Can I change my E550's main battery myself?
#76
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Wish it would tell me how much gas this is really saving. Thanks for sharing though. At least I know I should be decelerating more to charge my battery.
#77
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#78
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Negligible. It's part of the "Blue Efficiency" thing, that labeling was cars that used more than 3 energy saving technologies (eco-start, sailing mode, etc), and regen braking was one of them. This was considered a type of regen, even though it was so slight.
#79
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2010 W212 E550 4matic
Perfect! Thanks Joe!
The blue efficiency stuff is a bunch of BS, especially when installed on a big V8 or V6. Trying to please Greenpeace has left owners with half baked technologies that are unreliable and end up costing more in the long term. If I have to replace the battery every 3 years instead of the usual 6 to 9, isn't that going to cost more in terms of CO2 emissions due to manufacturing, shipping and handling of the replacement batteries?
I personally blame the tree hugging hippies who want to see us drive horse buggies and eat our sandals. They've cried so much that the government had to give in to their silly demands and made it impossible for car people to enjoy anything fun these days. Every new car now has the Eco Nanny on board, and I'm certain it's next mission is to axe V8s and V6s. End of rant.
The blue efficiency stuff is a bunch of BS, especially when installed on a big V8 or V6. Trying to please Greenpeace has left owners with half baked technologies that are unreliable and end up costing more in the long term. If I have to replace the battery every 3 years instead of the usual 6 to 9, isn't that going to cost more in terms of CO2 emissions due to manufacturing, shipping and handling of the replacement batteries?
I personally blame the tree hugging hippies who want to see us drive horse buggies and eat our sandals. They've cried so much that the government had to give in to their silly demands and made it impossible for car people to enjoy anything fun these days. Every new car now has the Eco Nanny on board, and I'm certain it's next mission is to axe V8s and V6s. End of rant.
#80
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2010 E63 AMG, 2003 E500
I personally blame the tree hugging hippies who want to see us drive horse buggies and eat our sandals. They've cried so much that the government had to give in to their silly demands and made it impossible for car people to enjoy anything fun these days. Every new car now has the Eco Nanny on board, and I'm certain it's next mission is to axe V8s and V6s. End of rant.
#81
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2010 W212 E550 4matic
Couldn't agree more Oda. They did the same thing to Formula One racing when they mandated the cars reach some arbitrary miles per gallon efficiency on track. Meanwhile you''ve got tens of thousands of people driving their own vehicles untold distances to get to the event and countless celebrities, drivers, team owners, officials etc. flying their private jets. Makes zero sense.
#82
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Well after almost 3 trouble free years since installing a replacement battery, I have had two instances weeks apart in the last few months where the car would not start and needed a jump. Car has started fine all the other days. Going to have to keep an eye on it. Given our Honda goes through conventional batteries every 2.5-3 years (just installed it's 4th battery before its 8th year anniversary) in this FL heat, maybe these AGM batteries won't last that long either for me down here. Still have a year left on the Bosch warranty so I'll get a replacement if it keeps failing. By the way, I bought a portable jump start pack after my Honda's battery failed on vacation a few months back and they are great. This 600A one fired up my 5.5l V8 both times without an issue.
#83
I found this site mercedesmedic.com and it has some great instructions on how to change the battery in your E-class. They even give you instructions on how to sync the new battery, which includes syncing the windows, sunroof, and calibrating the wheel if your ESP warning light is ON. Click here to go directly to the Battery Replacement page for the W212.
Last edited by jumpman726; 08-09-2018 at 12:36 AM.
#84
I haven't had any issues with my battery in my E550. It's original to my car and the label says it was made in Sept. 2011, so it's been 7 years, but when I took it in for an oil change and inspection they ran a test and said the CCA was only around 500. It needs to be at least 800. I told them I would replace the battery myself.
