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Car sat in garage for 2 weeks and battery was dead tonight.

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Old Jul 1, 2010 | 10:01 PM
  #1  
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Car sat in garage for 2 weeks and battery was dead tonight.

2 weeks is not that long for a battery to be dead. Any ideas????

No parking lights were left on and that is the only equipment that would drain the battery that I know of.

Since I have to go in the garage at night I saw no lights on.

Ipod was plugged in the glove box but with the car off it was black.

How long does the car have to run to charge the battery? Took it for a ride for 25 minutes. Left it running in the driveway for now.

I guess I have to back it into the garage for tonight until I gain some confidence. (need jumper cables in the trunk on a new 50+k car. Now that's funny?
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Old Jul 1, 2010 | 11:19 PM
  #2  
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S65
You may have a bad battery...? I understand it's a 50K dollar car, but a car battery is a car battery. Sometimes a bad one slips through.
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Old Jul 2, 2010 | 01:23 AM
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There's a Thread about the Display Lights coming on randomly when the car isn't in use, or not touched. Perhaps that's the reason?
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Old Jul 2, 2010 | 01:26 AM
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I think maybe your battery is too old now. Try to replace it with new one. lol
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Old Jul 2, 2010 | 07:03 PM
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When my wife's 2007 ML was new, I mistakenly left the interior lights on overnight. The next morning, the battery was dead and needed a jump. We have been more careful since and have not had any battery problems in 32,000 miles and over three years.
My point is that, unless you were in the garage the very first night after parking the car, the battery may have worn down during the first night and the car would be dark from then forward.
Interested to hear the final outcome.
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Old Jul 2, 2010 | 07:31 PM
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Originally Posted by wheels777
2 weeks is not that long for a battery to be dead. Any ideas????
Request dealer check for excessive rest current (i.e.: a component and/or system that should shut down remains on).
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Old Jul 2, 2010 | 08:38 PM
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In for Repair at MB dealer today. MB dealer said battery should not come close to going dead in 2 weeks.

Results:

541011 Short Test Perfomed
541010 Test Program - After Short Test, Perform 220 ONTHANK
540000 Coded After Blow Out

5435 DC - 083405908 Checked for faults , None Found at this time.

Deactivated Afterblow Feature and let car sit for 4 hours. Battery voltage stayed the same at 11.8 volts and back light cluster did not come on.

Performed open campaign 5435 DC-57900317

Campaign 026840 Left and Right under floor paneling fasteners

Last edited by wheels777; Jul 2, 2010 at 08:52 PM.
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Old Jul 3, 2010 | 11:17 PM
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do you have the smart key where you never have to insert a key? that system has been a culprit in other cars. Also - do you tend to drive short distances (may not allow battery to get charged fully)
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Old Jul 3, 2010 | 11:44 PM
  #9  
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Originally Posted by mg-E550
do you have the smart key where you never have to insert a key? that system has been a culprit in other cars. Also - do you tend to drive short distances (may not allow battery to get charged fully)
Not enough short trips to cause battery discharge. Came back the week before from a 300 mile trip, drove another 50-60 miles and then the car was parked for 10 - 14 days.

No Smartkey.
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Old Aug 17, 2010 | 02:26 PM
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August 1, 2010

Car sat for 3-4 days. Battery Dead again in Garage.

Called Road Side. Dealer found no draws or drains on the battery. Tested the battery with the hand held device and found nothing wrong with the battery.

Checked for all codes found below voltage on 2 occasions where the system records the mileage on the car.

Dealer replaced battery.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w212...2010-e350.html

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w212...d-battery.html

May be becoming a known issue.

.
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Old Aug 17, 2010 | 03:34 PM
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Originally Posted by wheels777
August 1, 2010

Car sat for 3-4 days. Battery Dead again in Garage.

Called Road Side. Dealer found no draws or drains on the battery. Tested the battery with the hand held device and found nothing wrong with the battery.

Checked for all codes found below voltage on 2 occasions where the system records the mileage on the car.

Dealer replaced battery.

May be becoming a known issue.

.
It is starting to become a frequent issue but not a known issue in the sense that at least I have not seen any explanation what is causing this (and how can it be fixed, should be straightforward once the reason is known).

There are some interior lights issues but I thought this was not that.

It does not help a lot to measure quiescent current once the battery has gone flat. It does not harm but typically the issue is from a control unit and it goes away when the control unit is reset. The control unit gets reset from no power, which is the case after a flat battery.
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Old Aug 17, 2010 | 04:08 PM
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My 2010 ML550 just sat in my garage for 7 weeks untouched while I recooperated from surgery. When I went to start it it was just like it had been driven 15 minutes before. No issues at all. Do not know if my E would act the same as during this period my wife had been using it daily but in the past it has sat for 2 weeks with no problem.
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Old Aug 17, 2010 | 08:41 PM
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Bad Battery

My wifes 2009 ML350 did the same thing over night. MB picked up the car and replaced the battery for free. I will add that I put a charger on it for 6 hours but only was able to get the electronic door rear door to move slowly.
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Old Aug 19, 2010 | 07:57 AM
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my car has been sitting in the garage since mid-May...
going to use the car next week and now I'm scared
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Old Aug 19, 2010 | 12:49 PM
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This second occurrence is very disheartening.

