My W212 E250CDI Blueficiency, which used to travel 35 km a day on the open road, stopped for about 1 month and when I tried to connect the non-MB battery engine that I purchased in 2017 it did not have enough charge.
So I started researching possible similar cases to try to understand if it was usual for the W212 batteries to run out so soon, if the problem was with the electrical system or if it would be an attitude of the drivers here at home or the paths traveled.
Fortunately I found a lot of information that unfortunately confirms that the batteries sometimes die prematurely due to the Blueficiency management of the battery charging system in the W212.
It is a very complicated electrical and charging system, performed by the rear SAM unit and aided by the ME-SFI engine management program that is optimized so that the vehicle has low fuel consumption and consequently low harmful gas emissions.
Usually the alternator is OFF (disconnected) most of the time only when there is a heavy electrical load the alternator is activated or during braking and deceleration to also take advantage of the energy charged by its operation to charge the battery instead of stealing engine power during other phases of lower fuel consumption, for which it must always have a margin to absorb that load, so the management system only charges it up to 80% even after a long journey and never allows a full load.
I think, therefore, that for this reason and for those exposed in the posts of this forum we should not be constantly charging the batteries in order not to mislead the computers.
We should be monitoring their charge states with a voltmeter and only in case of values ​​below 12.6volt (minimum value recommended by MB) or in case of prolonged stops of the vehicle, we can proceed to reinforcement charges of the batteries in order to guarantee the reliability and expectation of durability.

I'm using the

"RING Automotive RBA3 12v 24v LED Digital Display Voltmeter With Car DC Plug Battery Tester"

you can see on
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ring-RBA3-1...0AAOxyV85Ryw5N

and

NEW 24V Car Battery Monitor LED Digital Display Volt Voltage Meter Thermometer

you can see on
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-24V-C...75.c100623.m-1

you can also see other equivalent devices on
https://www.google.com/search?client...Battery+Tester


I hope to have helped to clarify this problem / reality that is too important to be unknown to MB owners due to the lack of information on the part of MB commercial agents and their technicians, who should provide clarifications that would allow the optimization of the use of the products they sell on according to its motto “THE BEST OR NOTHING”!
Greetings to all Mercedes-Benz owners and admirers.

 

FWIW, I went through 9 (NINE!) batteries in 2 years with my W212, all replaced under warranty. I drove mostly highway driving (2+ hrs a time without stops) and suspected that this might be the problem, as I could watch the main battery's voltage drop as I was driving. Yet another case where "environmentally friendly" "efficiency" generates far more waste than it saves.

 

Carlos - having bluetec, I strongly recommend you get ScanGauge to monitor dpf regenerations and the gauge will also show you car voltage + about 50 other data of your choice.

 

Good morning kajtec1.
Thanks for your quick post.

Sorry but my car does not have a Bluetec system.

The Scan Gauge you refer is only part of the equipment of cars with Bluetec or is a measuring device that can be purchased separately to monitor data related to its operation.
Sorry for my ignorance on this matter!

Certainly there will be a system for reading these and other data with connection via the OBD II plug and compatible with our machines. But maybe they are very expensive!

Are you aware of any computer application or device that has an acceptable number of features, that has been tested by someone in the group or known and that is relatively inexpensive?

Still regarding my previous post I think that the correct battery voltage that will require an extra charge to avoid damage will be less than 12.4 volts because I believe that LALAND has knowledge about the matter and knows what he is saying.

Greetings to all owners and admirers of these great Mercedes-Benz machines.

 

Hey guys what can you tell me about the e-Manual "2011 MERCEDES E-Class W212 Service and Repair Manual" which can be purchased on the website with the following link
https://www.emanualonline.com/Cars/M...ir-Manual.html
Best regards.

 

Interesting. According to M-B service manager driving a car 20 minutes will fully recharge a battery. Supposedly the old letting it run a hour or two doesn't do anything anymore. The wheels have to be moving to recharge the battery. Sort of like my riding lawn mower I guess.
Keeping my fingers crossed and try to do this at least once per month.
But, still believe it is poor M-B engineering of batteries or electrical systems or both.