Consumer reports tested car batteries 2 years ago and they rated the Bosch batteries as one of the worst. The Duracell Platinum AGM was rated high and my local Sam's Club had it for $180. Sam's will install your battery for free, but I chose to do it myself. I watched the video in my previous post and followed the instructions. The Duracell is slightly wider than the original battery, but it fits fine. For some reason, I had a hard time removing the positive cable from the original battery. It helps having a second person to hold the positive cable out of the way while you put the new battery in. If the positive cable touches anything metal it can ruin your car.
The new battery is working fine. I only had to reset the clock.
Battery link for Sam's Club:
https://www.samsclub.com/sams/auto-g...p_product_1_15
Consumer reports tested car batteries 2 years ago and they rated the Bosch batteries as one of the worst. The Duracell Platinum AGM was rated high and my local Sam's Club had it for $180. Sam's will install your battery for free, but I chose to do it myself. I watched the video in my previous post and followed the instructions. The Duracell is slightly wider than the original battery, but it fits fine. For some reason, I had a hard time removing the positive cable from the original battery. It helps having a second person to hold the positive cable out of the way while you put the new battery in. If the positive cable touches anything metal it can ruin your car.
The new battery is working fine. I only had to reset the clock.
Battery link for Sam's Club:
https://www.samsclub.com/sams/auto-g...p_product_1_15
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#85
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Often the terminals are clamped on pretty tight, if you loosen the nut and use a small screwdriver or pick to spread the terminal open where it's split, it will lift off easily.
Remove the negative terminal first, then the positive one can go anywhere without an issue. Supposed to start and finish with the negative side anyway, reduces the chance of a voltage spike/spark that can cause damage.
Remove the negative terminal first, then the positive one can go anywhere without an issue. Supposed to start and finish with the negative side anyway, reduces the chance of a voltage spike/spark that can cause damage.
#86
Dealer quoted over $500 for battery replacement. Heck no batman! Quick question for you guys about battery tender/charger/jump starter. While looking through mercedesmedic.com, it recommends NOCO GB40 (1000 amp, 12v). Is this really necessary or can I use anything that's 12V? Basically, what would be the minimum requirement to look for in a charger?
#87
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2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
Dealer quoted over $500 for battery replacement. Heck no batman! Quick question for you guys about battery tender/charger/jump starter. While looking through mercedesmedic.com, it recommends NOCO GB40 (1000 amp, 12v). Is this really necessary or can I use anything that's 12V? Basically, what would be the minimum requirement to look for in a charger?
Here's one for about $21:
#88
Dealer quoted over $500 for battery replacement. Heck no batman! Quick question for you guys about battery tender/charger/jump starter. While looking through mercedesmedic.com, it recommends NOCO GB40 (1000 amp, 12v). Is this really necessary or can I use anything that's 12V? Basically, what would be the minimum requirement to look for in a charger?
#89
Cetialpha5 and Jumpman726. Thanks for the suggestions!
Basically, the dealer said the battery didn't past the "test" and it might die in the winter so they were suggesting the battery be replaced. My car is 4 years old with only 23K miles on it. Is it normal for the battery to be so worn out already?
Basically, the dealer said the battery didn't past the "test" and it might die in the winter so they were suggesting the battery be replaced. My car is 4 years old with only 23K miles on it. Is it normal for the battery to be so worn out already?
#91
Member
Has anyone connected a battery charger to the posts while swapping out the batteries? It's 12 volts and low current. Should work right?
#92
MBWorld Fanatic!
I would never do that. Charger output is not pure DC and could do harm to your car. If you want to keep it energized during battery swapp use another battery, which does not need to be big at all as you just power the computers to hold the memory.
#93
MBWorld Fanatic!
I thought about hooking up a donor battery when doing a battery change but since you only lose the clock time it's not worth it IMO.
#94
Member
#96
Member
Based on experience, I recommend the Ctek trickle chargers. The lower end models (e.g., MUS4.3) are relatively affordable if you shop around, and they seem to be better built than the typical trickle chargers (including the associated accessories). Certainly, many exotic car manufacturers, such as Ferrari, agree, as they offer rebranded Ctek chargers as standard accessories (probably because most exotic cars don’t get driven much).