What gives? I need a jumper box in my trunk for a Mercedes.

Car Not starting, Now that gives one pause and a total lack of confidence.

The dealer did give me the buttons to press on the steering controls to give me the on board Voltage and Amp readings for the alternator charging the battery. If one scrolls it also will provide serial numbers, software versions and etc.
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Old Aug 19, 2010 | 05:33 PM
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I thought MB has two batteries, one is for starting and another one is for everything also. At least my W210 has two and I never had problem starting it after a month or two without use.
So what’s going on now? Cutting cost and start battery?
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Old Aug 19, 2010 | 06:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Dema
I thought MB has two batteries, one is for starting and another one is for everything also. At least my W210 has two and I never had problem starting it after a month or two without use.
So what’s going on now? Cutting cost and start battery?
I believe so. W211 had 2 as well, and W212 has only 1. Clearly a car with all these gadgets needs 2, and M-B cost cut it out.
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Old Aug 19, 2010 | 07:27 PM
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Originally Posted by K-A
I believe so. W211 had 2 as well, and W212 has only 1. Clearly a car with all these gadgets needs 2, and M-B cost cut it out.
I do not recall my W210 having 2 batteries. I remember only one and it was under the rear seat. The 211 I had did have 2 batteries, trunk and under hood.
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Old Aug 19, 2010 | 10:27 PM
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the w211's probably had two batteries because of the stupid sbc
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Old Aug 19, 2010 | 10:33 PM
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Due to one battery, you can't take your MB out of PARK if the battery is dead.

So if your car is front first in the garage you have to have a jump box or be inventive.
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Old Aug 19, 2010 | 11:39 PM
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You sold your E MBNut? What's next up?
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Old Aug 20, 2010 | 01:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Dema
I thought MB has two batteries, one is for starting and another one is for everything also. At least my W210 has two and I never had problem starting it after a month or two without use.
So what’s going on now? Cutting cost and start battery?
Only certain models have two batteries. The pre-facelift W221 has a real starter battery at the front and a consumer battery at the rear (same with R230). The car starts even if the consumer battery was flat. The facelift W221 comes with a single battery (a few exceptions, the hybrid at least).

Originally Posted by K-A
I believe so. W211 had 2 as well, and W212 has only 1. Clearly a car with all these gadgets needs 2, and M-B cost cut it out.
The W211 has a single battery after they made the facelift. The SBC battery does not help here when the topic is about a dead battery, the SBC or AUX battery is not used for starting at all (neither for convenience functions).

Originally Posted by MBNUT1
the w211's probably had two batteries because of the stupid sbc
I don't think SBC is stupid here but you are right, the AUX battery is there for the SBC brakes on a W211 pre-facelift car.

Originally Posted by wheels777
Due to one battery, you can't take your MB out of PARK if the battery is dead.

So if your car is front first in the garage you have to have a jump box or be inventive.
You are assuming something and delivering that information to the forum "as if it was a fact". This is not very good, you should put a disclaimer like "as far as I know" so that readers know they should search for a second opinion.

The W212 (with a column shifter) actually has a backup battery for the gear shifter and you can put the gear to N even if the main battery was flat (looks like we were talking about two batteries on a W212 too but this backup battery is a very small battery, a lot smaller than the SBC battery on a W211 which is why it is usually not counted as a second battery at all).
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Old Aug 20, 2010 | 07:05 AM
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u are assuming something and delivering that information to the forum "as if it was a fact". This is not very good, you should put a disclaimer like "as far as I know" so that readers know they should search for a second opinion.

The W212 (with a column shifter) actually has a backup battery for the gear shifter and you can put the gear to N even if the main battery was flat (looks like we were talking about two batteries on a W212 too but this backup battery is a very small battery, a lot smaller than the SBC battery on a W211 which is why it is usually not counted as a second battery at all).
HOW??? to place in neutral.

Let me re-phrase, The MB Dealer told me that "the car will not come out of park with a dead battery" and I was foolish enough to believe the MB dealer who has the franchise and is trained in product knowledge and technical matters. This is a fact!

When the battery was dead with key in position I tried to place the car in neutral and nothing happened.

I will read the owners manual more thoroughly to see how it instructs one with a Dead Battery to place the car in neutral.

On the day the battery was dead I was in somewhat of a rush to get the problem resolved and only did a cursory review of the manual for this issue and did not see the instructions easily found, IMO.
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Old Aug 20, 2010 | 07:17 AM
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Originally Posted by K-A
I believe so. W211 had 2 as well, and W212 has only 1. Clearly a car with all these gadgets needs 2, and M-B cost cut it out.
Originally Posted by sosh
I do not recall my W210 having 2 batteries. I remember only one and it was under the rear seat. The 211 I had did have 2 batteries, trunk and under hood.
Originally Posted by MBNUT1
the w211's probably had two batteries because of the stupid sbc
MY07+ W211 only had 1 battery. No SBC after that.
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Old Aug 20, 2010 | 09:10 AM
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Originally Posted by MBNUT1
the w211's probably had two batteries because of the stupid sbc
If that were the case how do you explain the fact that the MLs, W164s without SBC have 2 batteries??
Re SBC, had it in my 05 E320 4M and found it totally trouble free and providing excellent braking. Better than my 2010 E350 4M even though the brakes on my E350 are very very adequate.
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