 

I don't take it as poor engineering, but a compromise.
Just like with tire choice - you can have long-lasting thread, comfort or traction, but never all 3 in single tire.
So smart charging saves fuel and environment by putting more stress on batteries. I think that if you save $300 per year on fuel, you can deal with battery replacement every 2-3 years?
That said, the flooded battery who come with my first W212 three years ago is still in good shape, so replacing battery every few months is indication of serious problem IMHO

 

I would just get the full Mercedes WIS which is what the dealers use. About $8 for a knock off copy on eBay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Latest-2019-Mercedes-WIS-ASRA-EPC-Service-Repair-Workshop-Manual-Full-version/123679649919

 

Thanks a lot cetialpha5.
Regards.

 

Carlos Eduardo

Registered

Joined 1 mo ago
4 Posts#20 • 1 h ago (Edited) I have now installed a voltmeter in the cigarette lighter socket to be able to control the instantaneous values.
I can now confirm that when the engine is idling, when braking or decelerating the vehicle the voltmeter indicates 14.8 volts. On the other hand, in acceleration of the vehicle the value immediately goes to 12.6 volts.

If you don't go on winding roads, your battery will probably have a compromised life expectancy and some morning, sooner than you think, you won't be able to start the engine!

As soon as you stop the engine the battery voltage starts to drop immediately. It seems that for about 20 minutes the systems of some electrical equipment remain in charge, therefore contributing to the discharge of the battery which, in case of deficit, is in danger of collapsing

I am considering replacing all the incandescent bulbs in the interior with LEDs to to decrease at least that energy consumption but as my MB agent told me that there have been problems with this that caused errors in the car I would like you to tell me if you have had any experience in this matter.




Idling, braking or slowing.

Stopped with a low charge battery.

 

I have now installed a voltmeter in the cigarette lighter socket to be able to control the instantaneous values.
I can now confirm that when the engine is idling, when braking or decelerating the vehicle the voltmeter indicates 14.8 volts. On the other hand, in acceleration of the vehicle the value immediately goes to 12.6 volts. If you don't go on winding roads, your battery will probably have a compromised life expectancy and some morning, sooner than you think, you won't be able to start the engine!
I am considering replacing all the incandescent bulbs in the interior with LEDs to at least reduce this energy consumption but as my agent MB told me that there were problems with this that caused errors in the car I would like to be told if they have had any experience in this matter.
Greetings to all.
As soon as you stop the engine the battery voltage starts to drop immediately. It seems that for about 20 minutes the systems of some electrical equipment remain in charge, therefore contributing to the discharge of the battery which, in case of deficit, is in danger of collapsing.
Greetings.
Idling, braking or slowing.

Sttoped with a low charge battery.

 

You realize every car's electric system does exactly the same thing, right? Car batteries are designed to last only a few years. I just replaced one with a 3 year warranty. It was 3 years and 1 month old. In my Nissan.

 

Hello jonUF02.
I am sorry but I cannot agree with that statement for several reasons that I will explain.
I have had several cars in the family that perhaps because they had different technologies, they did not have so much electrical and electronic equipment as well as an alternator flow management geared towards fuel savings, whose batteries lasted in some cases much longer than that of the W212 [2011-2017 (6 years)] and that next I indicate:
1 - FIAT Uno 45S (1986) the battery lasted 8 years;
2 - Citroen Xantia 1.9 Turbo diesel (1994) the battery lasted 7 years;
3 - Peugeot 406 Hdi 2.0 Turbo diesel (2000) the battery lasted 8 years;
4 - Citroen C2 1.4 Hdi Turbo diesel (2005) the battery lasted 11 years.

I do not believe that the amount achieved in saving fuel with this management of the W212 makes up for the amount that one has to pay for the batteries that will have to be purchased, and furthermore as someone has already stated the pollution resulting from these replaced batteries.

For my 2011 W212 E250 CDI Bluefficiency Estate, the TUDOR agent gave me the 800A 80Ah AGM Start-Stop which cost me Eur.185,00 in 2017.

Diesel here costs around Eur 1.40 per liter, which means that the value of the beer is equivalent to 132 liters of fuel.