#97
**UPDATE**
My previous post mentioned how I installed a new Duracell battery in SEPT 2018. I had bought the battery at Sam's Club and it had a 3 year warranty.
Yesterday I took my E550 for Service A and they recommended a battery replacement because their test was showing that my battery was bad. I found it hard to believe since it's been less than 2 years, plus I do a good amount of long highway driving. I told them that I would handle it on my own. I thought maybe the service shop was just trying to sell me a new battery.
I hooked the car up to a battery tender overnight and this morning it still wasn't charged. It didn't even reach 70%, so I knew something was wrong based on past experience. I found my receipt from 2018 and drove to my nearest Sam's Club. I told them that I think I have a bad battery. They tested it and verified the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) were below what they should be and it wasn't holding enough charge, so they gave me a new Duracell battery for free (pictured below) and I installed it myself. Hopefully, this one lasts longer.
My previous post mentioned how I installed a new Duracell battery in SEPT 2018. I had bought the battery at Sam's Club and it had a 3 year warranty.
Yesterday I took my E550 for Service A and they recommended a battery replacement because their test was showing that my battery was bad. I found it hard to believe since it's been less than 2 years, plus I do a good amount of long highway driving. I told them that I would handle it on my own. I thought maybe the service shop was just trying to sell me a new battery.
I hooked the car up to a battery tender overnight and this morning it still wasn't charged. It didn't even reach 70%, so I knew something was wrong based on past experience. I found my receipt from 2018 and drove to my nearest Sam's Club. I told them that I think I have a bad battery. They tested it and verified the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) were below what they should be and it wasn't holding enough charge, so they gave me a new Duracell battery for free (pictured below) and I installed it myself. Hopefully, this one lasts longer.
The following 2 users liked this post by jumpman726:
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#98
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2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
**UPDATE**
My previous post mentioned how I installed a new Duracell battery in SEPT 2018. I had bought the battery at Sam's Club and it had a 3 year warranty.
Yesterday I took my E550 for Service A and they recommended a battery replacement because their test was showing that my battery was bad. I found it hard to believe since it's been less than 2 years, plus I do a good amount of long highway driving. I told them that I would handle it on my own. I thought maybe the service shop was just trying to sell me a new battery.
I hooked the car up to a battery tender overnight and this morning it still wasn't charged. It didn't even reach 70%, so I knew something was wrong based on past experience. I found my receipt from 2018 and drove to my nearest Sam's Club. I told them that I think I have a bad battery. They tested it and verified the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) were below what they should be and it wasn't holding enough charge, so they gave me a new Duracell battery for free (pictured below) and I installed it myself. Hopefully, this one lasts longer.
My previous post mentioned how I installed a new Duracell battery in SEPT 2018. I had bought the battery at Sam's Club and it had a 3 year warranty.
Yesterday I took my E550 for Service A and they recommended a battery replacement because their test was showing that my battery was bad. I found it hard to believe since it's been less than 2 years, plus I do a good amount of long highway driving. I told them that I would handle it on my own. I thought maybe the service shop was just trying to sell me a new battery.
I hooked the car up to a battery tender overnight and this morning it still wasn't charged. It didn't even reach 70%, so I knew something was wrong based on past experience. I found my receipt from 2018 and drove to my nearest Sam's Club. I told them that I think I have a bad battery. They tested it and verified the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) were below what they should be and it wasn't holding enough charge, so they gave me a new Duracell battery for free (pictured below) and I installed it myself. Hopefully, this one lasts longer.
#99
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If you don't reset the battery life on the newer cars it won't charge the new battery fully. I don't think your 2012 has that system yet though.
#100
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This is the first I am hearing of registering a battery to a W212. Is there a scan tool that can do this other than STAR? I’m assuming the 2016s have this? Dealer did not mention it when they replaced the battery under warranty 7 months ago