into the headlamp & I believe I turned it a little too much (maybe 3 full circles or so) ... the battery issue started after that over months ... is there a way to check any shortage in that line ?
Also, I remember when I was putting in the driver side parking lamp (4 months ago), the housing wont go into the headlamp & I believe I turned it a little too much (maybe 3 full circles or so) ... the battery issue started after that over months ... is there a way to check any shortage in that line ?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,254
Likes: 15
From: Louisiana
03 E500 and Corvette
ok, Should I plug in the Amp meter between battery's -ve and BCM and crank the car to see how many amps are being pumped into the battery ?
Also, I remember when I was putting in the driver side parking lamp (4 months ago), the housing wont go into the headlamp & I believe I turned it a little too much (maybe 3 full circles or so) ... the battery issue started after that over months ... is there a way to check any shortage in that line ?
Also, I remember when I was putting in the driver side parking lamp (4 months ago), the housing wont go into the headlamp & I believe I turned it a little too much (maybe 3 full circles or so) ... the battery issue started after that over months ... is there a way to check any shortage in that line ?
The proper way would be to use testing equipment that will actually measure and look for the 3 individual pulses from the alternator to confirm it is working. What this means is you should take it somewhere with the proper test equipment to verify the alternator. If your battery is in a low state of charge for this test it will draw high amps from the alternator and indicate low voltage. This is a precision test. If you find noone who can do this test I would recommend a good dealer. If you aren't having success with your current dealer you will have to find another.
For the light you had an issue with. I do not have enough information to answer that question without more information. However consider the light is off with the car off therefore no power. Shorts normally blow fuses or trip breakers/fuseable links. If you have none of these and the light works normally it is 'probably' not a problem.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,254
Likes: 15
From: Louisiana
03 E500 and Corvette
Might consider another dealership. Remember you still have a problem you brought to MB and it hasn't been resolved. You might see your local dealer and ask for MB direct help.
Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 124
Likes: 0
From: Bay Area, CA
2005 E55
Thanks to this thread I was able to save money bypassing the dealership. Bought the Diehard 14-BS & with the install guide from vettdrv Main battery was at 12.6v, but the Aux was at 10.6v. Bought the Diehard 14-BS & with the install from vettdrv all went well. No errors messages when done.
Thanks
Thanks
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 528
Likes: 20
From: Chicago IL
X166 gls450 2017
hey vettdvr,
I swapped out the alternator too last night - The Red Battery/Alternator msg is gone but at night I get low voltage alongwith ESP & ABS malfunction warning... When I rev it, it goes away too ... My old battery read 12.6 in the garage tonight, so battery wasn;t the issue ?? Why is the new battery also showing low battery after a month ?
I swapped out the alternator too last night - The Red Battery/Alternator msg is gone but at night I get low voltage alongwith ESP & ABS malfunction warning... When I rev it, it goes away too ... My old battery read 12.6 in the garage tonight, so battery wasn;t the issue ?? Why is the new battery also showing low battery after a month ?
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 336
Likes: 0
From: Salt Lake City, UT
2002 BMW M5, 1992 AWD DSM, 1988 Yamaha FZR1000
Just swapped the aux battery out in the garage. The battery had built-in metal terminals with bolt holes, and the cable ends (which are made to fit over a square edge, but the edge on my battery terminal was too far) fit after a bit of adjustment (had to bolt them on facing vertical instead of horizontal).
Wound up keeping power to it by running jumper cables from my girlfriend's Passat, to little 18-gauge alligator clips, and then clipping those to the lowest point I could find on the AMG's battery cables.
Worked like a charm!
Wound up keeping power to it by running jumper cables from my girlfriend's Passat, to little 18-gauge alligator clips, and then clipping those to the lowest point I could find on the AMG's battery cables.
Worked like a charm!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,254
Likes: 15
From: Louisiana
03 E500 and Corvette
hey vettdvr,
I swapped out the alternator too last night - The Red Battery/Alternator msg is gone but at night I get low voltage alongwith ESP & ABS malfunction warning... When I rev it, it goes away too ... My old battery read 12.6 in the garage tonight, so battery wasn;t the issue ?? Why is the new battery also showing low battery after a month ?
I swapped out the alternator too last night - The Red Battery/Alternator msg is gone but at night I get low voltage alongwith ESP & ABS malfunction warning... When I rev it, it goes away too ... My old battery read 12.6 in the garage tonight, so battery wasn;t the issue ?? Why is the new battery also showing low battery after a month ?
Verify your aux battery voltage again engine off to make sure it is fully charged.
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 528
Likes: 20
From: Chicago IL
X166 gls450 2017
I swapped out the entire alternator w/ built in regulator..
Last night I noticed 2 things:
1- With only park lamps on: when I increase the RPM to 3k, they're ok - but when the RPM drops from 3k to 600 I see flickering - tried this a couple of times saw it everytime...
2- With the car shutoff and even with alrm system armed, no accessory works except the command sys .... I hit seat adjusters they dont work but Radio, CD still works -- could this be a mafunction ?
Last night I noticed 2 things:
1- With only park lamps on: when I increase the RPM to 3k, they're ok - but when the RPM drops from 3k to 600 I see flickering - tried this a couple of times saw it everytime...
2- With the car shutoff and even with alrm system armed, no accessory works except the command sys .... I hit seat adjusters they dont work but Radio, CD still works -- could this be a mafunction ?
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 392
Likes: 0
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
W211 Elegance Saloon
I swapped out the entire alternator w/ built in regulator..
Last night I noticed 2 things:
1- With only park lamps on: when I increase the RPM to 3k, they're ok - but when the RPM drops from 3k to 600 I see flickering - tried this a couple of times saw it everytime...
2- With the car shutoff and even with alrm system armed, no accessory works except the command sys .... I hit seat adjusters they dont work but Radio, CD still works -- could this be a mafunction ?
Last night I noticed 2 things:
1- With only park lamps on: when I increase the RPM to 3k, they're ok - but when the RPM drops from 3k to 600 I see flickering - tried this a couple of times saw it everytime...
2- With the car shutoff and even with alrm system armed, no accessory works except the command sys .... I hit seat adjusters they dont work but Radio, CD still works -- could this be a mafunction ?