The vehicle was about 55,000 km long, which means that in order to reach a savings of 132 liters, it would have to have saved about 0.24 liters for every 100 km.

UUUHHHMMM!

I don't know if I can believe it ... ...

But this, my friends, are life's dilemmas that we have to deal with!

Attention I still love my W212!

Even if I was offered a simple exchange for a newer model of the E class I would never accept it because they seem to have lines from Japanese cars!

The only things I liked about my W212 were the 9 GT-Tronic gearbox instead of the 7-speed gearbox and maybe a few more extras like the panoramic roof, air bags in the rear seats, leather seats, the front seats with memory and heated, tire pressure indication on the dashboard.

I also loved being able to get special 17 inch AMG Aero monobloc wheels compatible with the W212 (THEY ARE THE MOST SPECTACULAR RIMS IN THE WORLD)!

Greetings to all Mercedes-Benz owners and fans.

 

It's basically the heat that kills the battery. My W211 where the battery is in the truck has the original battery at 12+ years. The W212 already had the battery replaced when I bought it though. I think MB changed the charging algorithm to not charge it as much to get better gas mileage. So the battery just dies earlier. I bet if you put it on a charger once in a while it will probably last longer, but only so much, the heat will probably still kill it.

 

The longest lasting battery was Spanish-made Varta in our 1998 ML320. Used in California heat, with annual visits to Las Vegas with normal 115F/40C the battery lasted 13 years and it was mounted under the hood, so engine heat added to it.
Than I have flooded battery who PO installed in our 2014 E250BT and it is running 4th year + whatever PO used it.
I think part of the problem is that AGM batteries don't follow the quality of flooded ones.

 

Yes, you are right cetialpha5.

The heat helps the batteries run out faster, but if they were in the trunk like on your W211 they would be much more protected.

I believe that some VW cars with batteries next to the engine, under the hood, come with a kind of thermal blanket that surrounds the batteries from the factory.

Can we get something similar without the risk of fire due to the heat given off by the battery itself?

My cousin works at AUTOEUROPA - the VW factory here in Portugal - I will speak to him to confirm and as soon as I know something I will let you know.

According to the constant control that I will do through the voltmeter that I have connected, I will be able to assess the true state of the battery and the real need to carry out additional charges.

I am sorry that Mercedes-Benz did not install voltmeter and ammeter on the dashboard of the vehicle similar to what Lancia did a few years ago and I think Alfa-Romeo did too.
A turbo pressure gauge would also be welcome.

 

There was a way to get the voltage on the W211, I thought there was a way on the W212, but lost track of that thread and not sure if it really worked.

 

My current battery in my W212 E550 is 2.5 years old Advance Auto parts Gold battery with 3 year replacement warranty. I would not be surprised if it dies after the next 6 or 7 months, just past the warranty. No problems so far. I drive daily only about 10-15 miles at lower city speeds. I have gone on 3 weeks vacation though without any issue last summer. This was purchased Sept 2017 to replace the original (to my knowledge) MB battery, the car is a 2012 model, so 5 years, not a bad run.

 

@cetiapha5

I think this is what you're referring to. I've not tried on my 212, but I'm under the impression it should work.

​​​​​​here is the “secret” menu one can access by using the REST button on the W210:

When engine running hold REST button for 10 seconds. Use fan + – buttons to toggle

1 in-car temp
2 temp outside
3 heater core temp, left
4 heater core temp, right
5 evaporator core temp
6 engine coolant temp
7 refrigerant pressure (in bars)
8 refrigerant temp
9 not used
10 blower control voltage in range .8 – 6V (max)
11 air pollution sensor
12 sun sensor
20 control current of aux fan
21 engine RPM (x 100)
22 vehicle speed, km/h
23 terminal 58d battery charge, percent
24 battery voltage
40 software status register
41 hardware status register

 

Eu já vi algo sobre isso escrito em um fórum.

Eu acho que é nos carros W212 com o Mercedes Bluetec System e existe uma funçăo que pode ser exibida no painel.

Existem alguns dispositivos que também permitem verificar alguns dados através da conexăo OBD II e enviados para um smartphone.

My M.B. revendedor já me deu há alguns anos um dispositivo como o que é chamado de "Mercedes me Adapter".

Ele foi conectado ao smartphone da minha esposa, pois naquela época eu năo tinha um com memória suficiente para instalar o aplicativo em questăo.

Eu năo tive tempo suficiente para verificar suas funçőes, pois minha esposa desinstalou o aplicativo porque estava descarregando seu Smartphone muito rapidamente.

Como desde novembro do ano passado, o carro ficou parado na garagem por cerca de dois meses devido ŕ morte da minha filha e ao aparecimento do meu Linphoma, a bateria teve uma grande reduçăo de tensăo e năo foi suficiente para dar partida no motor que decidi desconectar esse dispositivo do plugue OBD II porque pensei que estava contribuindo para a descarga da bateria.

Peguei as instruçőes / recursos do dispositivo agora e eles dizem que năo descarrega a bateria, parece que fornece acesso a diversas informaçőes sobre rotas de viagens, consumos, acesso a marcaçăo de verificaçăo de agente e permite localizaçăo nos parques de estacionamento .
Năo foi possível acessar as funcionalidades das funcionalidades permitidas.
Indico aqui ou no link oficial do YouTube de M.B. sobre o aparelho: Greetings.



O meu năo tem

 

In mine it is in the engineering menu. Displays voltage direct from battery and thru CAN.

 

Carlos,

In your picture you have that beautiful Avantgarde badge in your center console. Did your car come with it?

My car is also Avantgarde but it does not have that badge. I wonder if MB just left it out of U.S. cars...?

Would like to buy one from somewhere...

 

Hy Arrie.
Yes.
My 2011 W212 E250 CDI Bluefficiency Estate Avantgarde already came with that badge.
You can try to check out on your M.B. local dealer as I'm shore they'll have it.
But the price will be probably high.
Before you buy on M.B.dealer you could also try Chinese online shopping sites they have almost everything and are sometimes interesting products with reasonable quality and very cool prices.
Greetings.

 

I'm sorry Strasseninsel for writting my post on Portuguese.
Now I'm translating it here and below:

"Quote:
Originally Posted by Strasseninsel View Post
@ cetiapha5

I think this is what you're referring to. I've not tried on my 212, but I'm under the impression it should work.

Here is the “secret” menu one can access by using the REST button on the W210:

When engine running hold REST button for 10 seconds. Use fan + - buttons to toggle

1 in-car temp
2 temp outside
3 heater core temp, left
4 heater core temp, right
5 evaporator core temp
6 engine coolant temp
7 refrigerant pressure (in bars)
8 refrigerant temp
9 not used
10 blower control voltage in range .8 - 6V (max)
11 air pollution sensor
12 sun sensor
20 control current of aux fan
21 engine RPM (x 100)
22 vehicle speed, km / h
23 terminal 58d battery charge, percent
24 battery voltage
40 software status register
41 hardware status register"


I've seen something about it written on a forum.

I think it's in the W212 cars with the Mercedes Bluetec System and there is a function that can be displayed on the dashboard.

There are some devices that also allow you to check some data via the OBD II connection and sent to a smartphone.

My M.B. dealer already gave me a device like what is called "Mercedes me Adapter" a few years ago.

It was connected to my wife's smartphone, because at that time I didn't have one with enough memory to install the application in question.

I didn't have enough time to check its functions, as my wife uninstalled the application because she was unloading her Smartphone very quickly.

As since November last year, the car was stopped in the garage for about two months due to the death of my daughter and the appearance of my Linphoma, the battery had a great voltage reduction and it was not enough to start the engine that I decided disconnect this device from the OBD II plug because I thought it was contributing to the battery drain.

I have taken the instructions / resources from the device now and they say that it does not discharge the battery, it seems that it provides access to various information on travel routes, consumption, access to agent verification marking and allows location in car parks.
It was not possible to access the features of the allowed features.
I indicate here or on M.B.'s official YouTube link about the device:
Greetings.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=943C...ature=youtu.be

 

Obrigado Carlos.